The sixth-ranked Dordt University men's basketball team showcased all its firepower with an impressive 90-58 win against Dickinson State (N.D.) in a first round match-up of the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship, Sioux Center Bracket played this afternoon at the De Witt Gym.
Dordt, the top seed in the 4-team bracket and No.2 seed overall in the Liston Quadrant, advances to Saturday's second round with a 28-3 record. The Defenders will play #23 Oklahoma Wesleyan, who beat Mid-America Christian (Okla.) in its first round game, with the winner advancing to play in the round of 16 in Kansas City, Mo. next week.
Lucas Lorenzen poured in a game-high 24 points and collected 11 rebounds to pace the Defenders potent offensive attack.
Connor Millikan made all three of his three-point attempts en route to a 22-point effort, three shy of matching his season-high, and
Jake Hargens provided the spark off the bench, scoring a career-high 17 points to go with six rebounds.
Playing in their fourth straight NAIA Championship First round match-up but the first on their home court, the Defenders electrified the partisan crowd with a 13-3 run to start the game and never trailed against their North Dakota opponent. Millikan and Lorenzen both converted on a three-point attempt in the opening minutes and Hargens finished off the fast start with a transition bucket at the 13:07 mark.
Dordt extended its lead moments later to 17-5 after another Hargens lay-up and then the teams traded baskets over the final 10-minutes as the Defenders led 41-29 at the break.
Dickinson State made its best run of the game at the start of the second half as they outscored the hosts 8-4 to cut the lead down to eight (45-37) after a lay-up by Cordell Stewart. Dordt responded with a decisive 19-0 run to put the game away, fueled by Lorenzen (8pts) and Hargens (6pts) who accounted for 14 points over the six-minute span. The Defenders never let the lead get below 20 over the final 11 minutes and went ahead by 30-plus on a three-point play by Millikan with 5:36 left.
Trey Stevens led Dickinson State with 19 points and collected seven rebounds while John Evans netted 15 points.
The Numbers:
- Dordt shot 48% for the game and matched its season-best (50%) from the 3-point line (7/14)
- the Defenders were equally effective from the charity stripe, going 15-for-18 from the free throw line
- Dordt held the edge on the boards (48-35) and committed just seven turnovers compared to 15 by Dickinson State
- Dicksinson State shot 37% for the game, 33% (10/30) from the arc, and struggled (4/14) to 29% from the free throw line
Defender Notes:
- Dordt is now 2-2 in first round games of the NAIA Championship
- 2022 - lost to IU Kokomo
- 2023 - def. Bethel (Ind.)
- 2024 - lost to Madonna (Mich.)
- the Defenders 28 wins is the most in the seven-year tenure of Head Coach Brian Van Haaften and is tied for the second most wins for a single season in program history
- 2011-12: 30-5
- 2012-13: 28-7, 2013-14: 28-6
- Dordt advances to play in the second round for the second time in three years, losing to Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in 2023
- the Defenders are playing in their ninth NAIA National Championship tournament and fifth with the NAIA being one division
- Luke Rankin moved into 23rd place on the career scoring chart, passing Kyle Van Arendonk (2000-04) and Jerry Vander Pol (1975-79)
- Bryce Coppock moved into a tie for 18th place with Rog Walstra (1968-71) in career rebounds (577)
- Lucas Lorenzen has scored in double figures in a team-leading 29 games this season
