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CITY (NewsDakota.com)–Both Viking basketball teams find themselves in new positions after Wednesday night’s matchup with the Dickinson State Bluehawks.
The Viking women used a 25-0 run to blow by Dickinson State 77-51, giving the Vikings a one-game showdown with Mayville State Saturday for a position in the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) tournament.
Valley City State found themselves on the outside looking in after a losing streak sent them to a fifth-place ranking among AII teams. Only the top four teams qualify for the post-season tournament.
The Viking men lost their ability to qualify through the at-large process with a poor showing on their home floor, losing a 74-65 decision to Dickinson State.
While the Vikings still have a path through the AII tournament, a win over the Bluehawks, followed by a win at Mayville State on Saturday would have all-but secured a position in the top 20 nationally, a position that typically is included in the NAIA Division II national tournament.
The loss by the Vikings will drop them out of the top 20, regardless of the result at Mayville State. If the Vikings lose at Mayville, they will likely drop to the fourth position in the AII rankings, putting them in a first-round game at the AII that the top three spots do not have to play in.
It would also land them in the same side of the bracket as Jamestown College, putting the Vikings on the brink of becoming the third 20-win team in four seasons to miss a trip to nationals.
The Viking women took an 18-6 lead in the opening half, but ran into trouble with ball control, committing 18 first-half turnovers, allowing the Bluehawks to eventually tie the game at 29-29. Allison Scherr (Jr., Mohall, ND), knocked down a three at the buzzer to give the Vikings a 32-29 edge at the break.
After the Bluehawks scored the first four points of the second half, the Vikings blitzed a 25-0 run, highlighted by Kelsey Hunter. The freshman from Miller, SD, scored nine of hier 15 in the second half. Sadiqah Jihad (Fr., Minneapolis, MN) nailed two big threes during the run as well.
Sierra Even (Fr., Windom, MN) scored wtih 6:15 left to put the lead to 30 points at 66-36, and the Vikings never looked back, coasting to the win.
The Viking men started poorly for the second-straight game, shooting 22% in the opening half, dropping behind 35-15 just before halftime, and trailing 38-20 at the intermission.
A.J. McDonald (Fr., Killeen, TX) continued his impressive run through the end of the regular season, scoring 15 of his 24 in the second half on four three-point shots, sparking a rally that cut the game to as few as seven.
But the Vikings had no answer for Casper Hesseldal (Sr., Denmark), who led the 11-17 Bluehawks with 26 points in the win.
Sekani Milligan (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, FL), the Vikings leading scorer, managed just 1-10 shootin beyond the arc and scored 12 points, all in the second half.
The Viking women improve to 16-13, while the men fall to 20-8. Both teams wrap up their regular seasons at Mayville State Saturday afternoon.