No. 1 Dordt flexes muscle in win over CSM

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Dordt University, the No. 1 NAIA team in the nation, used a dominant rebounding performance to down College of Saint Mary 113-51 Saturday at De Witt Gymnasium.

The Defenders outrebounded the Flames 26-6 in the first half en route to a 62-21 halftime lead. That rebounding edge allowed the speedy Dordt players to push the ball down the floor and score quickly.

"They're just so fast,'' CSM Coach Natalie Miller said. "They beat us in transition and we didn't really have an answer for it.''

Dordt, the defending national champion, improved to 21-0 overall and 15-0 in the GPAC, while CSM dropped to 1-20 and 0-15. The Defenders outrebounded CSM 58-21 for the game.

The Flames did have some brighter moments late, outscoring Dordt 17-13 in the fourth quarter. Mia Stewart scored nine of her team-high 12 points in the final stanza.

"Offensively, down the stretch we did a better job of moving the ball,'' Miller said.

Madelyn Gaughen and Haley Debuse added nine points each, while Freda Moore added eight. Ella Klusman turned in a strong floor game with seven points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists.

CSM returns to action Wednesday with a 6 p.m. home GPAC game against Hastings College.

"Looking forward to the next game,'' Miller said. "We got in kind of a rhythm offensively in the fourth quarter, which I was happy with. So we're looking to keep building on that for Wednesday.''