HASTINGS, Neb. — No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan Women's Basketball traveled to Nebraska to take on the No. 25 Hastings Broncos to open the conference season.
Both teams found offensive success when the contest started, with the scoreline jumping out to 22-18 in favor of Hastings. Even with the initial advantage, the game consistently put either team within a couple of possessions of the other. The Tigers found initial production from Jaida Young, who dropped nine of her 12 points in the first 10 minutes, along with posting six total assists during the game and four rebounds. By the end of the contest, Emma Yost would be the game's top scorer, recording 22 points in total on 8-11 (72.7%) shooting from the field. Off the bench, Rylee Rosenquist posted a season-high of 17 points, going 6-9 (66.7%) from the field while also leading the Tigers in rebounds with nine. The trio of scorers gave Dakota Wesleyan a boost in the second period and a 41-39 lead heading into halftime. The Tigers outpaced the Broncos on the boards, posting 49 rebounds in total to HC's 37.
The Broncos found their footing on offense in the third period, out-shooting the Tigers 44.4% to 26.7%, including going 3-6 (50%) from beyond the arc. Yost continued to match the Broncos' offensive pace, along with Maleighya Estes, who both put up five points each in the period. Estes would also record four assists and three rebounds. Shalayne Nagel posted nine points, six assists, and five rebounds, alongside Avery Broughton, who matched Nagel's scoring total and added eight rebounds and three blocks to her stat line. The Tigers closed the gap towards the end of the game, but a final surge for the Broncos tipped the contest back in their favor, sealing the game with a free throw to push the lead to two possessions. Dakota Wesleyan dropped the ranked contest 80-76, and ended the game going 27-63 (42.9%) from the field, 9-35 (25.7%) from three, and 13-20 (65%) from the free-throw line.
DWU Women's Basketball will be back in action against Morningside at the Corn Palace on Wednesday, November 19th, at 6:00 PM. See the full 2025-26 schedule here.