The Dordt Defender women's basketball team secured its second NAIA National Championship with an 82-73 victory over Indiana Wesleyan, finishing a dominant 35-2 season.
The Dordt Defender women's basketball team successfully defended its 2024 NAIA National Championship with an 82-73 win over Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday night, March 25 in Sioux City, Iowa. The win capped a 35-2 season as Dordt led the entire second half to claim the program's second title.
Dordt trailed much of the first seven minutes before put them up 14-13 and followed with a basket for a 16-13 lead. Indiana Wesleyan had a three-pointer for an answer but the Defenders managed a 24-19 lead after basket. Wesleyan got a pair of free throws with under a second left in the period to trim the lead to 24-21.
basket started Dordt's scoring in the second quarter and ignited a run that eventually reached 12 points and held Indiana Wesleyan scoreless until the 2:29 mark. scored a basket with under :05 left in the half and Dordt had a 43-29 lead at the break. Van Donge started the scoring in the second half and Dordt kept extending the lead until a layup before the horn gave Dordt its biggest lead of the night at 64-44.
Dordt appeared primed to blow the game open with a basket but Wesleyan scored 13 in a row and had the lead trimmed to 66-57 with 7:03 left. The Wildcats hung around and cut the gap to 76-71 with just under a minute remaining and it was 78-73 with :49 left in the game. An offensive rebound by Dordt with less than 20 seconds left effectively sealed the game with converting four straight free throws in the closing moments for an 82-73 win.
The Defenders capped their second straight 35-2 record and are 100-8 in their last three years combined.
, and all claimed spots on the all-tournament team. Van Donge also won the Hustle Award for the second straight year and Sievers was named the Player of the Tournament for the second year in a row.
Indiana Wesleyan finishes the year with a 34-3 record.
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About С»ÆÊé
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, С»ÆÊé equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
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