The Dordt University men's basketball team used a strong second-half performance to pull away from Waldorf for a 90-74 Great Plains Athletic Conference road victory Tuesday night in Forest City, Iowa.
Box Score (PDF)
The Defenders trailed 44-43 at halftime but outscored Waldorf 47-30 over the final 20 minutes to earn the 16-point win. Dordt improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in GPAC play.
Dordt took control early in the second half with a decisive 14-2 run that turned its one-point deficit into a 57-46 lead with 14:44 remaining.
Connor Millikan started the surge with a three-pointer to put the Defenders back in front.
Reed Friesen followed with a basket and free throw, and Millikan converted a Waldorf turnover into a layup.
Landon De Stigter and Millikan added baskets before
Brayden Beckering scored on an offensive rebound and
Judson Henkel finished a pass from Millikan.
The Defenders continued to build their advantage by creating turnovers and taking advantage of second-chance opportunities. Millikan recorded another steal that led to a
Steven Poulicek layup, while
Dylon Schaap added a basket after an offensive rebound. Millikan also converted two free throws, and Beckering added two more at the line as Dordt extended its lead.
The biggest stretch came with Dordt holding a 65-54 advantage. Millikan came up with a steal, and De Stigter knocked down a three-pointer to make it 68-54. After another Waldorf turnover, Millikan connected from beyond the arc to push the lead to 71-54 with 9:53 remaining. Waldorf briefly trimmed the margin, but Dordt answered with free throws from Millikan and a Poulicek layup to restore a 75-59 advantage.
Dordt's defensive effort was a major part of the second-half separation. Waldorf shot just 31.4 percent from the field and made only 2-of-15 three-point attempts after halftime. Dordt shot 47.1 percent from the field in the second half and converted 90.9 percent of its free throws.
The Defenders finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field, including 10-of-24 from three-point range. Dordt also held a 41-26 advantage in rebounding, scored 40 points in the paint and had a 27-8 edge in bench scoring. The Defenders turned 14 Waldorf turnovers into 21 points and added 10 second-chance points.
Dordt takes a 2-0 record into its game with Friends (Kansas) at Orange City, Iowa on Friday afternoon, November 6.Â
Dordt Leaders
Team Stat Comparison
| Category |
Dordt |
Waldorf |
| Points |
90 |
74 |
| Field goals |
32-64 |
26-67 |
| Field goal percentage |
50.0% |
38.8% |
| 3-point field goals |
10-24 |
8-32 |
| 3-point percentage |
41.7% |
25.0% |
| Free throws |
16-19 |
14-16 |
| Free throw percentage |
84.2% |
87.5% |
| Rebounds |
41 |
26 |
| Assists |
19 |
11 |
| Turnovers |
19 |
14 |
