Dordt's second-half surge came up just short Friday night as the Defenders fell 78–75 on the road to Friends University in a tightly contested non-conference matchup at Wilson Field House in Ottawa, Kansas.
Box Score (PDF)
Friends jumped out early with efficient shooting from the perimeter, using a pair of three-pointers by Randy Woolf Jr. and inside scoring from Collin Maclin to take control. Dordt got steady production from
Ty Van Essen, who connected from long range, and
Jake Hargens, who converted a pair of baskets in the paint to keep the Defenders close at 10–9. Friends went on a 10–2 run midway through the half, sparked by Eli Benning's quick hands on defense that led to two transition layups. Dordt's offense regained rhythm late in the half —
Judson Henkel scored twice in traffic and
Connor Millikan buried a corner three as the Defenders trimmed the deficit to 30–25 heading into the break.
Dordt got rolling in the second half as Henkel opened with three straight scores, including a short jumper, and Hargens followed with a three-pointer to give Dordt its first lead at 39–38. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes — Millikan hit from deep to make it 47–46 Dordt, but Friends answered behind Woolf's hot shooting from beyond the arc.
Jake Proctor gave Dordt another boost, hitting consecutive threes to cap a 10–2 run that pushed the Defenders ahead 63–57 with just under eight minutes remaining.
Friends rallied with a decisive 9–0 run fueled by Maclin and Benning. Dordt clawed back to tie it at 72–72 after Van Essen hit free throws, and Henkel tied it again at 75-75 but Woolf delivered the dagger for the Falcons — a wing-three with less than five seconds remaining and Dordt's final possession didn't convert.
THE NUMBERS
- Field Goals: Dordt 28–58 (48.3%) | Friends 32–75 (42.7%)
- 3-Point Field Goals: Dordt 7–21 (33.3%) | Friends 9–23 (39.1%)
- Free Throws: Dordt 12–19 (63.2%) | Friends 5–14 (35.7%)
- Rebounds: Dordt 46 (13 offensive) | Friends 35 (15 offensive)
- Turnovers: Dordt 23 | Friends 10
Top Dordt Performers
NEXT
Dordt will face Ottawa at 2pm on Saturday. The Defenders are now 2-2.
