Tigers host Defenders on Wednesday

MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University women's basketball squad is looking to put a halt to their two-game losing streak as they take on Dordt University for a home Great Plains Athletic Conference bout at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Corn Palace.

The Game

 Haidyn Pitsch (Prior Lake, Minn.), who tallied a team-high 20 points against CUNE, leads the Tigers in scoring. Pitsch has averaged 14.7 points per game so far this season and has now recorded 20 or more points in three contests.

 Underneath the basket, Jada Campbell (Alexandria, S.D.) continues to protect the rim by leading DWU in both rebounds and blocks. Campbell averages 8.1 rebounds per contest and has notched nine or more rebounds in 10 outings this season. She ranks 15th nationally in total blocks with 37 and has tallied at least four blocks in four contests this season.

 Kaylee Kirk (Balaton, Minn.) continues to serve as an offensive spark for DWU and is averaging 13.5 points over her last four starts. Kirk scored a career-high 20 points two weeks ago versus Hastings and has led the Tigers in both assists and steals over the course of the season. She is fourth in the country in assists with 109 and sits 10th nationally in steals with 57.

 As a unit, the Tigers are ranked nationally in both total blocks and total assists. DWU ranks 10th in total blocks with 86 and is 11th in the country in total assists at 351.

The Coaches

 Jason Christensen (Dakota Wesleyan University '98) is in his 11th season with the DWU women's basketball squad and saw three players named to the All-Conference team a season ago.

 Bill Harmsen is in his third season as the Dordt women's head basketball coach. Harmsen has guided the Defenders to back-to-back NAIA National Tournaments and finished his inaugural season with a 20-12 overall record.

The Series

 Dakota Wesleyan has controlled the all-time series. DWU holds a 43-25 mark in games played between the two schools. The Defenders secured the first meeting of the season, coming away with a 70-60 victory versus the Tigers in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Scouting the Dordt Defenders

 Dordt boasts a similar record at 13-10 and has split its last six games. The Defenders are paced by their balanced play on both ends of the floor, ranking fourth nationally in total blocks and 10th in the country in 3-point field goals made. Dordt has tallied 109 blocks and converted 183 3-pointers on the season.

 Ashtyn Veerbeek ranks fourth in total rebounds with 229 and is fifth nationally in total blocks with 54. She also leads the Defenders offensively, averaging 14.9 points per outing and is shooting 45.2% from the field.

 For fans not able to attend the game, you can stream the game online with stats at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/dwu/. You can also listen to Tim Smith and Bob Sprang with the call at 105.9 FM or online at kmit.com.