TIGER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NAIA QUARTERFINALS TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

Posted: Mar 20, 2024

Mitchell, S.D. – Your (RV) Tigers are heading back to the NAIA National Tournament for the 11^th time in program history and the seventh under head coach Jason Christensen. Dakota Wesleyan did this by winning their NAIA First Round matchup in Dubuque Iowa, 86-75 against #10 seed and (RV) Rust College then followed that up with defeating defending national champion, #2 seed in the tournament and No. 5 ranked Clarke 78-72. The Tigers will now square off against #3 seed and No. 15 ranked Cumberlands on Friday, March 22 with tipoff at 1:00 p.m.

2023-24 INDIVIDUAL STANDOUTS:

The Tigers had a lot of highlights and standouts during their 2023-24 season from both veteran and newcomers. Freshman forward, Emma Yost led the Tigers all year with her 15.1 points per contest and was the only Tiger in double figure points to end the season. Yost recorded six games with 20+ points which included a season-high 28 in the 83-59 win against Mount Marty. The freshman forward had double-digit points in all but two games this season as well, cementing her offensive dominance. Yost finished second on the team in rebounds (5.9) and assists (2.3) per game and recorded three double-doubles on the season.

Her freshman counterpart Shalayne Nagel also had a strong freshman season, just missing out on averaging double-digit points a game at 9.8. It was her defense that was most valuable as the 6-0 freshman guard averaged 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per contest. The 1.3 blocks currently ranks third in the conference and the 1.7 is top-20. Nagel recorded her first 20+ point game of the season with her 23 against (RV) Briar Cliff. On the defensive side, Shalayne rejected a season-high five shots in the Tigers 17-point victory over No. 13 Dakota State in front of a packed home crowd.

The main veteran that has carried the team in every stat category this season has been Morgan Edelman. The last season GPAC Honorable Mention leads the team in rebounding with her 7.9 rebounds a game which ranks third in the conference and has recorded six double-doubles on the season, four in the last six games. Edelman has grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds three different times this season and had at least 10 rebounds in 10 games. Edelman in the first half of the season mainly contributed to the team on defense, passing, and on the boards, but when senior Isabel Ihnen went down with an injury the junior guard stepped up and has averaged 12.3 points per game in her absence. Edelman currently averages 9.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.

Other Tigers that have stepped up in the absence of Ihnen, who was averaging 9.9 points per game before the injury, has been Taliyah Hayes who is averaging 9.1 and has recorded two 20+ point games during that span and Rylee Rosenquist who has been dealing with a nagging injury all season with her 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and is coming off a career-high 26 points against No. 1 Dordt at home and carried DWU in the 80-68 quarterfinals win over NWC with her 21 points.

#7 TIGERS FIRST ROUND 86-75 WIN AGAINST #10 RUST

The Tigers opened the 2024 NAIA Women's Basketball Championships in a big way in the first round against the Rust College Bearcats. Rylee Rosenquist led all scorers with her new career high 36 points to get past Rust. After having a 15 points lead in the second quarter, the Bearcats would cut that lead back within four before halftime. DWU kept their cool after Rust came out with a full court press and were able to make shots when it counted. The Tigers made 33 of their 38 free throw attempts with Morgan Edelman going a perfect 10 for 10 from the line and Rosenquist only missing one of her 13 attempts. Dakota Wesleyan would add onto their halftime lead in both the third and fourth quarters to come out on top with the 86-75 victory. Four Tigers scored in double digits and the team shot 56% from the floor and 62% from beyond the arc.

# 7 TIGERS SECOND ROUND 78-72 WIN AGAINST #2 CLARKE

Dakota Wesleyan gets the big upset over the Clarke Pride in the second round of the 2024 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championships! Emma Yost led all scorers as she tied her career-high with 28 points and grabbed five rebounds. Rylee Rosenquist added a double-double with 20 points and ten rebounds. The Tigers trailed by one after the first quarter but took the lead and never looked back, with their largest lead being 15 points at the beginning of the fourth. Clarke tried to mount a comeback, but the Tigers were able to hold off the Pride and win 78-72. The Tigers made 29 of their 32 free throw attempts with the starting five combining for 26 made free throws. Yost shot 100% beyond the arc as she swished all three of her attempts, all in the first half.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This is the first matchup between the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers and the Cumberlands Patriots.

WHO TO WATCH FOR THE PATRIOTS

The Cumberlands Patriots out of Williamsburg, Ken. play in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) and currently are 24-9 overall and finished the season 8-4 in conference play. The Patriots were 14-1 at home, 7-6 on the road, and 3-2 at neutral site. UC earned wins against five ranked or receiving votes opponents during the 2023-24 season with the most notable one coming against at the time No. 9 ranked Georgetown College, 79-62.

The Patriots average 81.4 points per game while holding their opponents to just 65.0. UC shoots 46% from the field, 37% from beyond the arc, and 70% at the free throw line. The Patriots grab 39.2 rebounds per game and dish out 18.7 assists per contest. Patriots have four players averaging double digit points a game led by Kaylie Monday with 12.5, followed by Kassie Monday with 12.3, and Destiny Haworth and Lakin Burke both with 10.5. On the boards they are led by Channing Lewis with 7.3 a game followed by Kaylie Monday with 6.0. The Patriots top dimer is Kassie Monday with 6.1 per contest.

TIGERS HISTORY IN NAIA TOURNAMENT

This is the Tigers 11^th time making the NAIA tournament and seventh under Christensen. This is the seventh time in program history DWU has advanced to the final site and fourth under Christensen. The Tigers currently have a 25-8 record in the NAIA tournament. The highlights for Dakota Wesleyan in the tournament is when they won the first National Championship in school history in 2017-18, while just missing that honor in 2002-03 when they finished runner-up.