SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Unknowingly, in their final game of the season, the Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball team finished the season with a win. DWU defeated Indiana Wesleyan University, 78-67 in the opening round of the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championships Thursday at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
Both teams opened the game with tough defense as IWU held a 4-0 lead after three minutes of play. Makaela Karst (Plankinton, S.D.) scored the first bucket for the Tigers (21-11) off an assist by Kamryn Heinz (Ipswich, S.D.).
After Jessica Mieras (Sioux Falls, S.D.) tied the game, Kynedi Cheeseman (Alexandria, S.D.) drove to the basket and made a layup, handing DWU its first lead of the game.
Mieras continued her hot shooting early after a layup and 3-pointer to push the lead to three points. With 30 seconds to play in the opening quarter, Cheeseman notched another shot to extend the Tiger lead to seven points.
The Wildcats (23-10) came alive in the second period as they outscored DWU, 23-13. They opened the stanza on an 11-2 run to take a 21-19 lead, forcing a DWU timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Cheeseman nailed a 3-pointer to help the Tigers regain the lead. After IWU answered with a 3-pointer of its own, Kaylee Kirk (Balaton, Minn.) made a layup to tie the game.
With a minute to play in the half, Karst converted on an and-one situation after making a layup and free throw to give the Tigers a 30-28 lead. However, the Wildcats scored the final five points of the half to take a 33-30 lead into halftime.
Two minutes into the second half, Karst found Kirk for a reverse layup to pull DWU within four points. Moments later, Cheeseman found Heinz for a layup to bring the Tigers within one possession.
On the following Wildcat possession, Karst picked off the inbounds pass and dished the ball to Cheeseman, who finished a layup and was fouled. She made her ensuing free throw to finish the old-fashioned 3-point play. One possession later, Cheeseman nailed a 3-pointer to push the lead to four points, forcing an IWU timeout.
The Tigers continued their 16-2 run throughout the third quarter to push their lead to eight points following a Karst layup. With three minutes to play in the third period, Karst found Cheeseman open behind the arc for another 3-pointer.
With just over 1:30 left in the third period, Sarah Carr (Huron, S.D.) made her first field goal of the game on a 3-pointer to keep the Tiger lead at eight points.
After IWU pulled within three points in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, Cheeseman made back-to-back field goals to push the lead back to seven points.
The Wildcats attempted one final push as they pulled within six points. But the Tigers made free throws down the stretch to secure the opening round victory.
Cheeseman scored a game-high 32 points, as Karst tallied 18 points, five assists and five blocks. Mieras came off the bench to score seven points, while Carr added six points and 11 rebounds. DWU shot 47.3% from the field and finished with 38 points in the paint.
The Tigers finish the season with a record of 21-11 after the NAIA canceled the remainder of the tournament.
