Sioux Center, Iowa — The Dordt women’s basketball team won their 12th straight game, making 15 threes en route to an 85-73 home win against 8th-ranked Morningside.
The Mustangs got out to a quick start, opening up the game on a 7-0 run that forced a Dordt timeout. The Defenders battled back over the next six minutes to take a 21-19 lead with 1:42 remaining in the first on a Hayden Heimensen three. Dordt ended the first quarter with a 26-21 lead.
The second quarter remained close throughout after Morningside tied the game at 31 on a made basket by Chloe Lofstrom. With 2:35 left in the first half, Morningside forced a series of steals that led to fast break points. The Mustangs closed the half on a 10-4 run, leading 45-39 at halftime.
The Defenders quickly found themselves back in front as Heimensen hit a three followed by a Karly Gustafson basket to take a 48-47 lead less than three minutes into the third quarter. The Defenders kept the pressure on out of a Morningside timeout when Bailey Beckman made a three that put Dordt up 51-47. The Defenders held their slim lead going into the final quarter.
Dordt created space between themselves and their opponent in the fourth, opening the quarter with a Gustafson three. The Mustangs attempted to rally off of a Sierra Mitchell three that cut the Dordt lead to eight, but Beckman answered with a three of her own to give Dordt an 80-69 lead at the 2:52 mark. The Defenders sealed the win on Ashtyn Veerbeek’s jumper in the paint that gave them a 14-point lead late in the game.
The win was Dordt’s first versus Morningside since the 2016-17 season, snapping a nine game losing streak.
Ashtyn Veerbeek scored a team-high 18 points
Karly Gustafson and Bailey Beckman added 14 points each
The Defenders shot 58.2% from the field and limited Morningside to 41.9% shooting
Chloe Lofstrom led the Mustangs in scoring with 23 points
Dordt made 15 of their three point attempts, one three shy of the program record
Macey Nielson picked up 12 points and two steals
Dordt will travel to take on Concordia on Saturday, February 5 with tipoff scheduled for 2:00 PM.
