BILLINGS – Cold three-point shooting and an inability to get to the free throw line cost Dickinson State (5-10, 0-1) as they fell, 64-47, to Rocky Mountain College (10-4, 2-0) to end their 2022-2023 non-conference slate.
After suffering back-to-back blowout losses to Rocky Mountain at home in November, the Blue Hawks came out firing. They kept the game close early and battled back from an early deficit to tie the game at 14-14 on a Lindsay Peterson layup. Sunshine Vicente gave them the lead with one of DSU's three made shots from deep on the night, but a three on the other end sent the teams into the second quarter tied at 17.
Back-to-back threes by Peterson to start the second quarter sparked the Blue Hawks as they raced out to their largest lead of the game, 29-21, with 4:12 left in the first half. From that moment on, the Blue Hawk shooters went cold. They did not connect on another three-pointer the rest of the way, going just 3-16 for the game, and 0-5 in the second half, and only earning one trip to the free throw line going 0-1 on the night.
On the other side, RMC knocked down 10 of 24 (42%) shots from deep to provide all the cushion they would need to complete the come-from-behind victory.
Peterson led the Blue Hawks with 16 points while Samantha Oase scored six points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Tinley Pierson and McKenzie Johnson each had six points as well. Both teams shot 39 percent from the field overall, but the 42 percent to 19 percent from long range loomed large. RMC went 8-12 from the line and got 25 points from their bench in a solid all-around effort.
WHATS NEXT
The Blue Hawks will restart North Star Athletic Association play next weekend when they head south to take on Bellevue University and Dakota State University, two teams expected to finish at the top of the NSAA standings, on January 6-7.