MITCHELL, S.D. — No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan Women's Basketball hosted the NAIA's top team, the Dordt Defenders, at the World's Only Corn Palace for Senior Night.
The Tigers were able to grab an initial advantage with the home crowd behind them, along with the early scoring efforts of Avery Broughton, who went on to post an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double by the end of the contest. Her efforts helped spur a 16-11 lead for DWU at the end of the first period as the offense was able to find production on the defense of the No. 1 Defenders. The pace continued for the remainder of the first half, as Emma Yost saw her team-leading 18-point performance really get rolling in the second period. Yost recorded a double-double on the day with 10 added rebounds, alongside two assists on the evening. She was joined in the starting rotation by Shalayne Nagel and Jaida Young, who both recorded six points each, with Young also recording six boards and two rebounds in her performance. Off the bench, senior Taliyah Hayes showed out on her senior night, recording 10 points, two rebounds, and an assist in her final regular-season contest at the Corn Palace. Starter Rylee Rosenquist and Maleighya Hayes were the other two seniors celebrated before the game, and they combined for eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals during the game. The added efforts helped propel Dakota Wesleyan to a 31-22 lead heading into halftime.
The second half saw the Defenders find their stride offensively, posting 24 points in the third period, eventually reclaiming the lead over the Tigers as both teams prepared for the final 10 minutes of play. Even still, Dakota Wesleyan was able to maintain its advantage on the boards to help keep things close, outrebounding Dordt 43-21 by the end of the game, but the Defenders were able to take advantage of free-throw opportunities and limited turnovers to keep the Tigers at bay. The Tigers continued to battle back into the game, with Lizzie Pavlis and Avery Orth getting involved off the bench, but Dakota Wesleyan was unable to put together a final offensive surge to pull back ahead of the NAIA's top team. Even after outshooting the Defenders from the field, operating at a 43.4% clip, Dordt's 31 points off turnovers, compared to DWU's four, gave them the advantage down the stretch. The Tigers ultimately fell 65-59 after a final set of free throws sealed the win for the opposition. Dakota Wesleyan moves to 21-6 on the season and 17-4 in conference play.
DWU Women's Basketball will be back in action on Saturday, February 21st, as they close out the regular season on the road against Northwestern. See the full 2025-26 schedule here.