Trotter’s 22 Leads Vikings to Victory

Sioux Center, Iowa ~ The Viking women’s basketball team needed one win to do something it had not done in over ten years.  End the regular season with a .500 record.  Dana came up with a 78-76 win over Dordt College on Saturday afternoon.

Things started the Vikings’ way in the first half.  Tricia Trotter (FR, Treynor, IA) opened the game with a jumper to give Dana the opening lead.  The Vikings held the lead for the first four minutes of the game.  Dordt would not go down with out a fight.  The Defenders took their game to the perimeter.  Dordt would hit two consecutive three-pointers and a lay up to grab a seven point lead.  Dana would fight back and tie the game up.  Megan Gerdes (FR, Treynor, IA) would drain a three pointer and then Jillian Bryant (FR, McCook, NE) would hit a lay-up to even the game.  Neither team would stretch a lead over four points.  A Trotter jumper would give Dana its two point half time lead.

Dana would come out of the halftime break running and gunning.  The Vikings would stretch their lead to six points early in the half on an Amy Nichol (JR, Des Moines, IA) jumper.  Dordt and Dana would exchange baskets throughout the second half.  Dordt finally cut into the Dana lead with eight minutes left in the game.  The Vikings missed several shots, which led to easy baskets.  The Vikings would find themselves down six points with six minutes left to go in the game.  A pair of Amy Nichol free throws and a Tricia Trotter would draw Dana within two.  Trotter would then force a Defender turnover.  Trotter would miss the fast break lay-up, but Jillian Bryant would pull down the rebound and feed Allie Lamb (SO, North English, IA).  Lamb would be fouled on her made shot and sink the free throw to put Dana back up by one.  Amanda Bryant would then put Dana up four as she hit one of two free throws with a minute left.  Dana would then ice the game as Tricia Trotter would steal an errant Dordt pass.  Dana would come away with a 78-76 win. 

Tricia Trotter led the Vikings with 22 point, six rebounds, and five assists.  Amy Nichol, Amanda Bryant, and Erin Bazata (SO, Randolph, NE) would each score ten points to help the Vikings.  Nichol would pull down a team high seven rebounds and four steals.  Bazata and Bryant would pull down six rebounds apiece. 

The victory would move the Vikings to 14-14 overall and 6-12 in conference play.  The 14 wins and 6 conference wins would be the most for any Viking team since the early 1192-93 season, when Coach Mechels was a freshman player.  Dordt finishes the regular season at 10-18 overall and 7-11 in conference.  The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday evening at 5:30pm.  The winner will advance to the conference quarterfinals on Thursday at Mt. Marty.

For more information, contact:


Shad Beam, sports information director, (402) 426-7389, sbeam@dana.edu

—    or —

Scott Guzinski, assistant Sports Information Director, (402) 426-7949, sguzinsk@dana.edu