MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State ended the game on a 13-4 run to pull away from upset minded Valley City State for a 70-59 win over the Vikings in Frontier Conference women's basketball in Madison, South Dakota on Saturday.

The Vikings are now 2-3 in the Frontier Conference and 5-4 overall. Dakota State is 5-0 in the conference and 10-1 overall.

In the first there were three ties and four lead changes as neither team could take control. Valley City jumped out to an early four-point lead. A three-pointer by Ellie Braaten made it 10-6 Valley City State with 5:28 to go in the first quarter. The Trojans would use a 5-0 run to retake the lead. Valley City State came down and got a mid-range jumper from Abby Aslesen to give the Vikings a 12-11 lead with 4:00 to go in the first. She would complete the three-point play to make it 13-11 Valley City State. Dakota State would go on a 7-1 run to take a four-point lead. Bria Wasmund's three-pointer made it 18-14 with 2:26 to go in the quarter. The Trojans led 21-19 at the end of the first quarter.

The Vikings used a 7-2 run at the start of the third quarter to take the lead back. A three-pointer by Braaten from long range gave VCSU a 24-23 lead. Then a bucket by Ellie Powell capped the run, making it 26-23 Vikings with 7:27 to go in the first half. Dakota State reeled off a 9-2 run to regain the lead in this back-and-forth first half. A Cierra Watkins layup made it 32-28 Trojans with 1:18 to go in the first half. Another Braaten three-pointer cut the lead to one 14 seconds later. Tiyana Schwinghammer made one of two free throws to tie the game at 32-32 with 43 seconds to go in the half. Cassidy Shute made one of two free throws to give the Vikings a 33-32 lead at halftime.

Dakota State would get the lead back and the game of leapfrog continued into the third quarter. The Trojans used an 8-3 run to go back up by four. Mackenzie Simmons made one of two free throws to make it 38-34. Then after a jumper by Madison Spacher made it 38-36, Tabor Teel made a layup to make it 40-36 Trojans with 6:52 to go in the third quarter. After a Schwinghammer layup made it 43-40 Dakota State, the Trojans went on a 7-0 run to take a ten-point lead, their biggest of the game. A Simmons three-pointer from the corner made it 50-40 with 2:13 to go in the third quarter. Valley City State ended the quarter on a 5-1 run to cut the lead to 51-45 heading into the final ten minutes.

The teams went back-and-forth in the final quarter. A basket by Aslesen 15 seconds into the quarter made it 51-47 Dakota State. The Trojans used a 6-3 run to take an eight-point lead with 6:09 to go. The Vikings would battle back taker cut the lead to two. A Braaten three-pointer made it 57-55 Trojans with 4:57 to go. The Vikings had two chances to tie or take the lead but could not convert and the Trojans got three straight layups to go back up by eight. The Vikings did not recover the Trojans ended the game on a 13-4 run to win 70-59.

The Vikings were led by Ellie Braaten with 18 points. Cassidy Shute had ten points. Abby Aslesen had eight points seven rebounds. Tiyana Schwinghammer had five points and five rebounds. Madison Spacher had five points JayCee Richter and Ellie Powell each had four points and Richter added seven rebounds. Olivia Backus had three points and Aubrey Prunty had two.

UP NEXT: The Vikings head to Montana next weekend with games at Montana Western and #25 Montana Tech on Saturday and Sunday respectively.