Dordt Women's Basketball Advances to Monday's Fab Four

(Sioux City, Iowa) - The Dordt Defenders advanced to the NAIA National Championship semifinals for the third consecutive season with a dominant 83-62 victory over Saint Francis (Indiana) on Saturday afternoon at the Tyson Events Center. This win marks Dordt's third straight trip to the semifinals and their fourth in the last five years.

The opening quarter was a back-and-forth battle as both teams worked to establish an early rhythm. Saint Francis took an early 10-8 lead following a Taylor Fordyce three-pointer, but Dordt responded with an Olivia Harazin triple to keep pace. While Saint Francis led 20-15 late in the period, Willow Bleeker beat the buzzer with a to cut the deficit to 20-17 heading into the second quarter.

Dordt seized control in the second frame, opening with a Macy Sievers three-pointer to tie the game at 20-20. After a brief exchange of leads, the Defenders used a 13-0 run, highlighted by a Bleeker triple and a bucket from Aubrey Burkhart, to build a 41-29 advantage. Dordt entered halftime with a 41-31 lead, outscoring Saint Francis 24-11 in the second period.

The momentum continued in the third quarter as Dordt delivered a decisive 28-15 surge to break the game open. Gracie Schoonhoven fueled the offensive attack, scoring multiple times in the paint to push the lead to 69-46. Saint Francis struggled to find a consistent response against the Defenders' defense, which held them to 33.3% shooting during the period.

In the final quarter, Dordt maintained its double-digit cushion and effectively managed the clock to secure the 21-point win. The Defenders finished the game shooting 47.5% from the field and dominated the glass with a 41-20 rebounding advantage.

Box Score

(Story from DU Sports Information, picture from Tim Tushla)