Huber’s offensive rebound and basket inside gave the Vikings a 67-65 lead, and they held off Minot State over the final minute for a 67-66 win.

On paper, the game was an exhibition contest for both teams, but on the floor it was anything but that. With an on-court intensity rivaling postseason play, the teams battled back-and-forth throughout the game with 17 lead changes and 10 ties.

VCSU opened up its largest lead of the game at 61-53 on Hannah Schlecht’s layup with 4:39 to go. The Beavers came storming back on a 12-2 run that included three straight 3-pointers and a run-capping 3-point play by Anna Counts – putting Minot ahead 65-63 with 1:51 on the clock.

Huber responded with two free throws to tie the game at 65-65. After a Minot State turnover, Huber pulled down an offensive rebound on the other end and put it back in with 1:02 remaining to give VCSU a 67-65 advantage. Minot State would add a free throw with 36 seconds left, but VCSU’s defense held on to the one-point lead in the final seconds.

Thursday night’s contest was the first of the season for Minot State – an NCAA Division II school – and it was the first real test of the season for the Vikings, who won their opener last week by 60 points.

“I’m extremely proud of how hard we played on both ends of the floor,” said VCSU head coach Vanessa Keeler-Johnson. “We had players step up and make big plays down the stretch, and we were able to get stops when we needed them the most. This was a great team win.”

Four Vikings scored in double figures, led by Huber’s 14 points and eight rebounds. She scored VCSU’s final six points of the night and had 12 of her points in the second half. Emily Schafer finished with 11 points and four assists. Hannah Schlecht knocked down two 3-pointers and finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Alli Vandal filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

The Vikings shot 42 percent from the field (21-50), 40 percent from 3-point range (8-20) and 68 percent at the line (17-25). Minot State finished the game at 39 percent overall (24-62), 32 percent on 3’s (7-22) and 79 percent on free throws (11-14).

VCSU held a 35-30 rebounding advantage. The Vikings finished with 14 assists, seven steals and 15 turnovers. Minot State had 15 assists, eight steals and 17 turnovers.

Mariah Payne had a game-high 17 points to lead Minot’s offense. Anna Counts and Madison Wald each added 12 points off the bench.

An intense first half featured six ties and six lead changes. The Vikings led by as many as five points in the first half after Kaitlin Connor’s free throw put VCSU up 21-16 midway through the second quarter. Minot State closed the half with a 16-7 run – including a buzzer-beating layup by Kari Clements – to take a 32-28 lead into the locker room.

Valley City State regained the lead by scoring the first seven points of the second half, and from there the teams went back and forth. The lead changed hands seven times in the third quarter with VCSU holding a 48-43 advantage entering the fourth. The Vikings opened the lead up to 61-53 before Minot’s big run set up the game’s exciting final two minutes.

Up next: Valley City State, ranked No. 16 in the NAIA, travels to No. 2-ranked Dakota Wesleyan University on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Tip off is at 6 p.m. in Mitchell, S.D.