No.1 Dordt University rolled past No.5 Briar Cliff 87-54 in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) women's basketball match-up between top-five ranked teams played tonight at the De Witt Gymnasium.
Dordt improved its record to 14-0 in the GPAC, extending its lead to a full three games over second-place Dakota Wesleyan, and 20-0 overall. Briar Cliff had its eight-game win streak snapped and falls to 10-3 in the GPAC, 16-3 overall.
Ellie Lems had a perfect shooting night and led a balanced Defenders scoring attack with 14 points, one shy of matching her career-high.
Janie Van Donge finished one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 13 points to go with nine boards.
Olivia Harazin and
Macy Sievers scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, giving the Defenders four players in double figures.
Willow Bleeker reigned in three three-pointers, all in the second half, for nine points.Â
How It Happened:
- Dordt scored on eight of its first nine possessions as they raced out to an 18-10 lead after a jumper by Olivia Harazin
- following a three-point play by Chargers forward Rachel Langel to make the score 18-13, Macy Sievers scored on back-to-back lay-ups for a 22-13 lead and force a Chargers timeout with 3-minutes left in the first quarter
- Dordt maintained its nine-point lead (26-17) at the end of the first quarter
- the Defenders missed on their first seven field goal attempts and were limited to just three free throws as Briar Cliff cut the hosts lead down to five (29-24) at the 4:28 mark of the second quarter
- Dordt responded with an 11-0 run to close the half, sparked by four consecutive baskets by Ellie Lems and a three-pointer from Brooke Smith, as the Defenders took a 40-24 halftime lead
- a couple of Willow Bleeker three-pointers put Dordt up 50-31 with 5:28 left in the third quarter
- consecutive jumpers by Desta Hoogendoorn and a pair of free throws from Gracie Schoonhoven gave the Defenders their first 20-point lead (59-39)
- Briar Cliff closed the quarter strong with a 7-3 run to trim the Dordt lead to 62-46
- Dordt put the game away with a 13-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter and limited Briar Cliff to one field goal over the first 6-plus minutes of the period
- Janie Van Donge scored four points during the run and Sievers, Harazin and Bleeker all drained a three-pointer during the decisive run
By the Numbers:
- Dordt shot 49% for the game, 63% (19-for-30) in the first and fourth quarter combined
- the Defenders made 8/19 three-point attempts (42%) and converted on 17-of-20 free throw attempts
- Briar Cliff shot 33% for the game, 27% (4/15) from the 3-point arc and 14/18 (78%) from the free throw line
- Dordt outrebounded the Chargers 41-28 and had a 25-15 advantage in points off turnovers
- the Defenders totaled 13 steals and forced BCU into 19 turnovers
- Dordt assisted on 21 of its 31 made field goals
- eight Defenders scored at least seven points
Defender Notes:
- this was the fifth straight game the Defenders held their opponent to 60-points or less
- Dordt held Briar Cliff to well below its scoring average for the season (80ppg)
- this was the 11th time this season the Defenders had 10+ steals
- Dordt has outrebounded its opponent by double-digits in 13 games this season
- this was the ninth game with 20+ assists
- Sievers and Van Donge have scored in double figures in a team-high 18 games
- Harazin has scored in double figures in 12 games
- Lems has scored in double figures in five games
- this was the ninth double-double of the season for Sievers, her fourth combining points / assists
