Dordt women advance to NAIA title game Tuesday with huge comeback in Sioux City
Defenders take 34-2 record into Tuesday’s championship game
SIOUX CITY, IA (Dakota News Now) -The Dordt Defenders have been ranked #1 for much of the year in women’s basketball in the NAIA. And they showed why Monday night at the Tyson Event Center with a stirring comeback against the Cumberlands Patriots.
The 3rd ranked team built a 14 point lead in the first half before Dordt stormed back. tying the game at half-time on a Macey Sievers basket as time expired.
Bailey Beckman took over after intermission, ending with 28 points as Dordt built a 20 point lead that got dangerously close at the end. But The top-ranked team pulled away for an 83-73 victory, improving to 34-2. Janie Schoonhoven added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Afterwards they talked about what changed at the break.
Dordt Senior Guard Bailey Beckman says, “Coach told us that we needed to start rebounding and that’s exactly what we started doing and then he also told us that we needed to stop the straight line drives and square up on our defense and once we do that we started doing that can get out on transition. It was energizing just to hear the uproar of the crowd really pushes our team.
Dordt WBB Coach Bill Harmsen says, “Tomorrow has just got to be shear enjoyment. It’s just got to be shear joy. We get another day at practice. We get another day to compete and we’re playing on the last night in the NAIA. And what a blessed team, what a blessed program.”
Dordt will play 2nd-ranked Providence of Montana in the title game Tuesday night at 7:00.
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