SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – After leading by five points at halftime, the No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team scored just 17 points in the second half as No. 12 Dordt University pulled away for a 75-55 victory in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Quarterfinals on Wednesday in Sioux Center, Iowa.
The Tigers (20-11) jumped out to an early 6-2 lead following a Kaylee Kirk (Balaton, Minn.) jumper. However, the Defenders (24-7) answered with a 14-0 run to take a 16-6 lead, forcing a DWU timeout.
Sarah Carr (Huron, S.D.) put an end to the run with a basket to cut into the deficit. With just over three minutes to play in the opening quarter, Dordt held an 11-point lead. But the Tigers finished the period on a 9-1 run that was capped off by a Kamryn Heinz (Ipswich, S.D.) 3-pointer to pull within three points at the quarter break.
Two minutes into the second quarter, the Defenders pushed their lead back to nine points. However, the Tigers responded with another run that began with back-to-back baskets by Jessica Mieras (Sioux Falls, S.D.).
Moments later, the Tigers regained their first lead since 6-4 following a pair of Mieras free throws. Freshman Rynn Osthus (De Smet, S.D.) knocked down a basket of her own to extend the lead to five points, forcing a Dordt timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Kynedi Cheeseman (Alexandria, S.D.) nailed a 3-pointer to complete the first-half scoring for the Tigers as they held a 38-33 halftime lead.
The Defenders came out in the second half with a quick 5-0 spurt to tie the game. Mieras once again put an end to the run with a basket. Following the Mieras shot, Carr stepped behind the 3-point line and buried a 3-pointer.
Dordt responded with a 21-6 run to finish the quarter as they held a 61-49 lead heading to the final stanza.
After the Defenders scored seven of the next eight points, the Tigers took a timeout to regroup. Both offenses stalled as neither team scored a field goal after the timeout for the next two minutes.
Matti Reiner (Tripp, S.D.) put an end to the scoring drought with a 3-point basket at the 3:27 mark. Kirk added another basket on the following possession to cut the deficit to 16 points. But Dordt retained its' lead to defeat the Tigers in the opening round of the GPAC Tournament.
Cheeseman tallied 15 points and three assists, as Mieras chipped in 12 points and four rebounds. Kirk added six points, seven rebounds and five assists, as DWU shot 42.3% from the field in the game.
The Tigers find out if they made the NAIA National Tournament and where they would be seeded during the selection show on Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m.