Bulldogs Come Out on Top in Quarterfinals 70-58
#25 Rylee Pauli drives to the hoop taking on the DWU defense
Photo Courtesy of Haleigh Fitzsimmons
By Olivia Dunklau
The seeded number two Bulldogs now carry a second win over the seeded number seven Dakota Wesleyan Tigers from Mitchell, South Dakota after a 70-58 win in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Quarterfinals.
Midway into the first quarter, sophomore Taylor Farrell had already put five points up on the board. The Bulldogs held onto the lead but the Tigers were never too far behind. By the end of the first quarter, the Bulldogs lead 13-7 as Dakota Wesleyan only hit one of twelve shots from the field.
Freshman Sadie Powell fired out a total of 10 points and three rebounds. Powell made eight of her 10 points in the first half, helping to push the Bulldogs to a lead of 36-24 by halftime. Freshman Taysha Rushton led with a total of 19 points, junior Rylee Pauli had 16 points and seven rebounds, freshman Bailey Conrad put up nine points and six assists, and junior Mackenzie Koepke had 10 rebounds.
The Tigers slowly started to make a comeback in the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs kept the lead at 57-55. After the close score, the Bulldogs took off and left the Tigers behind with the final score of 70-58.
The Bulldogs will host Northwestern College, Sat. Feb. 27, in the semifinals with tipoff at 3 p.m. from Friedrich Arena. The GPAC asks that all fans buy tickets in advance for these games. GPAC college students are able to attend for free with their college ID. Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets
