Sioux Center, Iowa — The Dordt Defender women’s basketball went scoreless for six minutes midway through the first quarter and fought from behind the rest of the game in falling to the College of Saint Mary on Wednesday night in GPAC play.
Dordt had a 10-6 lead after a Bailey Beckman basket with 7:23 left in the first quarter and didn’t score again until there was less than a minute left in the period on a pair of Hayden Heimensen free throws to stop a 14-0 run by the Flames. The Defenders cut into the lead and got as close as four in the second quarter but trailed at the half 40-34.
Ashtyn Veerbeek knocked down a three-point shot to start the second half and Mya Chmielewski added two free throws to get Dordt as close as 40-39 with under a minute gone in the half. Dordt was unable to grab the lead and stayed within one on two other junctures but back-to-back baskets by the visitors pushed the 46-45 lead to 50-45 and the lead grew to 64-52 at the end of the third quarter.
Dordt trailed by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter and then rallied to with in seven with a little over a minute left but the Flames held on to win 78-69.
The College of Saint Mary converted 32-70 field goals for 46 percent success and Dordt was 21-59 for 36 percent.
Dordt was outrebounded 44-37 and gave up 18 offensive rebounds.
Bailey Beckman scored 19 and was 3-6 from the arc and 6-11 overall.
Ashtyn Veerbeek scored 17 points with eight rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.
Mya Chmielewski and Janie Schoonhoven each had eight points.
The Flames got a team high 17 points from Honnah Leo and a 12 point, 13 rebound night from Sidney Anderson.
Dordt is 6-4 overall and 1-3 in the league. The College of Saint Mary is 9-2 and 3-2 in the league.
