MITCHELL, S.D. — No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan University Women’s Basketball squared off against the 19th-ranked Briar Cliff Chargers for the annual Pink the Palace doubleheader.
The Tigers and Chargers started the contest in a physical fashion, with both squads attempting to work under the basket to gain an early advantage. Both defenses were able to snuff out early opportunities. Still, the Tigers found baskets across the lineup with Taliyah Hayes and Maleighya Estes posting big threes to keep the score within reach early. The Chargers took a close 16-14 lead into the second period, but the Tigers were ready to respond, with Avery Broughton immediately getting involved, and would go on to record 15 points and seven rebounds.
Estes and Hayes continued their steady contributions, with Maleighya posting seven total points, and Taliyah recording 13 of her own by the end of the game. The Dakota Wesleyan offense surged towards the end of the half, with Rylee Rosenquist putting up six points and five rebounds before the break, along with contributions from Jaida Young and Shalayne Nagel, who combined for seven total points.
Nagel would also lead the Tigers in rebounds, collecting 10 overall, with eight coming on the defensive end. The team effort propelled DWU to a tight 30-29 lead at the break, with the Tigers limiting their turnovers to stay in stride against the Chargers.
The second half saw Dakota Wesleyan come out with the momentum, with big buckets from Broughton, Young, and Emma Yost extending the Tiger lead to multiple possessions before forcing a Briar Cliff timeout. The starting rotation continued to add contributions, but an extended scoring run from the arc for Briar Cliff kept them close enough to make DWU possessions continually crucial.
A late jump shot from Hayes gave the Tigers a 49-42 lead heading into the final period. The scoring effort picked up slightly as both teams looked to either close the game or make a comeback, but timely possessions and presence at the glass helped Dakota Wesleyan keep its distance. Even still, the Chargers continued to claw to try to find an advantage.
The defensive front of Young, Rosenquist, and Nagel gave the opposition trouble and continually forced tough shots. BCU was able to connect on a couple of opportunities, but DWU was able to find a response through the middle portion of the period. A set of fouls and turnovers gave Briar Cliff some leverage back into the contest, with a 61-54 scoreline heading into the final three minutes of the game, but a basket and flashy pass from Rosenquist helped get the Tigers two more baskets as the clock continued to wind down.
Two sets of free throws from Rosenquist sealed a multiple-possession lead and the victory, with the Tigers completing the season sweep of the top-25 Chargers, 70-61. Briar Cliff held the final advantage from the three-point line, but 24 free throws from Dakota Wesleyan, on top of outpacing the Chargers in the paint, 22-14, helped push the Tigers to victory. This marks DWU’s 12th-straight win.
DWU Women’s Basketball will be back in action on Saturday, January 31st, starting at 2:00 PM against the Hastings Broncos.