SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Dakota Wesleyan used a dominant first half and balanced scoring effort to roll past Lindsey Wilson 78-53 on Friday in the Round of 16 of the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament.
The second-seeded Tigers (28-6) advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinals, where they will face Bethel University (Tenn.) at 6 p.m. Bethel earned its spot with a 78-70 win over Lewis-Clark State College earlier Friday.
Dakota Wesleyan set the tone immediately, holding the third-seeded Blue Raiders (23-9) to just four points in the opening quarter while building a 20-4 lead. The Tigers continued to pour it on in the second, stretching the advantage to 47-23 by halftime behind efficient shooting and strong ball movement.
Rylee Rosenquist led Dakota Wesleyan with 17 points and eight assists, while Avery Broughton and Emma Yost each added 16. The Tigers assisted on 23 of their 30 field goals and shot 42% from the floor, including 7 of 16 from 3-point range.
Lindsey Wilson struggled offensively throughout, shooting just 31% and going 2 of 14 from beyond the arc. Meadow Tisdale paced the Blue Raiders with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Saniyah Shelton and Taylor Guess each added 10.
Dakota Wesleyan’s defensive pressure was evident early, forcing turnovers and contesting nearly every look. The Tigers also controlled the glass with a 49-43 rebounding edge and limited Lindsey Wilson to just seven points in the fourth quarter to seal the rout.
The Blue Raiders showed signs of life in the third quarter, outscoring Dakota Wesleyan 23-17, but never trimmed the deficit to single digits.
With the win, Dakota Wesleyan moves one step closer to a national semifinal appearance and will look to carry its momentum into Saturday’s matchup against Bethel, with a trip to the NAIA semifinals on the line.