MITCHELL, S.D. — The second-seeded Dakota Wesleyan Women's Basketball team hosted the 15th-seeded St. Francis (Ill.) Fighting Saints at the World's Only Corn Palace in the first round of the 2026 NAIA Championship Tournament.
The Tigers and the Saints both saw their highest-scoring periods in the first, with Dakota Wesleyan putting up 25 points thanks to early scoring from the entire lineup. Emma Yost kicked off her 16-point performance with six in the first 10 minutes, while Avery Broughton was quick to get on the boards en route to her 10th double-double of the season, eventually recording 15 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists. The starting five continued to make contributions in the second period, with Yost posting eight more points, while Shalayne Nagel posted six of her 11 points, and all four of her total steals heading into the half. Jaida Young found five points during the contest and contributed to the team's 47.4% shooting from the field while grabbing eight boards and four assists. The Tigers continued to hold the advantage in the paint, gaining extra support on the glass from Maleighya Estes off the bench, who grabbed six rebounds and eight points in total. Taliyah Hayes also got involved with seven points in 16 minutes on the floor, helping push Dakota Wesleyan to a 45-30 lead over St. Francis at halftime.
Out of the half, Rylee Rosenquist was dominant with nine points in the third period, eventually leading the Tigers in scoring with 19 recorded points, along with five assists and rebounds, contributing to DWU's continued presence in the paint, outscoring USF-IL 38-18 in the category. DWU would match that total in total rebounds as well, finding 18 more than the Saints, and helping the Tigers extend their lead later into the contest. The well-rounded effort across the lineup gave Dakota Wesleyan 19 points in each of the final two periods, while the defense held steady, only giving up 25 total points in the entire second half. The offense was able to ultimately claim the victory, 83-55, and advance to the round of 32 in the championship bracket. The victory marks the program's fifth consecutive opening-round victory in the NAIA Women's Basketball Championships, dating back to 2022. The 26th win of the season also puts the 2025-26 team in the program's top eight for all-time wins.
DWU Women's Basketball will be back in action in the Second Round of the 2026 NAIA Women's Basketball Championships at the World's Only Corn Palace on Saturday, March 14th, at 3:00 PM. See the full 2025-26 schedule here.
See the full postgame presser, featuring Nagel, Broughton, and head coach Jason Christensen here.