Box Score WAYNE, Neb. - The Dragon women's basketball team (4-4, 1-3 NSIC) lost 70-53 to the Wayne State College Wildcats (10-1, 4-1 NSIC) at Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Nebraska.
 
MSUM played strong defense the first half of competition, limiting the second-shot opportunities for the Wildcats. Wayne State All-American forward Ashley Arlen was held to just 2 points at the end of the half due to foul trouble, with her only basket coming with 3:43 remaining. The effective Dragon defense held Arlen to only 11 points and 7 rebounds for the game. The Dragons also out-rebounded the Wildcats 42-31.
 
Freshman center Taylor Shepard provided solid post play, converting on back-to-back first-half possessions with layups off of missed shots, and providing a nice block on a Clare Duwelius jump shot. Brittany Mayclin provided a potential spark at the end of the first half, hitting a shot from the free-throw line as the buzzer sounded, and cutting the Wildcat lead 31-26 at the end of the first half.
 
The offensive momentum did not carry over into the second half, as the Wildcats went on a 12-to-2 run to begin the half on their way to a 23-point lead with under 10 minutes remaining in the game. Angie Jetvig paced the Dragons on an 8-point run, hitting a three-pointer off a Taylor Kraft pass to close the gap 58-43. However, the Dragon offense was hampered by 13 first-half turnovers, and 23 turnovers for the game, and the Wildcats were able to score 22 points on turnovers.
 
MSUM finished the game 21-for-56, 37.5%, from the field, 4-for-19 from three, and 7-for-11, 63.6%, from the free throw line. The Dragons were led in scoring by Angie Jetvig with 18, followed by Taylor Shepard with 7.
 
Wayne State shot 27-for-60, 45%, from the field, 6-for-18, 33.3%, from three, and 10-for-16, 62.5%, from the free throw line. The Wildcats were led in scoring by Clare Duwelius with 14, followed by Arlen with 11.
 
The Dragons will finish their road trip tomorrow in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to play the Augustana College Vikings in the Roy J. Carver Center at 4:00 pm.
 
Steve D'Eustachio's Stat of the Game: The Dragon women's last win at Wayne State was February 25, 2005, which clenched the Dragons' last regular-season NSIC championship.