The Dordt Defenders couldn't overcome 38 percent field goal shooting and Dakota State used multiple scoring bursts to pull away for an 80–68 victory at the Sanford Pentagon on Tuesday night. Dordt fell to 3–3 on the season while the Trojans went to 4-0 this season.
Box Score (PDF)
The opening half featured six lead changes and five ties as Dordt traded baskets behind
Ty Van Essen and
Connor Millikan. Van Essen's early nine points, including a three-pointer and a pair of baskets in the paint, gave the Defenders a 12–8 advantage before Dakota State responded with an 8–2 run to regain control.
Jake Proctor added a pair of first-half jumpers, and Dordt's free-throw accuracy (15-of-16) kept the game tight. The Trojans used a late push capped by Lukas Morgan's jumper and Nathan Ojukwu's layup to take a 43–40 lead at halftime.
Dakota State outscored Dordt 14–4 over the first six minutes to stretch the margin to 57–44. Ojukwu scored 14 second-half points, helping to build a double-digit lead the Defenders couldn't erase. Dordt managed to trim the deficit to six at 66–60 with just over six minutes remaining after a short spurt featuring
Judson Henkel's inside baskets and free throws, but the Trojans quickly answered with back-to-back jumpers by Morgan and Pankonen to restore control.
Dakota State closed the game converting six free throws in the final three minutes while holding Dordt to two field goals over the same span. The Trojans shot 46% from the floor and had a 40–34 rebounding edge, while Dordt finished 4-of-19 from three-point range.
THE NUMBERS
- Field Goals: Dordt 22–58 (37.9%) | Dakota State 29–63 (46.0%)
- Three-Point FG: Dordt 4–19 (21.1%) | Dakota State 5–15 (33.3%)
- Free Throws: Dordt 20–25 (80.0%) | Dakota State 17–25 (68.0%)
- Rebounds: Dordt 34 | Dakota State 40
- Turnovers: Dordt 14 | Dakota State 12
Dordt Statistical Leaders
- Points: Ty Van Essen 16, Judson Henkel 12, Connor Millikan 11, Jake Proctor 9
- Rebounds: Van Essen 7, Millikan 6, Henkel 4
- Assists: Millikan 5, Proctor 2, Hargens 1, Rogosich 1
- Steals: Millikan 2, Proctor 2, Poulicek 2
NEXT
- Dordt will travel to face Mount Marty on Saturday, November 15 at 2pm in Yankton, South Dakota.
