November 3, 2018

Photos credit by Karen Giles

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Defending NAIA Division II Women's Basketball national champion Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) shot a blazing 68.4 percent from the field, rolling past Dakota State (S.D.) 106-63 at Sanford Pentagon.  It was the first day of the third annual South Dakota/NAIA Basketball Classic, hosted by DWU this year.

Dakota State, who was playing their second NAIA's Top 10 team this season, fell to 0-3 overall record.  Dakota Wesleyan remained undefeated with a 2-0 record.

Aubrey Miedema drained a 3-pointer to give Lady T's a 3-0 lead with nine minutes and forty-two seconds on the clock in the first period.

DWU and DSU went through two ties and three lead changes through the first three minutes of the quarter.  Leading 20-14, the Tigers closed the first quarter with a 13-2 run in the final 3:19 of the first quarter to take a 33-16 lead.

Dakota Wesleyan missed only three shots in the first ten minutes of the game, converting 12 baskets in 15 attempts.  Dakota State was 6-of-16 from the field (37.5 percent).

The Tigers shot 71 percent from the field (22-of-31) in the first-half, storming to a 58-32 halftime lead.  The Lady T's were 11-of-28 field goals (39.3 percent) in the first twenty minutes of the game.

DWU shot 65.4 percent in the second-half (17-of-26), outscoring DSU 48-31 for the victory.  DSU was 45.5 percent from the field (10-of-22) in the second-half.

Jessi Giles led the Lady T's with 11 points.  Olivia Breske added nine points.  Ashlyn Macdonald tallied eight points.  Kelley Criddle and McKenzie Hermanson each scored seven points.

Macdonald pulled down four rebounds for DSU.  Breske dished out three assists and stole the ball two times.  Cheylee Nagel also recorded two steals.  Raven Patton had two blocks. 

DWU's Kynedi Cheeseman was 10-of-16 from the field for 28 points.  Sarah Carr added 20 points (8-of-10 field goals).  Makaela Karst had 16 points.  Rylie Osthus had 15 points.  Sydney Halling scored 11 points off the bench.

Carr collected seven rebounds for the Tigers.  Karst had two blocks.  Osthus and Karst each stole the ball three times.  Osthus and Madison Mathews each contributed six assists.

Dakota Wesleyan converted 39-of-57 field goals compared to Dakota State 21-of-50 field goals (42 percent).  Both teams drained eight 3-pointers in the game.  DWU made 20-of-22 free-throws (90.9 percent), while DSU was 13-of-21 from the free-throw line (61.9 percent).

The Tigers outrebounded the Lady T's 34-17.  DSU's bench outscored DWU's bench 29-27.

Dakota State continues their action on the second day of the South Dakota/NAIA Basketball Classic Sunday afternoon at Sanford Pentagon.  The Lady T's take on Mount Marty (S.D.) with a tip-off at 12 p.m. 

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director