December 13, 2023

MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) held nationally-ranked Dakota State (S.D.) to 20 percent first half field goal percentage for a 36-17 halftime lead and earned a 69-52 women's basketball non-conference victory at the Corn Palace Wednesday evening.  The Tigers earned a season series split with the Trojans (DSU won the first meeting at DSU Fieldhouse 93-75 on Nov. 13).

Dakota State, who rose two spots to No. 13 in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Wednesday morning, saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end.  The Trojans are 8-3 overall record.  DWU is 7-3 overall record.

The Trojans' eight-game winning streak is tied for the ninth best winning streak in the school record book with the 2022-23 and 1999-00 squads.

Dakota State returns home Friday as they continue their non-conference schedule against Great Plains Athletic Conference foes.  The Trojans host (RV) Northwestern (Iowa) at DSU Fieldhouse with a 6 p.m. tip-off.

Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 69, (13) Dakota State (S.D.) 52 – FINAL

The game opened with trading 3-pointers by both teams, with Isabel Ihnen hitting a 3-pointer followed by Caitlin Dyer's 3-pointer as the game was knotted at 3-3 with eight minutes and thirty-one seconds on the clock.

Savannah Walsdorf made a basket to give DSU their first lead at 5-4 and extended their lead to 7-4 after a layup by Tabor Teel with 6:06 to go in the first quarter.

Walsdorf made a layup for Dakota State's 9-6 lead with 4:44 to go in the first period.

The Tigers held the Trojans scoreless for the next 10-plus minutes, sparking a monstrous 23-0 outburst.  DWU closed the first quarter with an 8-0 scoring run, capped by a layup by Emma Yost with less than three minutes to go in the first.

Both teams went scoreless in the final 2:51 as the Tigers held on to a 14-9 lead.  DSU and DWU struggled from the field, with the Trojans shooting 25 percent in the first ten minutes (4-of-16 field goals) and the Tigers shooting 26.7 percent (4-of-15 field goals).

Dakota Wesleyan started the second quarter with a 15-0 scoring run, ballooning their lead to 29-9 after a layup by Shalayne Nagel with 3:43 on the clock.

The Trojans snapped their scoring drought with a free-throw by Dyer with 3:28 left before halftime, trailing 29-10.

DWU outscored DSU 22-8 in the second quarter, thanks to their blazing 66.7 percent from the field (10-of-15 field goals).  The Trojans were held to 15.8 percent from the field (3-of-19 field goals) in the second period.

Dakota Wesleyan maintained their double-digit lead for the rest of the game, leading as many as 30 points after a layup from Rylee Rosenquist for a 57-27 lead with 3:10 on the clock.

DSU closed the third quarter with an 8-2 scoring run, ending with a 3-pointer by Angela Slattery (assisted by Walsdorf).  The Trojans trailed 59-35 after three quarters.

Dakota State outscored Dakota Wesleyan 17-10 in the final quarter.  The Trojans shot 53.9 percent (7-of-13 field goals) and held the Tigers to 27.8 percent (5-of-18 field goals).

Teel led DSU with 10 points on her 4-of-5 field goals.  She added three blocks and three rebounds.  Walsdorf and Dyer each added nine points.  Walsdorf tallied five rebounds and dished out four assists.  Slattery scored eight points, grabbed eight rebounds, and stole the ball four times.

Morgan Huber and Molli Thornton each had four points for Dakota State.  Oliva Ritter and Miakken Vincent each collected three rebounds.  Slattery, Lilli Mackley, Vincent, and Bria Wasmund each registered a blocked shot.

Yost poured in 20 points on her 8-of-15 field goals and collected nine rebounds for the Tigers.  Nagel added a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Ihnen and Rosenquist each tallied 10 points.  Rosenquist pulled down seven rebounds.

Ihnen dished out four assists for Dakota Wesleyan.  Nagel had five blocks.  Taliyah Hayes scored seven points off the bench.  Morgan Edelman recorded five rebounds and three assists.

Dakota Wesleyan shot 39.1 percent overall from the field (27-of-69 field goals) compared to Dakota State 31.7 percent (20-of-63 field goals).  The Tigers hit 5-of-14 3-pointers, while the Trojans were 5-of-27 3-pointers.

DWU was near perfect at the free-throw line, making 10-of-11 free-throws (90.9 percent).  DSU struggled at the free-throw line by converting 7-of-15 free-throws (46.7 percent).

Dakota Wesleyan outrebounded Dakota State 46-39 in the game.  The Tigers outscored the Trojans 15-4 in second chance points.