SCORE
Dordt def. Concordia 79-71
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dordt Defender women's basketball team won the program's first GPAC Postseason Tournament title with a come from behind win over Concordia on Tuesday night, March 5 at the De Witt Gym in Sioux Center, Iowa. Dordt pulled away late to secure a 79-71 win for its 29
th win in 31 games.
Concordia started the game converting 67 percent of its field goals in the first quarter and built a 29-16 lead after Abby Krieser started the game with 15 straight points for the Bulldogs.
Dordt neutralized the momentum and crawled back to within 36-31 with 2:28 left to go in the half on a
Janie Schoonhoven three-point play. An 7-0 run by Concordia followed but Liv Harazin beat the halftime buzzer to make it 43-33 at halftime.
Concordia scored the first points of the second half and then neither team could find the bucket with
Janie Schoonhoven stopping the four minute drought with a basket. Dordt's comeback started from there and
Macy Sievers's basket with 2:26 left in the third got the hosts within 49-46.
Concordia managed to get  the lead back up to 54-48 at the quarter break and an early basket extended the lead to eight points early in the fourth. With 7:49 remaining in the game Dordt was still down 61-55. Schoonhoven got a basket and after a turnover
Karly Gustafson made one of two free throws. After a Concordia miss Schoonhoven got a putback and was fouled and tied the game 61-61 with 6:31 left in the game. The teams traded baskets and Dordt eventually got back to back baskets by Sievers and Liv Harazin. Harazin's basket came off a turnover and the Defenders never trailed again.
After a tie the Defenders got a Beckman layup and a Gustafson basket extended the lead to four and Concordia never had the ball again with a chance to tie or take the lead and Dordt extended the lead to as many as 10 before settling for the 79-71 win.
THE NUMBERS
- Dordt was 31-65 from the field and 15-18 from the free throw line. Dordt was 2-17 from the three-point line.
- Concordia was 27-56 from the field and 8-10 from the three-point line while converting 9-23 three-point shots. Concordia was 2-11 from the three-point line after starting the game 7-12 in the first quarter.
- Dordt committed eight turnovers to 12 for Concordia.
- Dordt had a 40-23 rebounding edge.
- Dordt Leaders
- Concordia Leaders
- Kendal Brigham: 21 pts | 6 rebs
- Abby Krieser: 19 ptsÂ
- Taysha Rushton: 10 pts
- Sadie Powell: 10 pts | 6 rebs
NEXT
Dordt will host NAIA National Championship first and second round play on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16.
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