Sioux City, Iowa — Bryce Coppock converted a pair of free throws with under a minute left in leading Dordt to a 74-73 road win against Briar Cliff Tuesday night in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Defenders earned their first conference win (1-2) and push their overall record to 7-3. Briar Cliff drops a game within conference play for the first time this season, falling to 2-1 and 4-5 overall.
Down by one (73-72) with 1:05 left after Briar Cliff guard Jaden Kleinhesselink drained a three pointer, Coppock drew a foul on a strong drive and subsequently made the game-winners from the charity stripe.
Both teams had chances offensively during the final 50+ seconds to either add to their lead (Dordt) or put the game back in their favor (Briar Cliff). After a Dordt stop and timeout, Briar Cliff committed a foul and sent the Defenders to the free throw line once again for a 1-and-1. The Defenders failed to convert but the Chargers missed on three chances for the game-winner in the closing seconds.
Coppock had the hot-hand from the perimeter, making good on 3-of-5 three-pointers, en route to a 22-point effort. Jacob Vis shared game-high honors with Coppock, scoring 22 to go with nine rebounds. Jackson Louscher added 11 points and four rebounds.
The Defenders return home this weekend when they host both Oak Hills Christian (MInn.) and Peru State (Neb.) in their annual Thanksgiving Classic.
