SIOUX CITY, Iowa- The Blue Raider women's basketball team fell to Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 78-53 in the Round of 16 Friday afternoon in the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. 

Meadow Tisdale led the Blue Raiders in scoring with 16 points while Taylor Guess and Saniyah Shelton tacked on 10 points apiece. 

Guess opened the scoring for Lindsey Wilson at the 8:46 mark to even the game at 2-2. The Blue Raiders struggled from the floor, knocking down only 1-of-15 in the first quarter to trail 20-4 headed into the second quarter. 

Tisdale and Shelton knocked down back-to-back layups to start the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 25-8 with 7:43 left in the half. From 6:08 to 4:19 both teams traded buckets for a score of 38-18. A three from Amelia Hodges with 20 seconds on the clock cut the Blue Raider deficit to 47-23 headed into the halftime locker room. 

Dakota Wesleyan struck first in the second half with Tisdale and Shelton answering back with consecutive layups, shrinking the deficit to 49-27 with 8:43 on the clock. Shelton finished a tough and-one at the 7:34 mark, connecting on the free throw for a 51-30 score. Tisdale grabbed a steal at 7:07, hitting Hodges for a jumper on the elbow at 6:58 to cut the deficit to 51-32. From 5:28 to 2:14 LWU went on a 9-5 run to cut the lead to 61-41. With 31 seconds on the clock, Shelton drove through the middle of the lane finding Guess in the corner for a wide open three to head into the final ten minutes of action trailing 64-46. 

Tisdale knocked down a jumper at 7:17 in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 68-48. Natalie Gentry came in off the bench knocking down a layup at 6:29 for a 68-50 score. A shooting drought continued to plague the Blue Raiders in the fourth quarter connecting on just 3-of-19. Lindsey Wilson fell to Dakota Wesleyan 78-53. 

Today's loss concludes the Blue Raider women's basketball 2025-26 season, finishing 23-9 and 7-5 in Mid-South Conference play.