FAYETTE, Mo. — Leading by four points at halftime, the eighth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball team outpaced ninth-seeded Hope International (Calif.) 50-25 after the break en route to an 85-56 win in the first round of the NAIA tournament.
It’s the second-straight season the Tigers (23-8) have advanced out of the first round, as they await the winner of No. 1 Central Methodist (Mo.), the tournament's top overall seed, which defeated No. 16 Haskell (Kan.) on Tuesday night.
DWU created its largest lead of 31 points at 81-50 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining, as the Tigers’ largest deficit was seven points before a 13-2 run to take back the lead before halftime.
In the win, DWU limited HIU to 20 of 65 (30.8%) shooting from the field, including 9 of 33 (27.3%) from 3-point range. Meanhile, the Tigers were 32 of 68 (47.1%) overall and 7 of 19 (36.8%) from distance in addition to going 14-for-14 from the free-throw line.
Isabel Ihnen scored a game-high 18 points powered by four 3-pointers, as Morgan Edelman and Matti Reiner dropped in 17 points apiece. Edelman also had four rebounds and five assists, with Reiner added five rebounds and five assists. Jada Campbell notched a 10-point, 15-rebound double-double, while Rylee Rosenquist and Rynn Osthus combined for 14 points and nine rebounds in the win.
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For HIU (24-8), Shiane Talley and Jeanette Fine each posted 15 points with five and six rebounds, respectively. Shailissa Jarrett and Ana Resendiz scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, and each had five rebounds.
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