Dakota Wesleyan women can't hold big lead, fall to SD mines

RAPID CITY — Despite having a 17-point first-half lead, the Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball team lost to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 73-69 Saturday at the Thanksgiving Classic.

“The last 10 minutes of the game we played not to lose instead of going out there to win,” DWU head coach Jason Christensen said. “We just didn’t take care of the little things down the stretch.”

The Tigers went on a 9-0 run late in the first half that led to a 30-21 lead. Wesleyan’s Amanda Hart knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:58 before halftime that gave her team a 43-26 advantage. DWU shot 41 percent from the field in the first half, and led by 11 going into the final 20 minutes.

Brittany Hills hit a jumper one minute into the second half for a 16-point Tiger lead. Wesleyan stayed on top by at least six points until there were seven minutes left to play.

Mines tied the game at 64 with 4:40 left. After Mines took a one-point lead with a free throw, Wesleyan’s Elizabeth Lamb knocked down a pair of free throws to go back on top.

But Mines got a pair of jumpers and a free throw to take a lead it never relinquished.

“The difference in the game was the hustle plays and we didn’t get to the loose balls,” Christensen said. “It seemed like we were waiting for the ball to come to us instead of us going out and taking it.”

Hart hit five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points. Celeste Beck also had 17 points, coming off the bench. Kim Johnson had 18 points to lead the team and Lamb had nine points and seven rebounds. The Tigers shot 30 percent from the field in the second half and were outrebounded in the game 42-39.

Mines was led by Katie Strandholm’s 25 points and seven rebounds and Olivia Antilla’s 14 points and seven rebounds.

DWU is back in action in a Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Dordt at the Corn Palace in Mitchell.

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES AND TECHNOLOGY 73, DAKOTA WESLEYAN 69

DWU (6-2, 0-1 GPAC)

Elizabeth Lamb 2-12 4-4 9, Taylor Piper 0-4 1-2 1, Amanda Hart 5-12 2-2 17, Brittany Hills 3-6 1-2 7, Kim Johnson 4-8 5-5 13, Lexie Christensen 0-0 0-0 0, Celeste Beck 6-11 1-2 17, Katie Johnson 1-3 0-0 2, Shekela Quarles 0-1 3-4 3. Totals: 21-57 17-21 69.

MINES (4-2)

Katie Strandholm 9-13 7-9 25, Alexis Long 1-7 4-6 6, Alexia Mader 0-4 0-1 0, Hillary Hawkins 4-16 0-0 11, Renae Waters 0-1 4-6 4, Devyn Asche 1-1 0-0 3, Briana Huggins 0-1 0-0 0, Jessica Shull 4-8 1-2 10, Jordan Needens 0-0 0-0 0, Carina Russell 0-1 0-0 0, Mackenzie Kenney 0-1 0-0 0, Olivia Antilla 4-10 6-7 14. Totals: 23-63 22-31 73.

Halftime: DWU 44-33. 3-point goals: DWU 10-26 (Hart 5, Beck 4, Lamb 1), Mines 5-18 (Hawkins 3, Asche 1, Shull 1). Rebounds: DWU 39 (Lamb 7), Mines 42 (Antilla 7, Strandholm 7). Assists: DWU 16 (Hills 6), Mines 10 (Long 4). Turnovers: DWU 24, Mines 19. Total fouls: DWU 23, Mines 19. Technical fouls: None.

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