Post Game Interview With Bill Harmsen
Box Score (PDF)
No.1 Dordt University held off a late rally from 17th-ranked Langston (Okla.) to earn a rugged 55-51 win over the Lions in a round of 16 match-up at the 2025 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship played this afternoon in Sioux City, Iowa. The 2025 championship event is being played at the Tyson Events Center.
The Defenders improve to 32-2 on the season and will play either Cumberlands (Ky.) or Marian (Ind.) in the quarterfinals on Saturday, March 22.
Macy Sievers accounted for a team-high 17 points, collected eight rebounds and dished out six assists in nearly 40 full minutes of action.
Gracie Schoonhoven added 11 points and seven boards while both
Willow Bleeker and
Olivia Harazin scored nine.
Janie Van Donge matched her season-high with 15 rebounds and scored eight points.
Down by one (31-30), Dordt closed the third quarter on an 11-3 run to take a 41-34 lead into the fourth quarter. Schoonhoven began the decisive run with a jumper and both Sievers and Bleeker knocked down a three-pointer during the Defenders surge.
The Defenders pushed their lead to 11(50-39), the largest for either team, after Bleeker converted her third and final three-pointer at the 6:05 mark. Langston, however, held Dordt without a field goal over the final six minutes and trimmed the lead down to four with two minutes left on a basket by Mikayla Woods. The Defenders secured the win by making 5-of-6 free throws, led by Sievers who made all four of her attempts during the final two-plus minutes.
Diamond Richardson scored a game-high 20 points and was one of two Langston players to score in double figures. Woods added 13 points to go with 14 rebounds and two assists.
A three-point play by Schoonhoven just before time expired put the Defenders in front 16-14 after the first quarter. Langston responded with its best run, outscoring the Defenders 8-1 over a four-minute stretch, to take its largest lead (22-17) at the 6:03 mark of the second quarter.
Following the media timeout, Bleeker drained her first three-pointer of the game and started an 11-0 Defenders run over the final six minutes of the half to give the No.1 seed a 28-22 lead. Dordt held Langston scoreless, going 0/10 from the field, over the final six minutes.
By the Numbers:
- Dordt was held to a season-low 34% from the field; Langston shot 40% from the floor
- both teams made five three-pointers; Dordt was 5/15 from beyond the arc (33%), Langston 5/20 (25%)
- Dordt shot well from the free throw line, making 14 of its 17 attempts (82%); Langston went 6/13 from the free throw line (46%)
- the Defenders outrebounded Langston 38-32 for the game, including a +10 advantage in the second half
- Dordt committed 20 turnovers compared to 22 by Langston
Defender Notes:
- this was the first ever match-up between Dordt and Langston
- Dordt improves its record to 16-3 at the national championship tournament
- the Defenders advance to the quarterfinal round for the third time in program history
- Sievers has scored in double figures in a team-leading 29 games this season
- Schoonhoven scored in double figures for the 15th time this season
- Bleeker has made a three-pointer in 24 consecutive games
- Bleeker has made a school record 87 three-pointers this season
- Van Donge pulled down double digit rebounds for the 20th time this season
- the 55 points scored is a season-low; 61 was the previous low (vs Briar Cliff on Dec.11)
