Bryce Coppock scored 17 points and
Lucas Lorenzen netted 16 in leading the Dordt University men's basketball team to an 85-66 home win against Nebraska Wesleyan in a non-conference game played tonight at the De Witt Gym.
The Defenders stay unbeaten and improve to 4-0 on the season as they head to Orange City, Iowa, to play in the Northwestern Classic this weekend.
Coppock made a season-best four three-pointers and converted 5-of-6 free throws to lead the Defenders scoring effort. Lorenzen contributed 16 points, nine coming in the second half, while the freshmen duo of
Jake Hargens (14 points) and
Connor Millikan (11 points) gave the Defenders four players in double figures.
The Defenders trailed just twice, both early, and used a 6-0 run to take the lead for good around 12-minute mark after free throws by Coppock and Hargens and a jumper by Millikan. A pair of
Ty Van Essen free throws gave Dordt its first double-digit lead (30-19) with 4:42 left in the first half. Free throws by
Ben Fairclough and a three-pointer from Coppock stretched the Defenders lead to 14 (37-23), their largest of the first half, with two minutes left to go in the opening period.
Dordt had a commanding edge in three-point shooting (4/10 - 40% compared to 1/13 - 8%) and rebounding (25-16) in the opening half.
Nebraska Wesleyan cut into the Dordt lead down to single digits early in the second half but a Coppock three-pointer put the Defenders up by double-digits for good, 54-42, with 15-minutes left to play. A 7-0 Defenders run, finished off with a Hargens lay-up, pushed the lead to 18 (67-49) at eight-minute mark. A Millikan three-point play with three minutes left gave the hosts a 23-point lead as Dordt shot 54% in the second half.
By the Numbers:
- Dordt shot 46% from the field, 41% (9/22) from the three-point arc
- the Defenders held Nebraska Wesleyan to 41% from the field and stifled their three-point shooting, making just 4/25 (16%)
- Dordt had the advantage on the boards, 40-35
- Hargens led the rebounding effort with a career-high eight; Fairclough pulled down seven and Coppock grabbed six
- the Defenders converted 26/31 free throws (84%); Nebraska Wesleyan made all four of its free throw attempts
- both Coppock and Lorenzen have scored in double figures in all four games this season
- Carter Glenn led Nebraska Wesleyan with 18 points; Peter Lash contributed 17 points and nine boards
- this was the first game played between the two former GPAC rivals since the 2015-16 season
- Dordt is now 14-19 all-time against the Prairie Wolves
