The Dordt Defender men’s basketball team earned a hard fought nine point win in overtime on Wednesday night to get back to ten games over .500 for the season and stay in a fourth place tie in the GPAC with three games remaining.
The Defenders led much of the first half, building a seven point lead at one point but only taking a 31-29 lead into the halftime break. Dordt controlled the early going of the second half and held a 43-36 lead when Camden Bialas knocked down a shot for a nine point lead with 11:31 left in the game.
The Defenders built on the lead and seemed to have the game in hand when Bryce Coppock converted a basket with 6:19 left in the game for a 56-45 lead, Dordt’s largest lead of the night. The Lancers proceeded to score 10 of the next 11 points through the 3:06 mark and had the difference down to 57-55. A pair of Coppock free throws made it 59-55 and a Jackson Louscher three-point shot with 1:56 kept the lead at five for Dordt.
Back to back baskets by Mount Marty around a Dordt turnover got it back to 62-61 and the Defenders missed a shot with :20 left to extend the lead. Mount Marty’s Tyrell Harper eventually got fouled on a drive in the lane and made one of two free throws with :05 left and sent the game to overtime.
Dordt never trailed in the overtime and scored 10 unanswered points in one stretch and won by the 76-67 final.
THE NUMBERS:
Bryce Coppock scored 27 points and was 4-6 from the arc and had eight rebounds with four assists and four steals.
Cade Bleeker scored 12 before fouling out late in regulation and Jackson Louscher added nine points and four rebounds.
Camden Bialas had eight points and seven rebounds and Josh Baugher had a season high seven points with eight rebounds.
Dordt converted 27-67 from the field and 7-19 three-point shots and had a 46-45 rebounding advantage.
Mount Marty was 26-69 from the field and 9-33 from the three-point line. Tyrell Harper and Allen Wilson each scored 14 in the loss.
Dordt is 18-8 overall and 10-7 in the league while Mount Marty is 7-20 and 3-15.
