HASTINGS, Neb. -- For the first 31 minutes of Sunday's Great Plains Athletic Conference game in Hastings, Neb., it looked like the Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team had an upset on its mind.
The Tigers were able to keep the No. 9 Broncos in check from beyond the three-point arc and hadn't allowed Lindsay Ducey, their scoring leader, to hit a field goal all night.
Dakota Wesleyan was within four, 46-42, after Ducey fouled out with around nine minutes left to play, but that's as close as it would get. The Tigers scored just seven points in the final nine minutes of play and fell 67-49 to the Broncos.
"I think we got a little excited that we were close and we stopped executing what was working," DWU coach Aaron Kahl said. "We took some quick shots and tried to make individual plays, and we didn't move the ball very well and make the shots we needed to get."
After Ducey fouled out, the Broncos went on an 11-3 run to create some separation and the Tigers went cold from the field.
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At the beginning of the game, it looked like it would be one that went down to the wire. The two teams stayed within several points of each other throughout much of the first half. The Tigers grabbed a three-point lead with just under 10 minutes gone from the game, but Hastings took advantage of three consecutive Tiger turnovers to grab an 11-9 lead.
The two teams exchanged baskets, and Hastings was up by as much as 23-17 late in the half, but Heidi Lusk hit two free throws and Allison Johnson hit a layup at the buzzer to make it a four-point game, 25-21.
DWU held the Broncos, usually a prolific three-point shooting team, to just 2-for-13 from beyond the arc and a 29 percent clip from the field. Ducey, who averages 18.5 points per game, was held scoreless.
"They had some decent looks, but we did a really good job on (Ducey)," Kahl said of the Tigers' first half. "She averages 18.5 points and she didn't make a (field goal) in the game. The first half especially we did a good job on her."
The Broncos picked up the pace to start the second half. Heather McKeon hit two three pointers to start the half and give Hastings a quick 31-21 lead. Ashley Mailey hit two jumpers and Ashley Johnson hit a layup to get DWU back in the game at 31-27.
The Broncos were never able to really shake Dakota Wesleyan, which fell to 9-10 overall and 2-5 in the GPAC, until after Ducey received her fourth foul and then a technical foul and left the game with 9:10 left to play, and from there on out it was all Hastings.
Mortenson, who was playing with a heavily-taped ankle, led the Tigers with 12 points. Allison Johnson was the only other player in double figures for DWU with 10 points. DWU shot just under 35 percent from the field for the game and went 0-for-6 from three-point range.
"No question -- we didn't move the ball very well and play together as a team," Kahl said. "We had to make a lot of individual plays to score, and we're not going to be as good as we can be if we're relying on that. We need to work on playing together better."
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McKeon led the Broncos, who are now 12-4 and 4-4, with 15 points, including a 4-for-12 clip from three-point range. Becky Tesch added 13 points and Rachel Isherwood finished with 10. McKeon also had seven rebounds and Kim Faimon and Ducey had five assists each. As a team, DWU had just three assists.
Ducey finished with just two points off of two free throws.
"Ashley (Mailey) did an outstandings job on the post player," Kahl said. "She just made two free throws. Ashley did a great job on one of the best players in the conference. Her energy was outstanding."
The Tigers return home Wednesday for their first home game since Dec. 22 when they host Dordt College at 6 p.m.
No. 9 HASTINGS 67
DAKOTA WESLEYAN 49
Dakota Wesleyan (9-10, 2-5)
Angela Noteboom 3-5 1-2 7; Ashley Mailey 2-5 1-2 5; Allison Johnson 3-14 4-5 10; Ashley Johnson 1-4 0-0 2; Sarah Mortenson 2-4 8-10 12; Heidi Lusk 0-2 2-2 2; Jessica Deinert 0-1 0-2 0; Maggie Malloy 2-6 3-4 7; Marie Malloy 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 15-43 19-27 49.
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Hastings (12-4, 4-4)
Heather MeKeon 4-14 3-4 15; Lindsay Ducey 0-2 2-2 2; Kim Faimon 1-5 4-4 6; Rachel Isherwood 4-9 2-2 10; Amber Kulus 2-6 2-2 6; Alyssa Farmer 0-3 0-0 0; Sophia McDermott 1-1 0-0 2; Sarah Cambridge 1-2 0-0 2; Becky Tesch 5-7 1-2 13; Elyse Schlake 2-4 0-0 5; Alicia Statler 2-4 2-2 6. Totals 22-57 16-18 67.
Halftime score: DWU 21, H 25. Three-point goals: DWU 0-6, H 7-22 (McKeon 4-12). Rebounds: DWU 34 (Mortenson, Malloy 7), H 35 (McKeon). Turnovers DWU 22, H 13. Assists: DWU 3, H 15 (Ducey, Faimon 5). Blocks: DWU 1, H 3 (Statler 2). Steals: DWU 9 (As. Johnson, Al. Johnson 3), H 12 (Faimon 4). Fouled out: Ducey. Technical fouls: Ducey.
