Tigers Fall in Upset Bid

The women's basketball team battled back from a slow start but in the end, No. 15 Dakota Wesleyan was able to hold on for a 72-66 win in Crete on Saturday afternoon. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Tigers in conference play.

Heather Broman (SR/Geneva, Neb.) was the Tigers' leading scorer early in the game as she scored the team's first six points. With the scored tied at 4-all, DWU went on a 13-4 run to take a nine-point lead. Doane trailed 22-16 at the end of the 1st quarter with Broman scoring 10 points.

Dakota Wesleyan opened the 2nd quarter with a 16-0 run, hitting four 3-point baskets. Doane finished the quarter on a 10-2 run and trailed 40-26 at the break.

The 3rd quarter opened with DWU hitting three 3-point baskets to go ahead by 21 points, 49-28 with 7:58 left in the quarter. Trailing by 19 with 5:43 left, the Tigers started to catch fire as they cut the deficit to five points, 57-52, at the end of the 3rd. Broman had seven points in the run and Shelbi Bittinger (SR/Milford, Neb.) added six points. The quarter ended as McKenna Dodd (SO/Lincoln, Neb.) drained a 3-point basket, her second of the quarter.

Within a minute of the 4th quarter opening, Doane had tied the game following a jumper by Jenna Nieveen (JR/Sterling, Neb.) and a 3-point bucket from Dodd. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they scored once on their next eight possessions and trialed by six, 65-59. Hanah Barnard (JR/Beatrice, Neb.) pulled Doane to within four with a layup with 2:52 left to play. Neither team scored over the next 2:18 until DWU made 1-of-2 free throws. It was their only missed free throw in the final 33 seconds of the game, going 7-of-8 to prevent Doane from knocking off another ranked opponent this week.

Broman led the Tigers with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Bittinger added 14 points, six rebounds and two steals. Dodd added 12 points, knocking down three 3-point baskets, and picking up two steals. Barnard finished with 10 points and five assists.