MITCHELL, S.D. — No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan Women's Basketball hosted the RV Hastings Broncos in a GPAC contest, looking to avenge a conference loss from November 2025.
The Broncos found the inital upper hand in the contest after capitalizing on early turnovers from the Tigers along with an efficient shooting night from beyond the arc. The Tigers found early offensive contributions from Emma Yost in another top-end performance for the junior forward, and was assisted on the scoring front by Avery Broughton and Rylee Rosenquist. By the end of the contest, the trio of players combined for 71 total points, with Broughton leading the contest with 25 individually alongside nine rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and a steal, while Rosenquist posted 22 points, a team-leading eight assists, seven rebounds, and a steal of her own. Dakota Wesleyan was able to settle in a bit more during the second period, but the continued struggles from beyond the arc were outmatched by the Broncos. Even still, DWU was able to outscore Hastings in the frame thanks to the added efforts of Taliyah Hayes and Maleighya Estes off the bench. Estes posted nine points, nine boards, two assists, and two steals in her 23 minutes played, while Hayes recorded six points of her own. Isabelle Ellwein recorded her lone three-point shot of the day during the second period, adding to what the trio of Yost, Broughton, and Rosenquist continued to produce to help bring the score to 42-41 in favor of the Broncos.
The second half saw the Tigers flip their offensive production, finding more room in the paint to work and being able to match the ranged attack from the Broncos. Dakota Wesleyan recorded 28 points out of the break to claim a 69-59 lead thanks to a nine-point effort in the third period from Yost. Her first-period production and explosive offense out of the break propelled her 24 total points on the day, operating at an 11-17 (64.7%) clip from the field while also recording six rebounds and three assists. Overall, the team was able to take control of the boards, finding more success in the paint than in the first half, and would go on outscore Hastings towards the basket 56-34 by the end of the game. Jaida Young played a major role in contributing towards the glass, leading the Tigers with 10 total rebounds while also contributing four assists and two points, while Shalayne Nagel rounded out the starting rotation with four points of her own, alongside a rebound and a block later in the game. DWU shot 55.5% from the field in the second half, including a 60% clip in the final 10 minutes, to regain the lead and control the rest of the contest. The Tigers were also much more efficient from the free-throw line, missing just one attempt in the second half and adding 13 points to the scoreboard. The second-half surge gave the Tigers a commanding lead that resulted in a 95-77 conference win in favor of Dakota Wesleyan. The Tigers grabbed their 13th consecutive win as they look ahead to an extensive road trip in February.
DWU Women's Basketball will be back in action against the Doane Tigers on Sunday, February 8th, at 12:00 PM down in Nebraska. See the full 2025-26 schedule here.