Yankton, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball team picked up the 20-point victory over the Lancers, pushing their win streak against the in-state rival to 17 games. The Tigers got big performances up and down the roster with Emma Yost dominating the paint for a career-high 28 points, Taliyah Hayes repeating her efforts last time against the Lancers with a career-high 18 points, Morgan Edelman recording her first double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Shalayne Nagel dishing out dimes all day with a career-high nine assists. Isabel Ihnen had a strong performance with her 17 points (14 in the first half). DWU dominated the paint 36-10, mostly thanks to Yost efforts and also assisted on 21 of their 30 made shots throughout the game. The Tigers forced just 11 Lancer turnovers but took full advantage turning them into 21 points.
Highlighted Player– Emma Yost 28 points 5 rebounds 3 assists
Stat Leaders:
Points – Emma Yost (28)
Assists – Shalayne Nagel (9)
Rebounds – Morgan Edelman (11)
Blocks – Morgan Edelman (1)
Steals – Isabel Ihnen & Shalayne Nagel (2)
Recap – The Tigers, coming off their lowest point total of the season against the No. 1 Defenders, came out blazing from the jump, pouring in 27 points in the first quarter. Morgan Edelman who is typically the Tigers top rebounder and assister from the guard position was looking to score early, recording the first six points for DWU. Emma Yost put the Tigers up by six with back-to-back and one bucket to get the Dakota Wesleyan bench and crowd that made the trip from Mitchell up on their feet. That energy and momentum continued when the Tigers pushed their lead to 14 off of three straight possessions with a basket which came from Taliyah Hayes, who in the first matchup of the year had a career-high 18 points against the Lancers, and then back-to-back three-pointers from Edelman and Isabel Ihnen. DWU maintained that cushion on MMU winning the first quarter 27-14.
The Lancers did find their footing in the second quarter, winning it 20-17 for a 44-34 halftime lead for the Tigers. At one point in the quarter the Lancers went on a 10-5 run to make it just a five-point game but DWU closed out the quarter with a 5-0 run of their own to push the lead back to double digits. Ihnen and Yost anchored the team on offense with 14 points apiece. Yost doing it in the paint and Ihnen making them pay from deep when the MMU defense would cheat down to help in the paint.
Third quarter the Tigers stayed with their game plan of feeding Yost inside who went for 12 in the quarter giving her a career-high 26 points in just three quarters. DWU won the quarter 21-16 and held 15-point lead going to the fourth. Despite the large lead at the end of the frame it was the Lancers who went on a big run to cut the Tigers’ lead to just six at the midway mark. In the final five minutes in the third though Yost took over during a 14-5 run to give Dakota Wesleyan back their double-digit lead.
Yost just needing four points in the fourth to record her first 30-point game would come up short only being able to knock in two free throw attempts and missing her lone field goal attempt in the quarter. Instead, it was the sophomore, Hayes who carried the Tigers last matchup at home against the Lancers with 11 of the Tigers 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead the way. DWU shut down any chance of a comeback on the defensive side of the court holding MMU to their lowest point total of the game with just nine in the quarter while shooting a mere 15% from the floor. Dakota Wesleyan with the 20-point win pushed their win streak to 17 games against the Lancers.
Head-to-Head (Mount Marty)
- The Tigers are now 40-46 all-time against the Lancers with today’s win.
- DWU has now swept MMU in the two matchups this season.
- Dakota Wesleyan has won the last 17 matchups with Mount Marty.
Up Next
- Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball returns to the Corn Palace for a matchup against the (RV) Red Raiders of Northwestern College Wednesday, January 24 with tipoff at 6 p.m.