TIGERS GO 2-0 AT CRUZIN' CLASSIC WITH 72-52 WIN OVER BOBCATS

Miami Gardens, Fla – Dakota Wesleyan capped off their Florida trip with a 92-72 win over (9-2) St. Thomas University. The Tigers dominated the boards 47-27 in the game getting double digit rebounds from Morgan Edelman who set a career-high with 13 and Emma Yost who recorded her first career double-double with her 18 points and 10 rebounds. Shalayne Nagel tied a career-high with 18 points in the contest. The Tigers outscored their Florida opponents 167-100 and never trailed in the two games.

Highlighted Player– Emma Yost ~ 18 points / 10 rebounds / 6 assists / 2 steals 

Stat Leaders:

Points – Emma Yost & Shalayne Nagel (18)

Assists – Emma Yost (6)

Rebounds – Morgan Edelman (13)

Blocks – Taliyah Hayes (1)

Steals – Emma Yost (2)

Recap –

Dakota Wesleyan coming off their 47-point victory in which they dropped 95 points against Florida National struggled offensively in the first half against tournament host school St. Thomas University. DWU shot 40% from the field while only going 1-12 from beyond the arc (one make was first basket of the game), and uncharacteristically struggling at the free throw line going 6-10. The undersized Tigers did, however, dominate the boards and paint throughout the first half against the much taller Bobcat players. Dakota Wesleyan outscored St. Thomas 22-6 in the paint. DWU held the Bobcats to just nine points in the first quarter and 17 in the second for 26 first half points for STU. On the boards the Tigers won the first half battle 23-17 and as usual Morgan Edelman paced all rebounders with her eight from the guard position. That edge on the boards was a big result to offensive rebounds, which the Tigers grabbed eight during the half and turned them into 10 second chance points.

Where the DWU offense lacks, the defense is always certain. From the tip the Tigers showed that tough, gritty, South Dakota defense that they are known for, making every shot a contested, low percentage shot for the Bobcats. St. Thomas shot a mere 28.6% from the field in the first half and racked up nine turnovers in which DWU turned into seven points. Dakota Wesleyan never trailed in the first half and led by as much as eight points. Isabel Ihnen and Shalayne Nagel led the way with seven points apiece in the half, followed by leading scorer on the season Emma Yost with her six.

Both teams carried over their play from the second quarter to the third with each team recording 18 points during the quarter. The Tigers continued to get most of their production inside with Nagel, Yost, and Rylee Rosenquist who scored the first five points of the quarter for DWU. Rosenquist ran into foul trouble early though and had to sit a majority of the third. The Bobcats up to this point had scored over 80% of their points either from the foul line (which they were a perfect 10-10) or beyond the arc. DWU had seven different players in the scoring column through three quarters while STU was getting all their production from four players. The Tigers continued to wear out the Bobcats on the glass, while Edelman grabbed her career-high 12 rebound during the quarter. DWU held a seven-point lead going to the final quarter.

The Tigers didn't mess around in the fourth, running away with the game thanks to an 8-0 run to open the quarter giving DWU a 15-point lead. Dakota Wesleyan only grew on that lead, resulting in a 72-52 final. Yost recorded her first double-double of her career grabbing her 10 rebound late in the quarter to go with her 18 points. That 18 points in the game was tied with Nagel who tied her career-high while also adding in six rebounds and three assists. Edelman finished with a Dennis Rodman type stat line with her two points, 13 rebounds and one steal. Ihnen also finished in double figures with 11 points. The Tigers finished the game dominating the Bobcats in points in the paint (44-16), second chance points (18-4), and rebounds (47-27).

History-

• DWU is now 2-0 all-time against STU.
• The Tigers won the only other matchup 97-66 in 2019 at the NAIA DII First Round.

Up Next

• Dakota Wesleyan women's basketball caps off their 2023 schedule with a road game against Valley City State University Sunday, December 31 with tipoff at 3 p.m.