JAMESTOWN, N.D. (VCSUVikings.com) – The Viking women’s basketball team is headed back to the conference championship game for the second straight season and the sixth time since 2011.
Kate Williams made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining Saturday and Valley City State ended the game with a 7-0 run, surviving its NSAA semifinal with a 62-57 win against Bellevue University.
The Vikings now face top seed and rival University of Jamestown in the conference title game Sunday at 3 p.m. in Jamestown. The Vikings and Jimmies met in last year’s championship game, a 79-70 win for Jamestown.
Valley City State (24-4, 13-3 NSAA) led by 12 points late in the third quarter of Saturday’s semifinal against No. 3 seed Bellevue University. The Bruins chipped away and took their first lead of the second half at 57-55 on Beth Walker’s left-corner 3-pointer with two minutes remaining. Kaitlin Connor then tied the game with two free throws for VCSU and Williams sank the go-ahead 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:03 to go. VCSU’s defense held the Bruins scoreless over the final two minutes to secure the victory.
Kaitlin Connor gave the Vikings a much-needed boost off the bench, finishing with nine points, three blocks and nine rebounds. Alli Vandal led the Viking offense with 14 points, including 12 in the first half. Lexi Lennon poured in 13 for VCSU, 11 of which came in the third quarter. Lennon also added nine rebounds. Hannah Schlecht was big off the bench as well, scoring eight points and tallying five rebounds.
Caletria Curtis scored a game-high 23 points to lead Bellevue University. Beth Walker added 10 points and made three 3-pointers.
VCSU shot 43 percent for the game (23-53), 33 percent from deep (4-12) and 75 percent at the line (12-16). Bellevue University finished the game at 38 percent from the field (21-55), 55 percent on 3’s (6-11) and 56 percent on free throws (9-16).
After playing to a 6-6 tie through the first four minutes, the Vikings reeled off a 16-3 run to open up their biggest lead of the game at 22-9 early in the second quarter. Vandal poured in 12 first-half points for the Vikings as they went to the locker room with a 33-23 lead.
Bellevue trimmed to the lead to four points early in the third quarter at 37-33. VCSU senior Lexi Lennon responded by scoring nine of VCSU’s next 11 points as the Vikings took a 48-40 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Bruins (19-13, 11-5 NSAA) opened the fourth quarter by scoring eight of the first 11 points, cutting the lead to 51-48 – the closest they had been since midway through the first quarter. Bruins continued to battle back and finally took their first lead since 4-2, taking a 57-55 advantage on Beth Walker’s left-corner 3-pointer with 1:58 remaining. Connor tied the game on two free throws with 1:48 left, and then Williams gave VCSU the lead for good with her clutch 3-pointer in front of the Viking bench.
Sunday’s title game features the top two seeds in the tournament and two of the top teams in the nation. The winner earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament. The Vikings are ranked No. 16 in the latest national poll, while Jamestown is ranked No. 7. Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, both teams are essentially locks to earn at-large bids to the 32-team national tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.
Valley City State will be playing in the conference tournament championship for the sixth time in the last eight seasons. VCSU has a 1-4 record in the previous five games, including a 1-3 mark against Jamestown. VCSU defeated Jamestown in the 2011 DAC Championship, 74-69, but Jamestown has won the last three conference championship games with VCSU in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
VCSU WBB in Conference Championships since 2011
2010-11 – DAC Championship: VCSU 74, Jamestown 69
2011-12 – A.I.I. Championship: Cal State-San Marcos 54, VCSU 52 (OT)
2012-13 – A.I.I. Championship: Jamestown 69, VCSU 52
2014-15 – NSAA Championship: Jamestown 65, VCSU 48
2016-17 – NSAA Championship: Jamestown 79, VCSU 70
Jamestown (29-3, 16-0 NSAA) won both prior meetings with the Vikings this season, picking up a 53-52 win in Valley City and a 70-62 victory in Jamestown.
With a valid student ID, VCSU students will be admitted for free to the NSAA championship. NAIA and NSAA passes will also be honored. Admission for all others is $8 for adults and $4 for students.
Up next: Valley City State faces University of Jamestown in the NSAA Tournament Championship, Sunday at 3 p.m. in Jamestown.