#9 Dakota Wesleyan's Second Half Rally Drops Broncos, 95-77
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hastings (16-7, 12-5) | 25 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 77 |
|
Dakota Wesleyan (SD) (19-4, 15-2) | 19 | 22 | 28 | 26 | 95 |
(Mitchell, SD) – Going on the road to face #9 Dakota Wesleyan, Hastings took a 42-41 lead into halftime, but the Tigers fought back for the 95-77 win, outscoring Hastings by 19 in the second half.
Hastings scored the first five points of the game on a three from senior Mariyah Avila and two free throws by sophomore McKenna Yates. Avila hit another from deep shortly after and Hastings led 12-9 halfway through the quarter. Leading 14-11, Yates scored on back-to-back trips and hit two more at the line, as Hastings went up 22-15 at the 2:18 mark. Avila hit her third three of the quarter in the final minute of the period, as Hastings led 25-19 after one.
Dakota Wesleyan scored two off of a Bronco turnover to begin the second quarter, which was answered by a three-pointer by sophomore Stella Heapy, who later extended the lead to 10 at the foul line three minutes into the quarter. Leading 37-29 with 4:33 left in the half, Dakota Wesleyan scored eight straight points to tie it with 2:13 to go. Tied at 38, Yates scored twice on layups in the final minute of the half to put Hastings up 42-41.
In the third quarter Dakota Wesleyan outscored Hastings 28-17. They began with a three-pointer and a 7-2 run to go up 48-44 in less than two minutes. Still leading the Broncos at 52-49 following a jumper by sophomore Josilyn Miller, the Tigers scored four straight and seven of the next nine points to take a 59-51 lead with 3:09 left in the third. Miller scored three of the next four field goals for Hastings to cut the lead to six, but the Tigers made two shots in the final minute of the quarter to take a 69-59 lead after three.
To start the fourth, Dakota Wesleyan scored the first six points and pushed the lead to 18 at 77-59 less than three minutes in. Junior Bailey Kissinger broke the scoring drought with a layup, but the Tigers took a 20-point lead halfway through the final period. Dakota Wesleyan grew the lead to 22 and while Hastings got within 15 on a couple Yates baskets and three-pointer from sophomore Adyson Mlnarik, Dakota Wesleyan went on to win, 95-77.
For the game, Dakota Wesleyan shot 53 percent from the field to Hastings' 40 percent. The Tigers also held a 43-25 advantage on the glass. Yates finished with 21 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Avila had 18 points and two steals, while Kissinger had 13 points and three rebounds. Miller chipped in with 12 points and two steals.
Up next, Hastings will host Midland on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 6pm.
