Fourth Quarter Rally Lifts Vikings Over V-Hawks

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The Viterbo University Women's Basketball team dropped a North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) matchup with Valley City State University (N.D.), 64-74, on Friday night. The V-Hawks drop to 4-12, 1-3 NSAA, while the Vikings improve to 9-8 and 2-2 in the NSAA.

Gina Stefferud was the first V-Hawk on the board, tying the game at 2-2- at 8:53. Macy Stellner and Natalia Leguizamon would help pace Viterbo for most of the quarter, as Stellner's free throw with 1:48 brought the score to 11-12, and Julia Salmen hit a pair from the line with under a minute to leave the score at 15-17 at the end of the opening period.

Emily McCurdy would steal the ball, leading to an Emily Bohn basket that tied the game a minute into the second, then McCurdy set up an Emma Wagner three on the following possession. Stefferud hit a jumper at 4:38, but Valley City would respond with a 6-0 run to go up 26-33 at 1:51 before Kaitlyn Kennedy sank a pair of free throws. The V-Hawks would trail 27-35 at halftime.

Leguizamon's three, assisted by Sophie Leinfelder, would be the first basket of the second half, then Leinfelder would score the next four for Viterbo. Emma Wagner's steal led to a Leguizamon layup with just over three minutes in the quarter, closing the gap to three points. Kennedy hit a pair of free throws with second left in the third to bring the score to 43-46.

A pair of threes by Leguizamon and Tyreesha Blaylock gave Viterbo their first lead of the game, and Kennedy extended it to 51-46. With a field goal at 7:28, Jaycee Richter started a run that would give the Vikings the advantage, 52-59. Stefferud's three stopped the bleeding at 3:37, and hit another at 1:03, leaving the V-Hawks behind only four. However, after turnovers, Viterbo was forced to foul, and Valley City would claim the 76-64 win.

The Vikings outshot the V-Hawks 41%-37% from the field, but Viterbo shot better from three, 42%-33%. Valley City also won the rebounding battle (40-47) and the turnover battle (20-17).

Leguizamon posted a game-high 23 points to go with seven rebounds and two steal, Stefferud added 10 points, and Leinfelder had game-highs of eight rebounds and three assists.  Ashlyn Diemert led the Vikings with 17 points and six rebounds, while Richter had 16 off the bench.

The V-Hawks return to action on Saturday, January 14 at Dickinson State University (N.D.).