March 1, 2026

BUTTE, Mont. — Top-seed Dakota State (S.D.) used a dominant middle stretch and a balanced trio of scorers to defeat fifth-seed MSU-Northern 73-57 on Sunday afternoon in a Frontier Conference women’s basketball tournament semifinal at the Butte Civc Center.

Tabor Teel powered the Trojans (26-4 overall record) with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds, adding four assists and two steals as Dakota State turned a first-quarter deficit into a double-digit second-half lead.

Teel got plenty of help from the perimeter, as Ella Carstensen finished with 17 points and four 3-pointers and Bria Wasmund added 16 points, five rebounds and six assists.

MSU-Northern started fast, riding early 3-point shooting to a 13-7 lead after Becky Melcher connected from long range with 3:50 left in the first quarter. The Skylights led 16-13 at the end of the opening quarter after a late free throw from Shania Moananu, but their offense stalled in the second.

Dakota State outscored MSU-Northern 19-6 in the frame, capped by Wasmund’s 3-pointer at the buzzer that sent the Trojans into halftime with a 32-22 advantage.

Dakota State continued to extend the margin after the break. The Trojans pushed the pace, turned defense into offense and put up 24 points in the third quarter, seizing control of the semifinal. Carstensen’s 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining in the third made it 54-39, giving Dakota State its largest lead to that point and answering a brief MSU-Northern surge.

MSU-Northern mounted its best push in the third, scoring 22 points in the quarter behind the outside shooting of Lauren Gunn and Ciera Agasiva, but could not overcome ball-security issues. The Skylights committed 26 turnovers against Dakota State’s pressure, which led to 18 Trojan steals and numerous transition opportunities.

Despite 10 made 3-pointers and a 47.6 percent mark from beyond the arc, MSU-Northern never cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth.

Dakota State, which shot 40.3 percent from the field (27-of-67 field goals) and 9-of-30 from 3-point range, closed the game at the free-throw line and maintained a comfortable margin throughout the final quarter. Wasmund’s free throw with 59 seconds left provided the final 73-57 score line.

The Trojans also held a 13-11 edge on the offensive glass and finished with 13 assists to 12 turnovers.

Gunn led MSU-Northern with 16 points, seven rebounds and four 3-pointers, while Agasiva added 14 points, five rebounds and three 3s. The Skylights shot 37.5 percent overall (18-of-48 field goals) and went 11-of-14 at the foul line but were unable to offset Dakota State’s pressure defense and sustained scoring.

With the win, Dakota State advances to the Frontier Conference tournament final versus the winner between Montana Western and Montana Tech. The championship game is set for 5 p.m. (Mountain Time) Monday and will be televised live on SWX Local Sports.

MSU-Northern ends their season at 17-12 overall record.