Quick start and balanced offense pushes Tigers past Flames

MITCHELL, S.D. – After shooting 52.6% from the field in the first quarter, the Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team cruised to an 84-51 victory over conference foe College of Saint Mary on Sunday from the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.

 Dakota Wesleyan raced out to a 12-1 lead at the 6:33 mark in the first quarter as College of Saint Mary was forced to burn a timeout. A block near the basket by Jada Campbell (Alexandria, S.D.) led to a layup by Matti Reiner (Tripp, S.D.) off the assist from Kaylee Kirk (Balaton, Minn.). Moments later, Reiner converted a 3-pointer off another assist from Kirk to further extend the DWU advantage.

 Out of the break, the Tigers (11-6, 9-6 GPAC) strung together a 16-8 run to close the opening stanza. Haidyn Pitsch (Lake Prior, Minn.) drained another 3-pointer off the assist from Mya Wilson (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 1-of-7 3-pointers on the day for the Tigers, as Dakota Wesleyan garnered a 26-7 lead late in the first period. DWU controlled a 28-9 advantage at the end of the first frame.

 To start the second quarter, the Flames (2-14, 1-12 GPAC) responded with a basket on their opening possession, though Dakota Wesleyan still carried a 19-point lead at 30-11. A pair of free throws by Campbell, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, extended the Tiger advantage to 35-13 midway through the second frame.

 A steal and multiple layups by Rynn Osthus (De Smet, S.D.) fueled another Tiger run as the Blue and Gray finished the first half on a 15-8 run. Kirk, who dished out nine assists in the game, connected with Osthus for a layup and Dakota Wesleyan entered the half with a 50-21 lead.

 Reiner collected the first five points of the second half for the Tigers as DWU marched to a 62-24 advantage midway through the third quarter. A layup near the basket by Campbell off the assist from Kirk forced the Flames to burn a timeout at the 6:40 mark.

 Both teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the period and Dakota Wesleyan enter the final stanza with a sizable lead. A jumper along the baseline by Grace Imbery (Aberdeen, S.D.) propelled DWU to a 72-33 lead at the end of the third.

 The fourth quarter saw the Flames outscore DWU 18-12, though, the game was well in control. A jumper at the free-throw line by Natalie Gottlob (Salem, S.D.) off the assist from Wilson extinguished any chance at a comeback for CSM. Dakota Wesleyan cruised to a convincing 84-51 victory as a trio of players reached double figures for the Tigers.

 Reiner led all scorers with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Pitsch tallied 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting as she cleared double figures for the 14^th time this season. Dakota Wesleyan forced 19 turnovers on the defensive end and limited the Flames to 30.4% from the field.

 DWU returns to the court versus (RV) Briar Cliff University at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Sioux City, Iowa.