Dordt Women To Play For National NAIA Title

The Dordt Defender women’s basketball team used a 17-0 run in third quarter of its NAIA National Championship semifinal round game and held off a Cumberlands comeback attempt in the fourth quarter for an 83-73 win to advance to the program’s second NAIA title game in three years.

The game didn’t start well for the Defenders as Cumberlands got out to a 13-5 lead and held a 19-10 lead before Macy Sievers’s basket near the end of the period made it 19-12. Cumberlands outscored Dordt 10-3 to start the second quarter and led 29-15 with 6:40 left in the half. A Janie Schoonhoven basket started a 6-0 run and another Schoonhoven basket with 4:56 left in the half started an 8-0 run that eventually allowed Dordt to tie it with back to back baskets by Sievers to end the half for a 33-33 score.

The teams traded baskets to start the second half and stood tied 39-39 with 6:52 left in the half. Sievers converted a basket and Macey Nielson knocked down her first of two three-point shots as part of what turned into a 17-0 run that ended at the 3:29 mark of the period. The lead went all the way to 62-41 with 1:43 left in the period on a Faith Van Holland three-point basket.

Cumberlands negated the momentum and got the difference down to 65-48 when the quarter ended. Cumberlands quickly cut away at the lead and had it to 69-62 with 6:51 left in the game and got within six on two occasions, the last time at the 3:19 mark. Neither team scored for the next two-plus minutes with Cumberlands finally getting a basket with :50 left in the game. Bailey Beckman responded with two made free throws and four made free throws and two defensive stops later Dordt had the 83-73 win.

THE NUMBERS

Dordt was 30-62 from the field and 7-14 from the three-point line while converting 16-22 free throws.
Cumberlands made 30-68 field goals and 3-15 three-point shots while converting 10-11 free throws.
Dordt had a 33-32 rebounding edge.
- Dordt Leaders
  - Bailey Beckman: 28 pts | 5 rebs | 2 assists | 2 blocks
  - Janie Schoonhoven: 21 pts | 10 rebs
  - Macy Sievers: 12 pts | 10 assists | 4 rebs
  - Karly Gustafson: 8 pts | 4 rebs | 3 assists
  - Macey Nielson: 6 pts
  - Eliana Kuperus: 5 rebs
- Cumberlands Leaders
  - Kassie Monday: 23 pts | 7 rebs | 9 assists
  - Kaylie Monday: 16 pts | 4 rebs | 5 steals
  - Destiny Haworth: 11 pts | 5 assists
  - Dordt is 34-2 while Cumberlands finishes the year 26-10.