Tigers cruise past Grace, Christensen grabs win No. 114

HONOLULU – In their impressive 83-58 win over Grace College, the No. 8 Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team and head coach Jason Christensen made history on Wednesday. Christensen became the winningest coach in DWU women's basketball history with 114 wins, surpassing DWU great Kevin Lein.

 The Tigers (13-2, 5-2 GPAC) scored first and never looked back as they led the entire game, thanks to their 53 percent shooting from 3-point range. Erica Herrold (Dimock, S.D.) and Ashley Bray (Anoka, Minn.) were each 2-of-3 from beyond-the-arc in the first quarter as they combined for 16 of the Tigers' 25 points. The offense was not the only part of the Tigers game that was rolling, as their defense forced five second-quarter turnovers and only allowed the Lancers (8-8, 3-1) offense to shoot 21 percent, and took a 44-28 lead into the locker room.

 DWU came out with the same mindset in the second half as they kept their foot on the gas pedal and continued draining 3-pointers. The Tigers went 4-of-7 from beyond the arc as the Lancers went 2-of-7 in the third quarter. Bray led the offensive charge as she finished the third quarter with six-straight points to give the Tigers a 22-point lead at the end of three quarters. The lead would grow to as much 27 points as the Tigers led Christensen into the record books with the win.

 Herrold finished the game with a season-high 25 points and shot 7-of-8 from 3-point range, setting a career-high in made 3-pointers. Bray added 17 points and eight rebounds while Chesney Nagel (Springfield, S.D.) came off the bench and scored 12 points. DWU finished with 19 assists to go along with 15-of-27 shooting from three-point land, while scoring 25 points off 20 Lancer turnovers.

 The Tigers come home to face in-state rival, Dakota State University at 7 p.m. Jan. 4 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.