The Dordt Defender women's basketball team earned its third straight trip to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa with a 73-48 second round win over St. Francis (Illinois) on Saturday night in the De Witt Gym. Dordt had a 19-point lead at halftime and maintained control in the second half for its 31^st win of the season.

Box Score (PDF)

Back to back three-point baskets started the scoring for Dordt and the Defenders never trailed the rest of the game. A third three-point basket by Bleeker extended the lead to 11-4. The visitors got the lead down to 13-11 and 15-13 before a Macy Sievers basket started a 5-0 run to close the period for a  20-13 lead.

The Saints managed to cut the lead down to 22-19 with 6:57 left in the half but it was Bleeker hitting her fourth three-point basket of the half to start a 9-0 run and Dordt closed the half on a 22-6 run for a 44-25 halftime edge. St. Francis got no closer than 16 in the third quarter and Desta Hoogendoorn's basket pushed Dordt to a 58-38 lead entering the fourth quarter.  Dordt controlled the fourth quarter and led by as many as 27 before settling for a 25-point win.

Janie Van Donge became the all-time leading rebounder in Dordt program history surpassing Karly Gustafson's 1,099 career rebounds and now has 1,105.

Dordt will play in the Round of 16 in Sioux City on Thursday, March 20 at 6:00 pm against Langston or Dakota Wesleyan. Langston and Dakota Wesleyan play on Sunday, March 16 after their bracket was delayed by a day due wildfires near the Langston campus on Friday.

THE NUMBERS
St. Francis | 18-53 fg | 4-15 3pt fg | 8-11 ft | 24 rebs | 17 to
Dordt | 29-55 fg | 8-16 3pt ft | 7-9 ft | 39 rebs | 15 to

Dordt Leaders
Willow Bleeker | 18 pts | 3 rebs | 6-9 3pt fg
Gracie Schoonhoven | 14 pts | 5 rebs  | 3 ast
Janie Van Donge | 10 pts | 10 rebs
Olivia Harazin | 10 pts | 3 rebs
Macy Sievers | 10 ast

St. Francis Leaders
Tykara Harrison | 13 pts | 5 rebs
Le'Lani Harris | 9 pts
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