MITCHELL, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan delivered one of its most complete performances of the season Saturday, racing past Hastings 86-68 in the GPAC women’s basketball semifinals at the Corn Palace.
The Broncos put up the first couple of baskets, but the Tigers were quick to respond and take control in the first period of the contest. Shalayne Nagel made her presence known early, posting 13 of her 21 points in the first period. The Springfield native would also record four rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block in her effort, and found major support in the paint from Avery Broughton, who posted a double-double with 19 total points, 10 rebounds, and two assists by the end of the game. The tandem in the paint helped propel DWU to a 31-point first period, setting the offensive pace for the remainder of the contest.
On the other end of the floor, the Tigers outrebounded the Broncos 41-23, leading to 38 points in the paint to help give DWU a further edge. Dakota Wesleyan would get an even bigger boost from Rylee Rosenquist, who led the Tigers with 23 total points, along with 10 rebounds to post a double-double. The North Sioux City native shot 9-13 (69.2%) from the field and also contributed two assists and two steals in her effort. With the early momentum, Dakota Wesleyan took a strong 49-36 lead into the half.
Dakota Wesleyan kept up its pace through the second half and was able to limit the Broncos tojust 12 points in the third period, all the while, more Tigers got involved on the scoring front. Emma Yost recorded 11 total points and made major contributions as a distributor, leading the team with seven assists while also grabbing five boards and a block. Jaida Young rounded out the starting lineup with eight rebounds, six points, three assists, and a steal, while Taliyah Hayes and Maleighya Estes combined for six points and six rebounds off the bench.
Hastings was able to string together its highest-scoring period of the game in the final 10 minutes, but Dakota Wesleyan’s lead kept the Broncos out of reach, eventually leading to an 86-68 victory for the Tigers. DWU outshot HC 62.7% to 34.7% from the field in an immensely efficient offensive outing. The win moves DWU on to the GPAC Championship Game for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
DWU Women’s Basketball will face the top-ranked Dordt Defenders in the GPAC Championship Game in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Tuesday, March 3rd, at 7:00 PM.