DeMars scores 32 to help lead UJ past #7 DWU

Hannah DeMars (SR/Grand Rapids, MN) scored 32 points and the University of Jamestown women's basketball team put together a strong offensive third quarter in defeating No. 7 Dakota Wesleyan 71-64 Wednesday evening at Harold Newman Arena.

The win was the first for UJ against a ranked opponent since beating then-13th ranked Northwestern (Iowa) 65-48 on January 29 of this year, and first over a top-ten opponent since a 71-69 victory over Dakota Wesleyan on November 20, 2019, when the Tigers were also ranked seventh.

Kate Cordes (FR/Shakopee, MN) had the best game of her Jimmie career so far, finishing with 16 points while making all four of her three-point attempts.

DWU twice led by four points in the first quarter, with UJ taking a brief one-point led on a three by Sarah Lenz (SO/Belle Plaine, MN) to make it 11-10. Cordes made her first three-pointer to make it 14-14 going into the second.

Jamestown again took a one-point edge on a Lenz three-pointer, but the Tigers scored nine of the game's next 11 points to build a six-point lead with 1:02 in the half. Kia Tower (SR/Bigfork, MN) converted a three-point play with 34 seconds left and Jailyn Martinson (SO/Devils Lake, ND) hit a basket at the buzzer to pull the Jimmies with 29-28 at the break.

Cordes (two), DeMars, and Lenz all connected on long-distance tries in the third quarter, helping Jamestown put up 26 points. The Jimmies shot 9 of 16 overall and made all four of their free throw attempts. Leading 39-38 at the 5:14 mark, UJ went on a 9-1 run over the next 2:27 and would go up by 11 after a Lenz three with 90 seconds left.

DeMars opened the fourth quarter with a basket to make it 56-48, and DWU got no closer than five points down the stretch. Cordes and DeMars each made a pair of free throws in the final 34 seconds to help put the game away.

Lenz finished with nine points and Tower eight, which put her over the 1000-point mark for her career. Tower is the 24th Jimmie to surpass 1000 career points. DeMars had six rebounds and three players (DeMars, Tower, and Kate Busek (SO/Fargo, ND)) each had two assists.

The Tigers were led by Jada Campbell's 24 points. Lacey Sprakel had 17 off the bench and Morgan Edelman added nine points and a game-high ten rebounds.

Jamestown (4-1, 2-0 GPAC) travels to Midland (Neb.) on Saturday for a 6 p.m. game.