HOW IT HAPPENED
Dordt got out quickly in its men's basketball game with Dakota Wesleyan on Wednesday night, December 10, establishing control early and never surrendering the lead in a 77–69 win at the De Witt Gymnasium. The Defenders' early defensive energy fueled transition chances, and their half-court efficiency allowed them to build multiple double-digit cushions in the first 10 minutes.
Box Score (PDF)
Jake Proctor powered the opening surge with a pair of layups and a three, while
Connor Millikan and
Steven Poulicek added early scoring to push the lead to 12–2 and later 21–9.
Dordt repeatedly capitalized on stops, ball movement, and inside-out action to generate clean looks. After DWU trimmed the margin, Dordt responded again—closing the half on an 8–5 run fueled by
Judson Henkel's jumper, a
Tom Dobson put-back, and
Proctor's buzzer-beating jumper to take a 40–33 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, Dordt again provided separation as the Defenders stretched the lead to 48–35 and later to 57–48. Dakota Wesleyan countered and trimmed the margin to three at 63–60 with just over nine minutes remaining.
After a Dordt produced a 10–0 run that put the contest out of reach. The surge unfolded with Millikan knocking down two free throws, then finishing a layup while getting fouled. Henkel had a put-back,
Ty Van Essen buried a short jumper, and Proctor capped the run with a layup to make it 73–60. That sequence restored momentum to Dordt, and the Defenders protected the lead over the final minutes with free throws.
THE NUMBERS
- Field Goals: Dordt 30–56 | DWU 29–64
- Three-Pointers: Dordt 8–21 | DWU 3–21
- Free Throws: Dordt 9–12 | DWU 8–11
- Rebounds: Dordt 41 | DWU 26
- Turnovers: Dordt 24 | DWU 15
Dordt Leaders
Double-Digit Scorers
Rebounds
Assists
