Second-half defense helps Tiger women rally to victory

Jason Christensen was less than happy with his team’s first-half defense, allowing 49 points to Dordt College.

“I was very upset,” said Christensen, the Dakota Wesleyan University women’s basketball coach.

Dordt — a Great Plains Athletic Conference foe which shot seven three-point baskets in the first half — held a 10-point lead late in the first half. But DWU cut the deficit within three on a buzzer-beater jump shot by Celeste Beck.

A whole new defensive team stepped out of the locker room after the break, leading to a Tigers’ 95-84 win over Dordt Wednesday at the Corn Palace.

The Tigers (7-2, 1-1 GPAC) allowed 35 second-half points to pick up their first conference win of the season.

“We had to quit giving up middle drives and had to rebound in the second half, and we did that,” said Christensen, whose team outrebounded Dordt by one.

DWU’s Kim Johnson led all players with 30 points. Beck, a guard, also knocked down some big shots, finishing the night with 23 points.

“Our guards did a good job of finding (Johnson) tonight, and she did a good job of finding them when she was double-teamed,” Christensen said after the game. “We did the little things right offensively.”

DWU’s Elizabeth Lamb and Katie Johnson also put up double-digit figures, scoring 10 and 12 points, respectively.

The Tigers tallied eight 3-pointers in the game and Dordt had 10, with Kayla Broekhuis shooting three.

The Tigers shot 59 percent from the field, while Dordt shot 41.9 percent. Dordt’s Brianna Spronk led Dordt with 13 points.

The win was DWU’s seven win of the season, something it took the Tigers until Dec. 16 to get to last year.

“It lets us know that we’re where these other teams are, and we can compete with them,” Beck said.

The Tigers host No. 25-ranked Hastings at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Corn Palace next.

DAKOTA WESLEYAN 95

DORDT COLLEGE 84

DWU (7-2, 1-1 GPAC)

Elizabeth Lamb 4-9 1-1 10; Taylor Piper 3-8 1-2 7; Amanda Hart 3-8 0-0 9; Brittany Hill 2-4 0-1 4; Kim Johnson 11-15 7-10 30; Lexie Christensen 0-0 0-0 0; Celeste Beck 9-10 2-2 23; Katie Johnson 4-7 4-4 12; Shekela Quarles 0-0 0-2 0

DORDT (4-6, 1-2 GPAC)

Kayla Broekhuis 7-14 3-9 21; Jasmin Schelhaas 2-10 3-4 8; Emily Neuman 2-4 0-0 5; Kara Van Dyke 2-6 0-2 6; Brianna Spronk 7-15 7-12 23; Danelle Boone 2-5 2-3 7; Jessica Jelsema 1-3 2-2 4; Robyn Blount 0-1 0-0 0; Mycah Hulst 1-2 0-0 2; Jaimie Kok 2-2 4-4 8

Halftime: Dordt 49-46. 3-point goals: DWU 8-17 (Hart 3, Beck 3), Dordt 10-24 (Broekhuis 3). Rebounds: DWU 36 (Piper 6, Beck 6), Dordt 35 (Spronk 8). Assists: DWU 21 (Piper 4), Dordt 14 (Schelhaas 3, Van Dyke 3, Spronk 3). Turnovers: DWU 9, Dordt 10. Total fouls: DWU 21, Dordt 18. Technical fouls: None.

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