Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports and Marketing Information Director
Dickinson, N.D. – Dickinson State clinched at least a share of the North Star Athletic Association regular season title, and the #1 seed in the NSAA tournament, with a 74-70 victory over Bellevue on Friday night at Scott Gymnasium.
"I'm so proud of this team. They compete, they battle, they stay together, it's just amazing to be a part of," said head coach Derek Selvig. "Players win games and administrations win championships, so thankful to our former President Steve Easton, current President Ty Orton, our AD Pete Stanton, SID Sagan Osborne, our DSU Foundation, and all our faculty and staff for their support. We accomplished one goal, and have more to go! HUGE thank you to the DSU Baseball team for their support these last couple games, they have made Scott Gym electric!"
The Blue Hawks held off a late push from the Bruins, using key defensive stops and timely free throws to close out the win. Aidan Fishell led Dickinson State with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Kose Egbule added 20 points and seven rebounds. The Blue Hawks shot 50.0% from the field and controlled the paint with a 44-28 scoring advantage inside.
Dickinson State led 32-30 at halftime after a back-and-forth opening period. Bellevue stayed close behind a balanced scoring effort, but the Blue Hawks maintained control with efficient shooting and strong rebounding in the second half.
The Blue Hawks opened the second half with a quick 6-2 run, sparked by baskets from Fishell and John Evans. Bellevue answered with a three-pointer from Christian Carter, who finished with 15 points, but Dickinson State's defense tightened, forcing key turnovers and limiting second-chance opportunities.
Egbule gave Dickinson State a 60-55 lead with just under eight minutes remaining, but Bellevue responded with five straight points to tie the game. The teams traded baskets down the stretch before a critical three-point play from Fishell put the Blue Hawks up 69-66 with under a minute to play.
Bellevue cut the deficit to one on a driving layup from Carter, but Dickinson State responded with free throws from Egbule and Evans to extend the lead back to three. Bellevue had one final chance, but a contested three-point attempt in the closing seconds was off the mark, sealing the win for the Blue Hawks.
Dickinson State finished with 10 assists and only two turnovers while holding Bellevue to 45.5% shooting. The Blue Hawks struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 23.5% from three-point range, but made up for it with a decisive advantage in points off turnovers, 12-0.