For the fourth time in five years the Dordt Defender women's basketball team will finish their season in Sioux City, advancing the final site of the NAIA National Championship with an 82-66 win over the Mayville State Comets. The game was played Wednesday night, March 8 at the De Witt Gym in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The Defenders were slow out of the gate with and trailed 11-2 with 6:31 left in the first quarter. A Janie Schoonhoven basket started a 10-0 Dordt run that ended at the 4:39 mark with a Karly Gustafson bucket and Dordt never trailed again.  Mayville State managed to get back to ties at 12-12 and 14-14 but the Defenders got another basket by Gustafson pushed the lead to 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.

A free throw line jump shot by Eliana Kuperus and a Macey Nielson three-point basket gave Dordt some breathing room with a 23-15 lead but Mayville State came back and scored on two straight possessions to get within 25-22. Another Nielson three and a Kuperus put back pushed it to eight and the lead became 45-27 with 3:25 left in the half after Nielson's fourth three of the game and Dordt settled for a 49-34 halftime lead.

Mayville State whittled away at a 19-point cushion that Dordt took  and had it down to 59-49 with 3:07 left in the half but a pair of Bailey Beckman baskets  and a Macy Sievers three-point bucket helped Dordt to a 67-53 lead. Beckman scored all 10 of her points in the third quarter.

After the teams traded baskets to start the fourth quarter the Defenders pushed the difference to 76-58 and the Comets didn't have an answer as Dordt went on to win 82-66.

THE NUMBERS

• Dordt was 31-52 from the field and 7-13 from the arc for 60 percent success overall and 54 percent from long distance.
• Dordt had a 38-24 rebounding advantage and the Defenders had 15 turnovers while the visitors had 12.
• Karly Gustafson had 24 points and three rebounds while converting 9-14 field goals.
• Janie Schoonhoven had 14 points and seven rebounds and Macey Nielson scored 14 on 4-5 three-point shooting.
• Bailey Beckman accounted for 10 points and Macy Sievers had seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.
• Faith Van Holland added seven points and had a team high eight rebounds.
• Dordt is 30-3 while Mayville State ends the season with a 24-6 record.

NEXT

Dordt will face Montana Western on Tuesday, March 14 at 8:00 pm in Sioux City, Iowa in the NAIA National Championship Round of 16.
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