MITCHELL — No. 2 Dakota Wesleyan used balanced scoring and a dominant inside presence to defeat No. 15 St. Francis (Ill.) 83-55 Friday night at the Corn Palace in the first round of the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament.
Five Tigers scored in double figures as Dakota Wesleyan shot 47% from the field and controlled the boards 38-20 in the victory.
Rylee Rosenquist led the Tigers with 19 points and five rebounds, while Emma Yost added 16 points and Avery Broughton finished with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Shalayne Nagel contributed 11 points and four steals, and Taliyah Hayes provided seven points off the bench.
Dakota Wesleyan built momentum early, shooting 69% in the first quarter to take a 25-19 lead. The Tigers widened the gap in the second quarter behind strong defensive pressure and efficient offense.
A three-pointer by Nagel with 1:34 remaining in the half helped spark a late run, and Dakota Wesleyan carried a 45-30 advantage into halftime.
The Tigers continued to pull away in the third quarter. Rosenquist scored seven points during a decisive stretch, including a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 50-30 with 7:25 remaining. Dakota Wesleyan outscored St. Francis 19-13 in the period to take a commanding 64-43 lead into the fourth.
Dakota Wesleyan’s defense also limited the Fighting Saints offensively. St. Francis shot 32.8% from the field and committed 13 turnovers, which the Tigers converted into 14 points.
The Tigers dominated in the paint, outscoring St. Francis 38-18, while also getting 17 bench points.
St. Francis was led by Tykara Harrison and Le’lani Harris, who each scored 19 points, while Symone Harrell added nine points.
Dakota Wesleyan sealed the win in the final minutes, pushing the lead past 25 before emptying the bench in the closing minute to finish the 28-point victory.
The Tigers will face the winner between No. 7 Eastern Oregon and No. 10 College of the Ozarks (Mo.) on Saturday at the Corn Palace.