No. 13 DWU falls at No. 4 Hastings

HASTINGS, Neb. – The No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team wrapped up their regular season as they fell to No. 4 Hastings College in a Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup, 80-52 Saturday in Hastings, Neb.

 Jessica Mieras (Sioux Falls, S.D.) put the Tigers (20-10,13-9 GPAC) on the board thirty seconds into the game with a layup. However, the Broncos (28-2, 20-2) scored eight-straight points to claim an early 8-2 advantage.

 Sarah Carr (Huron, S.D.) converted on an and-one opportunity as the first quarter ended to cut the Tiger deficit to seven points.

 Two minutes into the second quarter, Kynedi Cheeseman (Alexandria, S.D.) made a two-point basket to bring the score to 22-16 in favor of the Broncos. Midway through the period, Carr scored a basket to cut the Tiger deficit to five points.

 Hastings responded by outscoring the Tigers 15-7 to close out the half, pushing their lead to 14 points.

 The Broncos converted on a two-point bucket, before Carr nailed a 3-pointer to begin the second half. Both teams traded baskets throughout the third frame, extending the Tiger deficit to 16 points heading into the final ten minutes of play.

 Hastings began the final frame by knocking down a 3-point shot, before Mieras converted on a two-point basket.

 The Broncos pulled away down the stretch, outscoring DWU 18-6 in the final frame to secure the victory.

 Carr led the scoring for the Tigers as she tallied 18 points and five rebounds, while Cheeseman also notched 12 points and seven rebounds. DWU shot 39.3% from the field and 6.7% from 3-point range, while Hastings shot 41.8% from the field.

 DWU travels to take on No. 12 Dordt University in the GPAC Tournament Quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Sioux Center, Iowa.