by (Sioux City, Iowa) – The Haskell Indian Nations University basketball record setting season came to end in the first round of the women’s 2016 NAIA Division II National Tournament Wednesday morning at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Indians fell to the the #3 seed, the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers, by a final score of 75-64 to end the their season at (23-7), the most ever wins in a season by a Haskell women’s team since becoming a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Haskell was led by Sophomore Tyler Sumpter (Paiute) who had 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals for the Indians. She was followed by Keli Warrior (Ponca Tribe) who dropped in 18 points in the paint. Cerissa Honena-Reyes rounded out the players in double-digits for the Indians by knocking down 10 points.
In the first quarter the Lady Indians and the Tigers traded baskets with each other early as both defenses struggled. Haskell only trailed 19-24 after the first quarter to the higher-seed Tigers.
In the second quarter, Haskell had trouble getting quality shots over the taller and longer Dakota Wesleyan and only managed 11 points in the quarter and went into the half down 44-30.
After the half, like all season long, Haskell came out scoring and producing turnovers on the Tigers. Haskell’s press gave the Tigers troubled and battled themselves back to a 58-58 tie heading down the stretch. The Indians would out score the Tigers in the third quarter 22-14. But as the game progressed too many fouls put Haskell’s key players on the bench that allowed Dakota Wesleyan to extend their lead.
Dakota Wesleyan would go on to win by a final score of 75-64, end the Lady Indians season.
