The Dordt Defender men's basketball team concluded the 2024-25 regular season with a 77-74 win in Mitchell, South Dakota over Dakota Wesleyan to finish Great Plains Athletic Conference play.

Box Score (PDF)

A Ty Van Essen three-point basket midway through the first half gave Dordt its biggest lead of the game at 21-8  and Dodt still had a 12 point lead after Lucas Lorenzen converted a jump shot with 6:45 remaining in the half for a 30-18 score. Dordt maintained that lead but surrendered a 13-point run from the 4:15 mark to the 2:04 mark but the Defenders were able to regroup and led 39-35 after Luke Rankin floated in a buzzer beater at the break.

Dordt trailed once in the second half at 53-52 but Tyler Prins's tip-in of a missed shot gave the visitors the lead back and they never trailed again.  A Lucas Lorenzen basket pushed the lead from two to five and Connor Millikan's three-point shot expanded the lead to 69-61 with 5:44 left in the game.  Bryce Coppock's basket with 2:25 remaining got the difference up to nine and the Defenders held on as the Tigers closed to within two but never had the ball with a chance to take the lead and a three-pointer by the Tigers at the buzzer made the final 77-74.

Dordt concludes the regular season with a 26-2 record and an 18-2 GPAC mark and the regular season title. Dakota Wesleyan finishes the regular season with a 20-8 mark and a 13-7 record in the league.

Dordt will host Mount Marty on Wednesday night, February 26 at 8pm in the GPAC Quarterfinals.

THE NUMBERS
Dordt | 31-57 FG | 9-20 3PT FG | 6-8 FT | 24 REB | 10 TO
Dakota Wesleyan 27-55 FG | 7-16 3PT FG | 13-16 FT | 29 REB | 12 TO

Dordt Leaders
Bryce Coppock | 21 pts | 4 rebs
Lucas Lorenzen | 16 pts | 4 rebs | 2 ast
Ty Van Essen | 12 pts
Luke Rankin | 8 pts | 6 ast | 3 stls

Dakota Wesleyan Leaders
Tampa Scott IV | 24 pts | 5 rebs
Jakob Dobney | 23 pts | 4 rebs
Samuel Aslesen | 12 pts
  Read Full Article