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(VCSUVikings.com)- Valley City State’s season came to an end Thursday during the quarterfinals of the North Star Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Tournament.
No. 3 seed University of Jamestown used a decisive 14-0 second-half run to build a 24-point lead it would never relinquish in a 95-87 victory over the No. 6-seeded Vikings.
Valley City State ends it first season under head coach Ryan Montgomery with a 16-15 overall record. The Vikings went 8-8 in conference play during the regular season. Jamestown improves to 18-13 overall. The Jimmies will play either No. 2 Dickinson State or No. 7 Waldorf University in the semifinals on Saturday.
Jamestown led big early at 20-9 after a Sam Johnson 3-pointer with 11:24 remaining in the half. The Vikings regrouped and responded with a 13-0 run over the next five minutes of play, and Austin Dunbar’s bucket gave VCSU its first lead of the game at 22-20. The teams traded baskets the rest of the first half, and a late 3 by Logan Brown gave the Jimmies a 39-35 lead at the half.
Jamestown never trailed in the second half, scoring the first nine points to open up its biggest lead of the game at 48-35 just two minutes in. The lead would continue to grow for Jamestown. After VCSU cut the deficit to 54-44 on a 3 from Rashad Satahoo, the Jimmies ripped off the decisive run – a 14-0 spurt for a 68-44 edge with 11:30 to play.
The Vikings were able to put together a 13-3 run over the next four minutes to climb back to within 71-57, but could not cut the deficit to single digits until the last 45 seconds of play.
Both teams shot near 50 percent for the game but Jamestown also shot 50 percent from 3-point range, going 9-for-18 from deep. Valley City State finished at 52 percent from the field (31-60), 44 percent from 3-point range (8-18) and 71 percent at the line (17-24). Jamestown shot 52 percent from the field (32-62), 50 percent from 3 and 76 percent at the line (22-29).
Jayden Ferguson scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Viking offense. Jason Ralph had a strong game at point guard for VCSU, dishing out nine assists and scoring 18 points. Austin Dunbar posted 17 points and seven rebounds, and Rashad Satahoo finished with 12 points and four assists.
Ellwood Ellenson had eight points before fouling out, and Austin Rambow added five points off the bench.
Jacob Havron had 22 points and nine rebounds for Jamestown before fouling out in the final minutes. Jake Hagler added 20 points, and Logan Brown scored 19 as part of five Jimmies to reach double figures.
Valley City State graduates two seniors from this year’s squad in Ellwood Ellenson and Austin Rambow