SIOUX CITY, IOWA [BOX SCORE | BRACKET] – In the 2026 NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship Semifinal, the Dordt (Iowa) Defenders used a dominant first quarter to pull away from the Dakota State (S.D.) Trojans for an 83–69 victory.
The Defenders set the tone early, ripping off a 25–11 first quarter. The Trojans steadied themselves in the second quarter, scoring 18 to trim the deficit to 39–29 at halftime.
DSU made their strongest push coming out of the break with a 25-point third quarter and matched Dordt’s pace for long stretches, but the Defenders still led 63–54 after three. The Trojans closed the scoring gap to as little as four points but Dordt closed out the game with a 20-point final frame.
Gracie Schoonhoven led the Defenders with 34 points on 14-of-25 shooting. Macy Sievers followed, posting her third consecutive triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, along with six steals. Desta Hoogendoorn tallied eight points and 10 rebounds in the win.
For the Trojans, Tabor Teel had 16 points, knocking down 4-of-5 from deep, and also recorded six blocks. Bria Wasmund scored 11 and dished out four assists. Cierra Watkins contributed 12 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the floor. Off the bench, Mackenzi Simmons totaled 10 points with two from beyond the arc.
DSU outshot a 37.9% (11-of-29) from the three compared to Dordt’s 12.5% (1-of-8); however, the Defenders won the battle in the paint, shooting a 47.5% compared to the Trojans 38.2%. Dordt was also able to out-rebound Dakota State 48-37.
With the loss, the Trojans are eliminated from tournament play and finish the season 30-6.
Dordt with the win, returns to the championship for the fourth time in program history in the last five years. The Defenders return to action Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 p.m. CT, taking on the winner of Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and Marian (Ind.)
