The Dordt Defenders looked to earn a win in their first home game of the season, but Briar Cliff was victorious in the matchup, moving to 6-0 in the early season.
After Dordt took the lead to start the first quarter, Briar Cliff kept the score even for most of the opening 10 minutes. Four minutes in, Bailey Beckman scored her 6th point of 21 total to tie the score at 10. Erika Feenstra scored a three for the next points for the Defenders, and added a couple of free throws to give Dordt a 15-12 lead. The scoring continued through the rest of the quarter, giving Briar Cliff a 22-20 lead with a last-second three from Briar Cliff’s Konnor Sudmann.
The Chargers started to gain distance between themselves and the Defenders, stretching the lead to 7 off of a fast break layup. Dordt brought themselves back into the scoring column, though, as the Defenders made up for the 9-2 Briar Cliff run. Mya Chmielewski’s layup in transition gave Dordt a 35-32 lead. Dordt maintained the lead with 4 made free throws by Bailey Beckman and Jordyn Winterfeld, giving Dordt a 42-38 lead at the half.
Dordt held the lead through much of the third quarter, but an 9-1 Briar Cliff run finished off by Mya Hendry’s made free throw brought the visiting team up by 2 with two minutes to go.
Riley Van Hulzen gave the Defenders the lead, which was answered by Konnor Sudmann’s bucket in the paint. Dordt had one last chance to make a run late in the fourth, but two second chance opportunities in the closing minutes gave Briar Cliff a 10-point lead with a minute to go.
Dordt is now 2-4 and Briar Cliff is 6-0
The Defenders have a road matchup with the Morningside Mustangs after the break. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm in Sioux City, Iowa.
