February 26, 2024

TIGER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GPAC QUARTERFINALS PREVIEW

Mitchell, S.D. – The Tigers concluded a tough 2023-24 schedule that ended with them coming up just one win short of 20-win regular season. DWU finished 19-9 overall and 14-8 in conference which punched their ticket for the GPAC tournament as the No. 5 seed. Dakota Wesleyan is set to square off against No. 4 seed Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa with tipoff at 6 p.m. The Tigers and Red Raiders split in the two regular season matchups with each team winning their respective game on their home court.

2023-24 INDIVIDUAL STANDOUTS:

The Tigers had a lot of highlights and standouts during their 2023-24 season from both veteran and newcomers. Freshman forward, Emma Yost led the Tigers all year with her 15.1 points per contest and was the only Tiger in double figure points to end the season. Yost recorded six games with 20+ points which included a season-high 28 in the 83-59 win against Mount Marty. The freshman forward had double-digit points in all but two games this season as well, cementing her offensive dominance. Yost finished second on the team in rebounds (5.9) and assists (2.3) per game and recorded three double-doubles on the season.

Her freshman counterpart Shalayne Nagel also had a strong freshman season, just missing out on averaging double-digit points a game at 9.9. It was her defense that was most valuable as the 6-0 freshman guard averaged 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per contest. The 1.4 blocks currently ranks third in the conference and the 1.7 is top-20. Nagel recorded her first 20+ point game of the season with her 23 against (RV) Briar Cliff. On the defensive side, Shalayne rejected a season-high five shots in the Tigers 17-point victory over No. 13 Dakota State in front of a packed home crowd.

The main veteran that has carried the team in every stat category this season has been Morgan Edelman. The last season GPAC Honorable Mention leads the team in rebounding with her 8.0 rebounds a game which ranks third in the conference and has recorded six double-doubles on the season, four in the last five games. Edelman has grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds three different times this season and had at least 10 rebounds in 10 games. Edelman in the first half of the season mainly contributed to the team on defense, passing, and on the boards, but when senior Isabel Ihnen went down with an injury the junior guard stepped up and has averaged 12.3 points per game in her absence. Edelman currently averages 9.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

Other Tigers that have stepped up in the absence of Ihnen, who was averaging 9.9 points per game before the injury, has been Taliyah Hayes who is averaging 9.1 and has recorded two 20+ point games during that span and Rylee Rosenquist who has been dealing with a nagging injury all season with her 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and is coming off a career-high 26 points against No. 1 Dordt at home.

COACHES TALK

We got to sit down with Head Coach, Jason Christensen and talk about the matchup coming up. When asked about the mindset needed to go into the matchup Christensen had this to say, "Going on the road in the GPAC, especially this time of year, is never an easy task. We need to get off the bus ready to play and come out early with energy and playing fast. I always say this is the time of the year when you have the survive and advance type of mindset" The Tigers are 11-2 at home this season and 7-7 on the road. Christensen had this to add about matching up with the Red Raiders head to head on the court, "Northwestern probably matches up with us five on five better than any team in the GPAC. To be successful against them you must limit offensive rebounds and second chance points and need to have one and done possessions. Protecting the ball is always a key in any game but especially this time of the year, so we will need to stress limiting turnovers and making them earn each bucket and possession."

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Game 1 – December 6 | Orange City, Iowa

Dakota Wesleyan 67 | (RV) Northwestern 69

The at the time receiving votes Red Raiders and unranked Tigers battled in a back-and-forth contest that saw the Raiders sneak by with the two-point victory. Dakota Wesleyan trailed at the half by one but took a two-point lead heading to the fourth quarter where NWC outscored DWU 20-16 to grab the win. Shalayne Nagel led all scorers with 18 points, which at the time was a career high. Emma Yost, Isabel Ihnen, and Rylee Rosenquist were all also in double figures. The Tigers struggled shooting going just 38% from the floor, 27% from beyond the arc and 67% from the free throw line.

Game 2 – January 24 | Mitchell, S.D.

(RV) Dakota Wesleyan 70 | (RV) Northwestern 61

Both squads were receiving votes in this matchup, but it was the Tigers who walked away with the victory at home. DWU clamped down on defense holding the Red Raiders to under 10 points in both the first and third quarter. Offensively for the Tigers it was an attack by committee with Taliyah Hayes leading the way with 15 but closely followed by Emma Yost with 14, and Isabel Ihnen and Morgan Edelman with 13. Edelman recorded a double-double in the contest ripping down 10 boards to go with the 13 points. Dakota Wesleyan dominated the offensive glass with their 14 offensive boards.

WHO TO WATCH FOR THE RED RAIDERS

The Red Raiders have two players in double figure scoring and top-10 in scoring in the conference in Molly Schany averaging 16.7 per game which ranks second in the conference and Hali Anderson pouring in 13.8 a game which comes in at 10^th. Northwestern is averaging 75.1 points per game while giving up 64.6 to their opponents. Schany also leads the way on the boards with her 8.5 per contest which ranks her second in the GPAC just in front of Edelman.

Both DWU and NWC are top-five in the conference in defense and rebounding. Northwestern wrapped up their season with a massive 81-63 upset win at home against undefeated in conference and No. 1 ranked Dordt. Hali Anderson led the way in that contest with 28 points and five steals, followed by Maren nerem with 16 and Lexie Van Kekerix and Molly Schany both in double figures as well.

TIGERS HISTORY IN GPAC TOURNAMENT

The Tigers have now qualified for the GPAC tournament four years in a row. DWU during that span they have a 4-3 record. Last season the Tigers beat Northwestern 69-62 in the Quarterfinals at home before losing on the road 74-75 in OT to Dordt. During the 2021-22 season the Tigers won the GPAC Tournament with wins against Concordia (68-52), Dordt (69-59), and Morningside in the championship 83-60.

GAME INFORMATION

LIVE STATS LINK

VIDEO LINK

HISTORY LINK

Adults will be charged $10, K-College students will be charged $3, and children under the kindergarten age will have no charge. All GPAC students will receive free admission to the game with the showing of their institutional ID. All faculty and staff at GPAC schools will be required to pay for entry, per the conference office.

*Only NAIA passes will be accepted at the gate, no institutional passes will be accepted for the entirety of the conference tournament. *