Stifling defense aids Tigers in top-20 victory

MITCHELL, S.D. – Thanks to a defense that forced 20 turnovers and held the No. 16 University of Jamestown to 24 percent shooting in the game, the No. 2 Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team came away victorious in a Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup, 62-40 Tuesday at the Corn Palace.

 The DWU defense held the Jimmies (5-3, 2-2 GPAC) scoreless for half of the first quarter, as the Tigers held a 7-3 lead. Moments later, Sarah Carr (Huron, S.D.) nailed a 3-point shot to extend the Tiger lead to 10-3.

 On the next possession, Madison Mathews (Draper, S.D.) hit another 3-pointer followed by a Carr layup to give the Tigers (8-0, 5-0 GPAC) a double-digit lead.

 Kynedi Cheeseman (Alexandria, S.D.) kicked off the second quarter scoring with a layup. Three minutes into the second period, Cheeseman found Sydney Halling (Harrisburg, S.D.) for the open jump shot. On the next possession, Rylie Osthus (De Smet, S.D.) drove through the lane and banked in the layup to take a 21-9 lead, forcing a Jamestown timeout.

 In the final 1:47 of the first half, the Tigers knocked down six free throws to take a 29-15 lead at halftime.

 DWU picked up in the second half right where they left off in the first half as Carr made a jump shot, followed by a Cheeseman layup to take a 33-17 lead.

 With 2:26 left in the third quarter, Osthus missed a 3-point attempt, but Halling snagged the offensive rebound and kicked the ball to an open Cheeseman who knocked down a shot from beyond the arc to push the lead to 19 points.

 In the opening minutes of the final quarter, Cheeseman found a cutting Carr who made her layup to give the Tigers a 23-point lead as DWU won its' eighth-straight game of the season.

 Cheeseman collected 23 points, six assists and four rebounds in the contest, while Osthus tallied 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Carr added nine points and five rebounds, as Karst and Halling notched eight points apiece.

 The Tigers shot 35.7 percent from the field, while holding the Jimmies to just 24 percent from the field and 19 percent shooting from 3-point range. DWU grabbed 40 rebounds compared to 23 Jamestown rebounds, and outscored the Jimmies in the paint, 28-16.

 DWU hits the court again in non-conference action against Presentation College at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Corn Palace.