WAHPETON, N.D. – The Valley City State University women's basketball team were topped by the #7 Dakota State University Trojans by a score of 71-60. The Vikings are now 6-13 overall and 3-12 in Frontier Conference games. The #7 Trojans are now 18-3 overall and are 13-2 in Frontier Conference games.

The Vikings got off to a 4-0 lead after JayCee Richter scored the first basket of the game, followed by a Madison Spacher two-pointer. Richer once again found her way to the basket a few possessions later, scoring on a layup, making it 7-2. The Trojans would then go on an 11-2 run, capturing a four-point lead at 13-9. The Vikings remained resilient, later taking an 18-16 lead after a three-pointer made by Olivia Backus. Closing the quarter, the Trojans made a two, making it 18-18.

The start of the second quarter saw Dakota State take a six-point lead after making the first three baskets of the quarter, making it 24-18. The Vikings bounced back with Ellie Powell making a two, and Braaten with a three. VCSU took a 26-24 lead after Tiyana Schwinghammer buried a three. The half remained close with Abby Aslesen giving the Vikings a 32-30 lead going into halftime.

At halftime, the Vikings shot 13-for-39 from the field, 4-10 from the three-point line, and 2-for-6 from the free throw line. They were led by Abby Aslesen, who had scored eight points at halftime. The Trojans were shooting 12-for-37 from the field, 5-for-19 from the three-point line, and 1-for-1 from the free throw line.

The start of the third saw Dakota State knock down a two-pointer and followed by two three's, taking a 38-32 lead. They later grew that lead to 11 after a three-pointer by Hamtyn Heinz. The Vikings would chip away at the lead, getting within four after an Aslesen two, making the score 45-41. In the last minute, the Trojans would rally, stretching the lead back to nine at 52-43.

In the fourth, the Vikings and Trojans went back and forth, however the Vikings were unable to make a significant impact in the Trojans double digit lead. The game would close with a final score of 71-60.

Closing the game, VCSU shot 24-for-57 from the field, 5-for-14 from the three-point line, and 7-for-18 from the free throw line. JayCee Richter tallied 17 points and seven rebounds. Abby Aslesen dropped a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. The Trojans shot 27-for-68 from the field, 10-for-27 from the three-point line, and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

UP NEXT: The Vikings are set to host Bellevue on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 3:00 p.m. in Moorhead, Minn.