WATERTOWN, SD -- #19 Mayville State is headed back to the North Star Athletic Association conference championship game, after an 85-82 win Saturday afternoon over the Dakota State Trojans. The Comets got down early, but were able to come back and win over a tough Trojans team that beat the Comets on their home floor late in the regular season.
"I thought we played together as well as we have all year today," Comets head coach Dennis Hutter said. "WE got down early, but showed the same resolve we have shown all year."
Mayville State jumped out to a 7-2 lead early on a Taylor Shamp three-point play with 8:07 to go in the first quarter. Later in the first, Jordan Zrust gave the Comets another five-point lead on a jumper with 7:23 left, but Lexi Robson cut the lead to two points just 14 seconds later.
With 3:29 to go, Courtney Menning's field goal tied the game for the first time since the start. Morgan Koepsell gave Dakota State a two-point lead with 3:07 left, but Taylor Shamp tied the game back up with 2:46 to go.
Back-to-back baskets by Cheylee Nagel, sandwiched around a Claire Blascziek turnover, gave Dakota State a four-point lead with 2:11 to go, a lead that eventually grew to 13 points later in the second quarter.
Mayville State fought back, taking the lead twice in the final two minutes, heading into the halftime break with a 46-44 lead on a three-pointer with four seconds left by senior Taylor Skjordal.
Nicole Bunting extended Mayville State's lead to five points less than two minutes into the second half, with a three-pointer, a part of a huge run that saw Mayville State take a 13-point deficit and turn it into a 10-point lead with 6:12 to go in the half, on Zrust's jumper. Mayville State led 67-55 at the end of three quarters, outscoring Dakota State 21-11 in the third quarter alone.
Taylor Shamp had four points to start the fourth quarter, which gave Mayville State a 16-point lead.
With 5:55 to go, Mayville State held a 10-point lead.
Jessi Giles hit a shot in the paint to pull Dakota State to within seven points.
Kylee Heurung was fouled and made both of the double-bonus free throws, giving the Comets a nine-point lead with 4:10 left.
The two teams battled and scored back-to-back baskets, until Dakota State went on a run.
With 32 seconds left, and Dakota State down by three points, Lexi Robson nailed a shot on a fast break, pulling Dakota State to within one point.
Menning fouled Bunting, who made both free-throws, giving the Comets a three-point lead with 26 seconds left.
Savannah Walsdorf nailed a Fastbreak shot in the point, bringing the game to within one point with six seconds left.
On the next transition down, Menning fouled Bunting again, with four seconds left. Nicole made both shots, sealing the win for Mayville State.
The Comets were led by four players in double-digits—Bunting led with 25 points; Heurung with 19; Shamp with 13 and Zrust off the bench with 12 points.
"(Nicole) Bunting and (Kylee) Heurung were huge for us tonight," Hutter said. "I thought Claire had a great floor game, and Skillingstad defended very well."
The Comets advance to the North Star Athletic Association conference championship game on Sunday, where they will take on the fifth-seeded Viterbo V-Hawks. The Comets and V-Hawks split matchups this season, with the Comets taking a 72-51 win on their home court on January 11, and Viterbo claiming a 78-56 win in La Crosse on February 14.
"Survive and advance," Hutter said.