Lady T’s Basketball Inducted into Dakota State Hall of Fame
Dakota State University recently announced the new members of the 2022 DSU Hall of Fame Class, announcing five new members and also the 2005-06 Lady T’s Basketball team. The team members will join Joe Backus, Brian Kern, Dr. Jerald Tunheim, Carla Sudenga, and Jessica VanLoy as inductees in the 2022 class.
The 2005-06 DSU Lady T’s basketball team shared the Dakota Athletic Conference regular-season title and advanced to the NAIA Division II Elite Eight round for the second time in program history.
Members of the team include: Tricia Boldt, Angela Carr, Stacy Dunklau, Maria Gengler, Nicole Geraets, Angie Gottsleben, Jill Hansen, Steph Kaup, Amber Malvin, Sara Nelson, Laken Nedved, Casey Simpson, Laura Tewes, and VanLoy. They were guided by Head Coach Jeff Dittman and assisted by Judy Dittman, Jenny Brown, and student assistant Matthew Trotter.
Top-seeded Dakota State kicked off the Dakota Athletic Conference postseason play by holding off eighth-seeded Valley City State 69-62 before falling in the DAC semi finals round three days later, losing to fifth-seed Black Hills State 63-49, finishing DSU’s home schedule with an impressive 10-3 record.
DSU had to wait to hear from the NAIA national office to see if they received an at-large invitational to the NAIA Division II National Tournament at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The Lady T’s were ranked No. 18 in the final national poll with an overall record of 20-10, giving them a slim chance to receive the at-large bid. Dakota State was the last team invited to the national tournament and was seeded No. 6 in one of the four pods (Quarter 2 bracket).
The Lady T’s opened the national tournament against third-seeded and No. 10 ranked Shawnee State (Ohio). Shawnee had a 25-7 overall record and team who had been in the national tournament for many years. After beating Shawnee 59-55, DSU went on to play No. 4 nationally ranked Tabor (Kan.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in the Sweet Sixteen.
The Lady T’s shot nearly 50 percent in the first half for a 39-31 lead and never looked back for a 77-58 victory over the Bluejays, advancing to their second ever Elite Eight round in program history. DSU’s season came to an end, however, in the Elite Eight to the eventual national champion Hastings (Neb.) of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
DSU ended the season with an overall record of 22-11, and their 22 victories are tied for the fifth most overall victories in program history. They also scored 2,179 points during the season, fourth most points in a single season that time.
The Hall of Fame banquet is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased at the door. It will also be live streamed on the Dakota State University Athletics YouTube Page.
The social begins at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m. Program will begin at approximately 7 p.m.
