SCORE
Dordt def. Dakota Wesleyan 69-59
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dordt Defender women's basketball team closed the Great Plains Athletic Conference Semifinals with Dakota Wesleyan on an 11-0 run to defeat the Tigers 69-59 on Saturday afternoon, March 2 in Sioux Center, Iowa. Â The Defenders advance to the finals for the second year in a row and will host Concordia on Tuesday night, March 5 at 7:00 pm.
Dordt started the game with an 8-2 run with
Karly Gustafson scoring on a couple mid-range jumpers and Dordt snared an 11 point lead on another Gustafson basket with 4:20 left in the quarter. Unity managed to take a 20-11 lead at the end of the period as Gustafson scored her 11
th and 12
th points on a pair of late free throws.
Dordt was up 24-14 after an
Eliana Kuperus basket but Wesleyan got back to back baskets, the second on a steal and basket and Rylee Rosenquist added a basket at the 7:52 mark of the half. Dakota Wesleyan got as close as 30-28 at the 2:30 mark but a
Macy Sievers, Dordt's first of the half with :32 left made it 33-28 at halftime.
Wesleyan rallied in the second half to tie it at 35-35 and took its first lead of the game at the 6:15 mark on a Lacey Sprakel basket. The lead changed hands four times over the final four minutes of the period and an Emma Yost basket with :42 left made it 51-48 entering the fourth quarter.
A
Faith Van Holland three-point basket opened the fourth quarter and
Janie Schoonhoven followed with a two-point basket. Wesleyan answered with another 5-0 run and was up 59-58 with 4:53 left in the game.
Eliana Kuperus's three-point play put Dordt up 61-59 and a basket by
Karly Gustafson followed by two free throws extended the lead. Schoonhoven had another three-point play and
Macy Sievers knocked down a free throw to end the scoring. Gustafson's basket pushed her past Erika Feenstra for the all-time scoring record at Dordt.
THE NUMBERS
- Dordt was 22-50 from the field and 4-13 from the arc with 21-23 success from the free throw line.
- Dakota Wesleyan was 22-59 from the field and made 9-20 three-point shots and the Tigers made 6-10 free throws.
- Dordt had a 38-27 rebounding advantage but committed 17 turnovers to 13 for Dakota Wesleyan.
- Wesleyan 8-15 three-point shots after the first quarter.
- Dordt is 28-2 and Dakota Wesleyan is 20-9.
- Dordt Leaders
- Dakota Wesleyan Leaders
- Morgan Edelman: 18 pts | 6 rebs
- Mya Wilson: 11 pts
- Shalayne Nagel: 10 pts | 4 rebs
NEXT
Dordt will host Concordia at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, March 5 in the GPAC Championship.
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