The Dordt Defender men's basketball kept pace in the GPAC race with a 74-71 win at Concordia on Saturday afternoon to improve to 19-5 overall and 11-5 in the conference with four games remaining.
 
Dordt started slowly and trailed 32-21 with 5:15 left in the first half. Lucas Lorenzen converted a lay up and Bryce Coppock followed with a basket to get within seven. Jackson Louscher followed with a basket at the 2:28 mark and Luke Rankin's jump shot made it an 8-0 run to get Dordt within striking distance and  converted a couple free throws and the half ended with Dordt trailing 37-33.

Dordt continued the rally with a Jacob Vis basket tying the game at 41-41 with 16:04 left in the game and Bryce Coppock's three-point shot put Dordt up for good at 44-41. Dordt eventually built the lead to eight but the Bulldogs charged back to within three on two occasions, the last at 62-59. Dordt extended the lead all the way to 72-61 as Vis and Louscher had back to back baskets at 4:02 and 3:35 left in the game.

The Bulldogs had just enough time for a run and got it to 74-71 with 1:00 left in the game.  Dordt was unable to convert on its possession allowing Concordia a final possession to tie the game with :22 left. After the Bulldogs got three chances from the arc, the final an unmolested shot from the top of the key that was off the mark at the horn.

THE NUMBERS

• Dordt was 29-59 from the field and 4-24 from the arc while making all 12 of its free throws.
• Concordia was 25-62 and 11-26 from the field and three-point line and the Bulldogs were 10-15 from the free throw line.
• Concordia had a 35-34 rebounding edge.
• Bryce Coppock and Jacob Vis each had 18 points and Vis had five rebounds.
• Luke Rankin had 15 points and four rebounds and Lucas Lorenzen scored 11 points with seven rebounds.
• Dordt is 19-5 overall and 11-15 in the GPAC and remain in a tie for second with four games to play. Concordia is 15-10 overall and 9-8 in the league.

NEXT

Dordt will host Mount Marty on Wednesday, February 8.
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