Sioux Center, Iowa — Dordt will host Dakota Wesleyan in GPAC semifinal play on Saturday, February 26 at 3:00.
Dakota Wesleyan is 24-7 this season and finished the season by winning seven of their last eight games. The Tigers were 15-7 in league play and lost back to back games once.
The Defenders are 24-7 this season and finished the league year 16-6. Dordt won 15 games in a row at one point and have won 17 out of the last 18 games it has played.
Ashtyn Veerbeek leads the Defenders with an 18.5 points per game average with 9.3 rebounds and she blocks 3.2 shots per game and converts 50 percent of her field goals and 37 percent of her three-point tries. Bailey Beckman adds 13.2 points per game and has 58 made three-point shots. Karly Gustafson is good for 11.4 points per game with 7.5 rebounds and Janie Schoonhoven chips in with 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds and she is making 64.7 percent of her field goal attempts. Hayden Heimensen adds 7.4 points and Mya Chmielewski is good for 6.8.
Dordt outscores teams 75-65 and outrebounds teams 39-34. Dordt holds teams to 39 percent field goal shooting and converts 44 percent themselves.
Dordt and Dakota Wesleyan played on December 11 and the Tigers were 80-75 winners after Dordt had a 21-14 first quarter lead but trailed 37-30 at halftime. Karly Gustafson scored 19 for the Defenders and Hayden Heimensen scored 17 with Mya Chmielewski and Janie Schoonhoven getting 12 and 10 respectively. Isabel Ihnen had a team high 18 for Dakota Wesleyan and Campbell scored 15 with Lacey Sprakel coming off the bench to add 13.
Dordt fought off the Tigers on January 26 with a 67-65 win. Dordt led 42-29 at halftime but the Tigers rallied by outscoring Dordt 26-9 in the third. The win wasn’t secured until Wesleyan missed a shot with :07 left and Dordt converted a free throw for the two-point margin. Veerbeek scored 26 points and had five rebounds while Beckman scored 14. Wesleyan was led by Campbell’s 16 points and six rebounds while Kirk and Osthus each had 12. Dordt had a 35-29 rebounding edge and made 47 percent of its field goals while Wesleyan made 41.
The winner of this game will face the Northwestern-Morningside winner on Tuesday night at 7:00. If Morningside wins the Mustangs will host. If Northwestern wins its game it would travel to either Dordt or Dakota Wesleyan.
