March 19, 2026
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Dakota State (S.D.) used a dominant fourth quarter and clutch perimeter shooting to pull away from Indiana Wesleyan, securing a 73-65 Round of 16 victory late Thursday afternoon to advance in the NAIA National Tournament at Tyson Events Center. The Trojans outscored the Wildcats 24-18 in the final period, thanks to their 5-of-8 from the field and 11-of-15 from the free-throw line to close the game.
Dakota State – the No. 3 seed in the Naismith Quadrant – tied the school record 29
th win of the season with the 2022-23 squad (where they advanced to the national semifinals), raising their overall record of 29-5. Indiana Wesleyan – No. 10 seed in the quadrant – of the Crossroads League ended their season at 19-13 overall record.
DSU returned to the national quarterfinals for the first time since the 2023-24 season. The Trojans earned their third consecutive victory over the Wildcats, all at the Tyson Events Center. They met in Round of 16 in the last two meetings, while DSU rallied to defeat IWU in the national quarterfinals in 2022-23.
How it happened
Dakota State took a 16-14 lead after the first quarter behind a quick three-pointer from
Caitlin Dyer and aggressive defensive pressure.
Indiana Wesleyan responded in the second quarter, holding DSU to just 10 points and forcing a 26-26 tie at halftime. The Wildcats controlled the glass early and limited second-chance opportunities, keeping the game within reach despite early shooting struggles.
The third quarter turned into a back-and-forth scoring exchange.
Indiana Wesleyan briefly built a lead behind Ayla Krygier and Kylie Bettinger, who combined to stretch the defense with perimeter shooting. The Wildcats led as many as seven points at 42-35 after Bettinger's 3-pointer with 5:19 to go in the third.
However, Dakota State answered with timely threes from
Bria Wasmund and
Mackenzi Simmons to regain control. Wasmund drained a 3-pointer, followed by
Ella Carstensen's free-throw in DSU's 9-0 scoring run for a 44-42 lead with less than three minutes to go in the third period.
A late basket by
Tabor Teel gave DSU a narrow 49-47 lead heading into the fourth.
Wasmund sparked the run with a three-pointer early in the quarter for a 53-48 lead with 8:38 remaining for Dakota State.
Brooke Gunderson hit a pair of free-throws as the Trojans led as many as eight points with less than eight minutes remaining, leading 56-48.
Indiana Wesleyan answered with a 7-0 scoring run to cut DSU's lead to 56-55 after Ellie Kelleher's 3-pointer with 6:07 left.
DSU's Dyer followed with a massive three at the 4:39 mark to extend the lead at 62-57.
Indiana Wesleyan cut it to two late at 66-64, but Dyer drained a 3-pointer with 1:07 left to go to give Dakota State a 69-64 lead.
DSU held Indiana Wesleyan to one point in the final minute, as Dyer and Wasmund secured the victory by nailing down a pair of free-throws. DSU closed the game with a 7-1 run.
Dakota State capitalized on Indiana Wesleyan turnovers, scoring 16 points off giveaways while committing just eight turnovers themselves, a decisive factor in the contest.
Individual Leaders
Dakota State
Indiana Wesleyan
- Ayla Krygier: 30 points, 11-26 field goals
- Kylie Bettinger: 10 points (3-6 from three)
- Addi Hovey: 8 points, 7 rebounds
TEAM STATS BREAKDOWN
| Category |
Dakota State |
Indiana Wesleyan |
| FG% |
22-50( 44%) |
24-55 (43.6%) |
| 3PT |
8-21 (38.1%) |
7-17 (41.2%) |
| FT |
21-34 (61.8%) |
10-22 (45.5%) |
| Rebounds |
34 |
35 |
| Turnovers |
8 |
15 |
| Points off TO |
16 |
4 |
Up Next
Dakota State is the remaining high seed in the Naismith Quadrant as they prepare for the national quarterfinals Saturday afternoon. The Trojans take on No. 5 seed Georgetown (Ky.), who upset No. 1 overall seed Freed-Hardeman 74-68 in overtime prior to DSU-IWU game.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
