No.1 ranked Dordt University forced a turnover on the game's final possession to hold off a late comeback and defeat No.9 Briar Cliff 61-60 in a GPAC women's basketball showdown between top 10 teams played tonight at the Newman Flanagan Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
With nine seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Defenders leading by one (61-60), Briar Cliff gained possession after a Dordt missed three-point attempt and called timeout to advance the basketball to mid-court. The Chargers passed to Adrianna Webster in the high post, who drove down the lane but had the ball stolen by
Janie Van Donge to secure the Dordt win.
Macy Sievers lit up the stat sheet with 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists and became the Defenders career assists leader when she found
Ellie Lems underneath the Defenders basket for a lay-up mid-way into the third quarter. Sievers pushed her career total to 515 and passed Kate DuMez, who finished her four-year career (2006-10) with 514 assists, for No.1 all-time.
- Sievers Sets the Career Assists Record:
Van Donge added 16 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds, recording her ninth double-double of the season, while
Desta Hoogendoorn netted 11 points and seven boards.
How It Happened:
- Dordt closed the first quarter with its best run of the game, outscoring BCU 18-5 over the final seven minutes, to take a 23-11 lead
- Hoogendoorn contributed eight points, scoring on four consecutive Defenders possessions
- a Van Donge basket on Dordt's opening possession of the second quarter gave the visitors their largest lead (25-11)
- Briar Cliff managed to cut the lead down to 33-26 by intermission, limiting the Defenders to just three field goals (3/11) in the second quarter
- the Chargers made it a three-point game early in the third only to have Dordt build its lead back up to 11 (43-32) following an 8-0 run capped by two free throws by Willow Bleeker
- up 49-42 at the start of the fourth quarter, Dordt was outscored 10-3 over the first five minutes as Briar Cliff tied the game at 52
- the Defenders were held to just one basket, a three-point play by Sievers, during this time
- still tied later at 54, Van Donge gave the Defenders the lead for good with a three-point play
- a floater by Sievers and a put-back by Hoogendoorn with 2:55 left were the final points scored by Dordt as they led 61-56
- baskets by Grace Flanagan and Mallie McNair brought the Chargers within one (61-60) with 1:39 left
- both teams failed to score on their next two possessions
By the Numbers:
- Dordt shot 45% for the game and was held to its lowest point total of the season
- the Defenders were 1/8 (13%) from the arc, 10/13 (77%) from the free throw line
- Briar Cliff shot 38% from the field, 0-11 from the 3-point arc; 6/10 from the free throw line
- Dordt held a +10 advantage on the boards (39-29)
- the Defenders committed 23 turnovers compared to six by Briar Cliff
- Webster led the Chargers with 21 points, followed by Kennedy Benne (12) and McNair (11)
Defender Notes:
- Dordt has held opponents to 65-points or less six times this season
- the Defenders have shot better from the field than their opponents in every game this season
- Dordt has out-rebounded its opponents in all but one game this season
- Van Donge has scored in double figures in every game this season
- Van Donge leads the team with nine double-doubles
- Sievers has scored in double figures in nine games
- Hoogendoorn has scored in double figures in three games
