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CITY (NewsDakota.com)–A week ago, the Viking women were taught a tough lesson about competing for 40 minutes, as the University of Minnesota-Crookston turned a tie game into a 16-point win over the final five minutes.

 

The lessons learned the hard way are usually learned the best.

 

The Vikings dispensed some of that knowledge Monday night, as they used a 35-10 run the spanned 10:24 seconds of the second half to flip a nine-point deficit into a 70-54 lead, en route to a 74-63 win over Concordia College at the W. E. Osmon Fieldhouse.

 

Four Vikings scored in double figures as continuous Viking full-court pressure simply ground the Cobbers into a worn out, flat-footed team down the stretch. Valley City State finally put the ball in the basket, something they have been waiting on for the entire season.

 

Katie Ralston (Jr., Dahlen, ND) led the charge, scoring 14 of her game-high 17 points after halftime, attacking the baseline for six second-half field goals. Sierra Even (Fr., Windom, MN) did her damage from the ouside, draining four of the Vikings’ seven three-point shots to add 16.

 

While Ralston and Even did the scoring, the hustle was once again left to point guard Sadiqah Jihad (Fr., Minneapolis, MN) and off-guard Courtney Titus (Jr., Hankinson, ND) Jihad scored 13 points, but pulled down nine rebounds, including four offensive boards, beating three six-foot Cobbers to the glass time and time again.

 

Titus added 13 points, seven boards, and three steals while leading the full-court defensive attack that forced 18 turnovers for the second-straight game. Alyssa Hummel (Jr., West Fargo, ND) added to the defense, holding 6’4″ Cobber center Alexandra Lippert (So., Wilmar, MN) to 10 points and seven boards. Lippert scored 19 and grabbed 13 rebounds in her opening game in a North Carolina tournament last week.

 

Concordia looked to be pulling away in the interior of the second half in a game that had seen no team lead by more than three. Tricia Sorensen (Jr., Bismarck, ND), following her Most Valuable Player performance at the Peace Invitational in Raleigh, NC last week, splashed a three that keyed an 8-0 Cobber run, moving their edge to 44-35 with 11:51 left.

 

The next 10:24 seconds saw the Vikings blow up their offense, doubling their output of the previous 28 minutes. Even hit two threes, Titus added one from outside, and Ralston attacked the basket regularly to reverse the momentum.

 

Jihad drained the shot of the run. With the Vikings needing one big shot to bury the Cobbers, the dribble-penetrator flashed open on the right wing, and calmly landed a rare three that sent the lead to four possessions late in the game. Valley City State led 70-54 with 1:27 left, and surrendered two late threes to the Cobbers at the finish.

 

The Vikings are now 4-7, and travel to Presentation College of Aberdeen, SD Wednesday. They return to Valley City for a home date with the University of Sioux Falls Saturday afternoon.

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