Box Score The No.1 Dordt University women's basketball team lost in overtime to No.16 Dakota Wesleyan 76-66 in the final game of the regular season for both teams played today at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.

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The Defenders end the regular season with a 20-2 conference record, 26-2 overall, and are the No.1 seed in the upcoming Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) postseason tournament. Dordt won its third straight GPAC regular season title and secured an automatic bid into the NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.

Dakota Wesleyan ends the regular season tied with Briar Cliff for second place in the GPAC regular season with an 18-4 record, 23-5 overall. 

How It Happened: 

• The Defenders raced out to an 8-2 lead after a couple of baskets by Ellie Lems, a jumper by Olivia Harazin and free throws from Gracie Schoonhoven
• a couple of Macy Sievers three-pointers put Dordt in front 18-15 before DWU's Avery Broughton converted two free throws at the close of the quarter to make the score 18-17
• Dakota Wesleyan began the second quarter by scoring the first five points and led 26-23 after a lay-up by Avery Orth with 6:30 left in the first half
• the Defenders responded with its best run of the game, outscoring the hosts 11-0 over a four-minute stretch for a 34-26 lead
  • five different players scored during the Defenders run, a surge that ended with another Sievers three-pointer
• Dordt held a nine-point advantage (41-32) at the half
• consecutive baskets by Lems and Sievers put the Defenders up by 11 (45-34) early in the second half
• DWU, however, held Dordt scoreless for the final 8-plus minutes and outscored the Defenders 13-0 for a 47-45 lead by quarters end
  • Dordt shot 13% (2/15) in the third quarter and 0-4 from the free throw line
• the host Tigers continued their run into the fourth quarter, scoring the first six points for a 53-45 advantage following a basket by Rylee Rosenquiest with 5:18 left
• a free throw by Gracie Schoonhoven broke the Defenders scoring drought and 10 straight points scored by Sievers brought her team back to tie the game at 56 with 3:07 left
• both teams went scoreless on their next offensive possessions until Janie Van Donge scored in the paint for a 58-56 lead
• the teams traded making 1-of-2 free throws, and, with Dordt leading 59-57, Dakota Wesleyan sent the game into overtime with a basket by Rosenquist with 14 seconds left
• Dakota Wesleyan scored the first six points of the overtime period and Dordt never got closer than six points over the final two minutes

By the Numbers:

• Dordt shot a season-low 35% for the game and just 24% in the second half and overtime period
• the Defenders shot 37% (7/19) from beyond the arc but a season-low 48% (11/23) from the free throw line
• Dakota Wesleyan shot 50% from the field despite going 0/9 from the three-point arc
• the Tigers converted 24-of-34 free throw attempts and held a bid edge (41-25) on the boards
• Macy Sievers led the Defenders with 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists
• Rylee Rosenquist scored a game-high 25 points and led all players with 13 rebounds
• Avery Broughton and Shalayne Nagel were also in double figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively