Sioux Center, Iowa — Ranked teams meet up Tuesday night as (RV) Dordt University hosts No.13 Dakota State for the Defenders’ home opener.
Ranked 13th in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll, Dakota State is off to a 3-1 start to the 2021-22 season. They opened with wins over two GPAC teams, Briar Cliff and Mount Marty, before losing to 19th-ranked Clarke (Iowa) on the road last weekend, 85-68. DSU responded with a convincing 97-52 win against William Penn the next day on a neutral floor.
The Defenders are 1-1 this season, going on the road to defeat Presentation (S.D.) in the season opener (75-61) but falling to Grand View (Iowa) last time out, 82-66, in Des Moines. Tied at 37 at halftime, Dordt was outscored 45-29 during the final two frames in the loss. The Defenders shot 32% over the final 20 minutes, 1/8 from beyond the arc. Ashtyn Veerbeek led Dordt with a career-high 35 points and pulled down 14 rebounds.
Dordt was picked third out of 12 teams in the GPAC preseason coaches poll and is one of four conference teams recognized in the initial NAIA poll (Morningside – 6, Concordia – 9, Northwestern – RV).
