New heights: Tigers set eyes on deep run into postseason play in 2017-18

MITCHELL, S.D. – Returning nearly the entire starting lineup from a season ago, the Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team will rely on its veteran experience throughout the 2017-18 season after making it to the NAIA National Tournament and the Great Plains Athletic Conference Championship game last year.

 After becoming the longest tenured coach in DWU women's basketball history, head coach Jason Christensen enters his eighth season and has DWU set up to make a deep run at the national tournament.

 Losing two-time All-American Erica Herrold will leave Christensen searching for the next sharpshooting forward, but a plethora of newcomers will look to fill Herrold's role early in the season. Also lost to graduation was Mitchell, S.D., native Kristin Sabers, a 1,000-point scorer in her career for the Tigers.

 Two players who Christensen will turn to early for offensive success will be twin sisters Ashley Bray and Amber Bray, of Anoka, Minn. Now entering their senior campaign, Ashley has surpassed the 1,000-point career mark, and Amber isn't too far behind. Ashley was named an NAIA All-American as a junior after leading the team with 12.9 points per game and was one of the top shooters in the nation at the free-throw line.

 Along with the Bray sisters, junior Rylie Osthus of De Smet, S.D., returns and has become a proven point guard for Christensen. A true floor general, Osthus averaged 10.7 points and nearly five assists a game last year. She finished in the top 10 in the NAIA in total assists with 162 and tied the school record for free-throw percentage in a game after shooting a perfect 11-for-11 against Northwestern College. The former De Smet Bulldog set a career high in points scored with 22 and a career high for field goals made in a game with seven against Doane University. In the GPAC Championship game, Osthus had a career high in 3-point field goals made with four.

 Fellow senior Chesney Nagel will look to increase her role in her final year with the program. The Avon, S.D., native has been a solid defensive addition for DWU after averaging four rebounds per game, setting a career high in total rebounds with 12 last season.

 Sophomore's Kynedi Cheeseman and Sarah Carr saw valuable minutes off the bench in their first year with the program, helping the Tigers set five team records. The talented duo helped the Tigers hold opponents to under 61 points per game, while setting a team record of 272 made 3-point shots. As a team, DWU went on to shoot a record-setting 578 free throws, increased their free-throw accuracy to 79.4 percent and shot 45.2 percent from the field.

 Cheeseman looks to increase her role after averaging just under 16 minutes a game. The Alexandria, S.D., native played in all 38 games, averaging 5.8 points per game. She also scored a seasonhigh 19 points against Dakota State University.

 Carr broke through as one of the key defensive players for Christensen after averaging just under 10 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. The Huron, S.D., native ranked 14th in the NAIA in free-throw percentage at 85 percent. She scored a season-high 20 points against Presentation College in the NAIA South Dakota Classic and had a season high in rebounds with 11 against Morningside College, while being named All-GPAC Honorable Mention for her efforts. New to the program is Draper, S.D., native Madison Mathews, who joins the Tigers from nearby NCAA Division II University of Sioux Falls. At Jones County High School, Mathews finished her senior season averaging 20 points per game, leading her team to a 22-4 record. She currently holds the record for most points in a career and game, while also holding the record for most steals and assists.

 South Dakota State University transfer Jessica Mieras brings her height and scoring ability to the Tiger program after playing in 23 games and shooting 50 percent from the field. Before SDSU, Mieras was an Argus Leader Elite Five First-Team member, scoring 1,158 points in her career, good for second most in school history at Sioux Falls O'Gorman High School. She was also a finalist for Miss South Dakota Basketball and was named to the 2014-15 Class "AA" All-State First Team.

 Joining the Tigers from nearby Ethan High School, freshmen newcomers Kacey Bartscher and Rachel Hawkins have been part of a winning culture after winning the South Dakota Class "B" State Basketball Championship in 2015, while leading their team to a runner-up finish in 2016 and a third-place finish in 2017.

 Last season, the Tigers played their first eight games away from the Corn Palace; however, this year the Tigers open the season against the University of Jamestown at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

 DWU will return to the Sanford Pentagon to take part in the South Dakota NAIA Basketball Classic before hitting the road to battle NCAA Division II Northern State University. A week later, the Tigers face-off with Southwestern University and Friends University in Winfield, Kan., before opening conference play against Dordt College on Nov. 15.

 After playing in the Honolulu Classic last year, the Tigers will head west to Phoenix for two games against Olivet Nazarene University and Taylor University.