Tiger women set sights on Sioux City
MITCHELL, S.D. – Last season was a step in the right direction for the No. 3 Dakota Wesleyan University women’s basketball team.
MITCHELL, S.D. – Last season was a step in the right direction for the No. 3 Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team.
The Tigers open the 2016-17 season against Johnson and Wales University at 7 p.m., Thursday in Denver. DWU was picked to finish eighth last season, but finished with a 27-9 record and a 15-7 record in Great Plains Athletic Conference action and were NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Tournament participants. After dropping an 80-59 GPAC Tournament Championship game to Morningside College, the Tigers paved their way to the NAIA quarterfinals.
In game one of the NAIA tournament, DWU defeated Haskell Indian Nations 75-64 and Davenport University 87-77, before dropping the quarterfinal contest 89-71 to Goshen College. Head Coach Jason Christensen and the Tigers now have a taste of what it's like to play in the national tournament, hoping to go further this season.
It won't be an easy task, but the Tigers didn't lose a single player to graduation a year ago, and return First Team All-GPAC and Second Team NAIA All-American Erica Herrold (Dimock, S.D.). Herrold finished with 16.6 points per game, ranking No. 10 in the NAIA in total scoring.
"Erica's experience and success make her an obvious fit for a leader, but more so than that, the girls really trust her and look to her for guidance," Christensen said.
Leading the Tiger offense will be sophomore Rylie Osthus (De Smet, S.D.) who jumped into the starting point guard position last year and has grown into a vocal leader on the court, while being named to the All-GPAC Honorable Mention list. Osthus led the Tigers with 139 assists, good for 15th place in the NAIA, while also recording 56 steals.
Junior twin sisters Ashley and Amber Bray (Anoka, Minn.) have grown into fierce competitors at their respective positions. Ashley, a Second Team All-GPAC performer, grabbed 198 rebounds last year, while averaging 12.5 points per game in 38 games. Amber, an All-GPAC Honorable Mention recipient, will be looked upon as a solid defensive contributor for the Tigers after tallying 5.4 rebounds and 10.9 points per game for a DWU squad that ranked No. 4 in the NAIA in total rebound defense and No. 7 in total scoring offense.
The Tigers return a solid core of players that saw valuable minutes on the court last season. Sophomore's Hope Menning (Corsica, S.D.) and Chesney Nagel (Springfield, S.D.) add an extra punch to the Tiger lineup. Menning averaged three points per game last year as a freshman, while Nagel returns from an injury. Senior Kristin Sabers (Mitchell, S.D.), an All-GPAC performer, started in 13 games for the Tigers, while playing in all 36 games as a junior. She averaged 14 points and 3.9 rebounds per game to along with a team-high 16 blocks. Junior Madison Kuehl (Hartford, S.D.) will see her role expand after averaging 2.1 points per game and starting in six games for DWU last season.
"Everyone on our team has the ability to be a leader and will be at different times during the season," Christensen said. "However, the girls we will lean on a lot this year for leadership are Erica Herrold, Chesney Nagel and Rylie Osthus."
Joining the Tiger program will be local standout's Kynedi Cheeseman (Alexandria, S.D.) and Sarah Carr (Huron, S.D.). Carr was a four-time letter winner for the Huron Tigers in basketball and was a South Dakota Miss Basketball finalist, while scoring her 1,000th career point during her senior season. Also joining Carr and Cheeseman will be Makaela Karst (Plankinton, S.D.), a five-time letter winner in basketball for the Mount Vernon/Plankinton Titans.
"We're really excited about the things that each of our newcomers have brought to the team so far," Christensen said. "That group includes Kynedi Cheeseman, Sarah Carr, Makaela Karst, Sam Schuh and Mikaela Stofferahn. Each of them brings something unique to the group and we're ready to see how they develop within the team."
Christensen enters his seventh season at the helm with a career record of 101-90, putting him 12 wins shy of first place, currently held by DWU great Kevin Lein. Joining Christensen on the court will be former First Team All-GPAC performer Celeste Beck in her second season as assistant coach. Christensen and Beck will welcome 2015 NAIA Player of the Year Bailey Morris as the graduate assistant coach. Morris graduated from Concordia University in Seward, Neb., and averaged 18.5 points and 3.8 assists per game as a senior, helping her team to a 35-3 record and a runner-up finish in the NAIA Women's National Championship game.
The Tigers return to the Corn Palace at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19.