POINTS OFF TURNOVERS AND SECOND CHANCE POINTS RESULT IN TIGERS 93-75 LOSS TO NO. 16 TROJANS

Madison, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan dropped the 'Battle of the Blues' 93-75 against in state rival Dakota State. The 93 points is the most DWU has given up since 2019 when they gave up 100 to at the time No.1 Concordia. The Trojans were lighting it up from start to finish behind the arc finishing the game going 13-30 from deep. The Tigers started to play their brand of ball in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to try and mount a comeback against the 22-point deficit they faced going into the quarter. The Tigers gave up a combined 47 points off turnovers and second chance points in the contest, which proved to be the difference. DWU got standout individual performances from Grace Fryda who had a career-high 19 points going 7 for 12 from the field and 5 of 10 from beyond the arc and Emma Yost who continued her strong start to her freshman season with 18 points.  

Recap –

The Tigers opened action facing a Trojan press that they struggled with resulting in five turnovers in the first four minutes of the first quarter. DWU was scoreless for the first three minutes until Grace Fryda subbed in and splashed a three from the wing. The Trojans continued to take full advantage of the Tigers turnovers turning those five turnovers into 10 points to the midway point in the quarter. With the score 15-9 DSU, the game turned into a back and forth three-point contest with the next five buckets coming from behind the arc, making it 24-15. In the closing minutes the Tigers got buckets from Shalayne Nagela and Morgan Edelman cutting the Trojan lead to 26-19 through the first quarter. Fryda led in the quarter with her two deep range shots followed by Sprakel with five. DSU used dribble drives to break down the Tiger defense and kick outs to the perimeter resulting in their six threes in the quarter. Despite their sluggish start the Tigers started to find their groove on offense and found a way to break down the Trojan press.

The first five minutes of the second quarter had each team going bucket for bucket with each other resulting in a 36-28 DSU lead. Anna Campbell was going to work down low for the Tigers scoring the first two buckets of the quarter, but also was doing it on the other end recording her second block of the contest. It was the Trojans in the second quarter that was getting the case of the turnovers, but Dakota Wesleyan couldn't capitalize like the Trojans did in the first quarter. DWU tightened up their perimeter defense, holding the Trojans to zero three-point field goals eight minutes into the second quarter. Dakota State broke that run with a three-pointer at the 1:30 mark right when it was looking like the Tigers might go on a run to grab their first lead with the game at 39-34 advantage DSU.

With 1:31 left in the half the Tigers trailed 39-34, winning the second quarter by a slim two-point margin to that point. That advantage quickly switched when the Trojans closed the remaining 1:30 on a staggering 13-0 run to grab an 18-point lead heading to the locker room. DSU took advantage of two costly turnovers for the Tigers with that full court press and turned both turnovers into three points. Dakota Wesleyan deficit was largely due to self-inflicted mistakes as the Trojans dominated the points off turnovers 18-8 and second chance points 14-0 resulting in a 32-8 advantage between the two stats categories. Sprakel led the half with her nine points followed by Fryda with eight and Campbell with six.

 The Trojans continued their blazing shooting behind the arc from the first half into the second going 3 for 4 in the first five minutes on their way to grabbing a 25-point lead. Dakota Wesleyan made little runs throughout the third quarter but continued to make costly turnovers and allow second chance points that the Trojans took full advantage of to erase any kind of run they mounted. After three quarters the Trojans led 77-53. DWU found their groove and identity in the fourth quarter going on a 14-4 run in the first half of the quarter to cut the 22-point lead to 12. The deficit proved to be too much to make up in one quarter as the Tigers fell 93-75.

Head-to-Head (Dakota State)

• The Tigers are 38-40 all-time against the Trojans with tonight's loss.

Up Next

• Dakota Wesleyan women's basketball returns to Mitchell for their (DH) Friday and Saturday against Doane and Hastings November 17 and 18 with tipoff 5 Friday and 1 Saturday.