Dordt battled early and stayed within striking distance for much of the first half, but Northwestern used a hot shooting performance and several scoring runs to pull away for a 105–86 victory on Tuesday night at the Bultman Center.
Box Score (PDF)
The Defenders traded baskets early, answering Northwestern's opening three with a
Connor Millikan triple before using a pair of
Jake Proctor three-pointers and a
Ty Van Essen deep ball to build a 16–13 edge at the 15:09 mark. The game featured several ties and lead changes over the next five minutes as
Judson Henkel and Millikan combined for interior scores to keep Dordt in front 20–18 midway through the half. Northwestern responded with a 9–2 run, sparked by consecutive Jalen Langsy three-pointers, to regain the lead. Dordt countered late in the half behind Millikan jumpers and second-chance points from Henkel, trimming the deficit to single digits, but a late flurry of perimeter shooting allowed the Red Raiders to carry a 51–45 advantage into halftime.
Northwestern opened the second half with a decisive surge, using a 15–4 run fueled by Langsy three-pointers and transition finishes to stretch the margin beyond 20. Dordt briefly slowed the momentum as Van Essen converted inside and Millikan knocked down a three to cap a short 7–2 response, but Northwestern answered immediately with another scoring burst, pushing the lead to its largest of the night. Dordt continued to compete offensively, with Proctor, Henkel, and
Steven Poulicek each connecting from the field in the final 10 minutes, but the Red Raiders' shooting efficiency prevented any sustained comeback attempt.
Millikan led a balanced Dordt scoring effort with 20 points, while Henkel recorded a double-double to anchor the Defenders on the glass.
THE NUMBERS
- Field Goals: Dordt 32-71 (45.1%) | Northwestern 36-61 (59.0%)
- Field Goal Percentage: Dordt 45.1% | Northwestern 59.0%
- Three-Point Field Goals: Dordt 10-26 (38.5%) | Northwestern 17-30 (56.7%)
- Rebounds: Dordt 37 | Northwestern 28
- Turnovers: Dordt 8 | Northwestern 4
Dordt Leaders
