SIOUX CITY, IA - No. 1-seed Indiana Wesleyan women's basketball will take on No. 6-seed Dakota State University (S.D.) in the 2023 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Quarterfinals presented by Ballogy. The Wildcats tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday evening in the Tyson Event Center. IWU reached the Quarterfinals after a 88-77 win over No. 4-seed Briar Cliff in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.


 

SCOUTING DAKOTA STATE

 

• The Trojans come into the quarterfinals as the No. 6-seed in the Liston Quadrant with a 28-6 record as regular season champions of North Star Athletic Association.
• Dakota State upset No. 2-seed Carroll College on Tuesday in the Round of 16, 82-72.
• The Trojans were the lowest seed to advance to Sioux City.
• Dakota State returns to the quarterfinals for the second time in the last three years.
• The Trojans have won 18 times in the last 19 games.

 

KEY TROJANS

 

• Elsie Aslesen (SR | F| 6-1)
  • Aslesen leads the team with 13.6 points while also grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game for the Trojans.
  • She registered a field goal percentage of 57.3 percent for DSU.
  • She was named the NSAA Defensive Player of the Year, while being named to the All-Conference First Team.
• Savannah Walsdorf (JR | G | 6-0)
  • Walsdorf averages 11.9 points and leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game for the Trojans.
  • She has stolen the ball 81 times this season and registered a 48.6 field goal percentage.
  • She received a spot on the All-NSAA First Team for the second year in a row.
  • Walsdorf led the Trojans with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds against No. 2-seed Carroll.
• Sidney Fick (JR | F | 6-0)
  • Fick averages 9.7 points and 5.1 rebounds this year.
  • She shoots 47.1 percent from the field and has collected 44 steals and 37 blocks this season for Dakota State.
  • She scored a season-high 19 points on Tuesday against No. 2-seed Carroll

 

NAIA RANKINGS

 

• The Trojans are 5th in the NAIA with 13.9 steals per game and 4.7 blocks per game.
• DSU ranked 5th in the nation with 2700 points scored this season and 28.1 three-point attempts a game.
• Aslesen's 2.7 blocks per game rank 4th in the NAIA.
• Courtney Menning's 87 steals per contest are 10th most in the nation.

 

BRACKET NEXT STEPS

 

• The winner of Dakota State/IWU will face No. 2-seed Clarke (Iowa) in the semifinal at 9:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 17.

 

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS

 

• Follow Athletics (@IWUWildcats): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
• Follow Women's Basketball (@IWU_WBB): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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