Sioux Center, Iowa — The Dordt Defender men’s basketball team pulled away late and won its 19th game of the season with a 79-69 win over the Doane Tigers on Saturday afternoon in Sioux Center.
The first half was a back and forth affair with the Defenders leading by as many as five and trailing by as many as four before trailing by a 40-38 difference on an Anthony Laravie three-point basket right before halftime.
Doane started the second half with back to back baskets to extend the lead to 44-38 but Dordt got a basket by Jackson Louscher and a three by Cade Bleeker to narrow the gap. The teams were tied at 46 but Dordt rattled off nine in a row to take control of the game with a 55-46 advantage with 10:50 left in the game. The Tigers got no closer than eight the rest of the game as the Defenders improved to 11-7 in the league with two games to play.
THE NUMBERS
Dordt converted 26-52 field goals against a team that had been limited opponents to 41 percent field goal shooting and held the Tigers to 28-66 field goal shooting for 42 percent success.
Dordt had a 37-29 rebounding advantage and converted 9-24 three-point shots and 18-22 free throws.
Bryce Coppock had 26 points and made 10-12 free throws with four rebounds and two assists.
Cade Bleeker had 22 points and five rebounds and made 6-11 three-point shots.
Luke Rankin was good for 17 points and three rebounds and Jackson Louscher scored eight.
Josh Baugher came off the bench and grabbed six rebounds to share team honors with Camden Bialas.
Doane is 9-9 in the conference and 16-12 overall while Dordt is 19-8 and 11-7. Doane lost for just the third time in the last 11 games.
Dordt’s win made it a season split beat the two teams.
Dordt will face Northwestern on the road on Wednesday night in Orange City before traveling to Jamestown on Saturday.
