Lady Cats Fall in National Semi-Finals

SIOUX City, Iowa-Bethel's historic season came to an end Monday night in the NAIA Women's National Semi-finals in Sioux City, Iowa as the Lady Wildcats fell 84-52 to the defending champion Dordt Defenders. 

Dordt moved to 34-2 on the season while Bethel finished 27-8 on the year.

The Cats trailed 17-14 at the end of the first quarter and 36-28 at the half. A 22-11margin in the third quarter gave the Defenders   a comfortable 60-39 advantage through three quarters.

The Wildcats struggled from the field, shooting just 29 percent. Dordt shot 53 percent from the floor. The Defenders had a commanding advantage on the boards at 44-25. Points in the paint were 30-16 in favor of the area team. Dordt's bench was effective with a 30-11 margin.

Dordt entered the game averaging 19 assists per game, and they had 19 against the Lady Cats.

Janie VanDonge led Dordt with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Gracie Schoonhoven followed with 15 points. Macy Seivers showing why she is one of the best guards in the nation had 14 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists. 

MSC Freshman of the Year, Micah Turner led Bethel with 20 points. Madison Hart had 14 points and eight boards.

Coach Chris Nelson shared his thoughts on the game, the season, and his seniors. "We didn't play well tonight but give Dordt a lot of credit. They are long and very good defensively. They showed why they are the defending national champions." Nelson added, "This one game does not define this team and year. They have given me, our staff, and our fans some of the best days ever. This past month they won a conference title, the first ever Fab Four and memories for a lifetime. They have set the stage for a return to the tournament in the years to come and we look forward to the challenge." Nelson summed up his feelings, "I want to thank our seniors, Kalynn Howard, Brooklyn Williams, and Kyla Taylor, for their contributions and leadership. They along with CeCe Johnson are all special young ladies. I also want to thank our fans back home and all those who made the long journey here to Iowa to support us. You all are a huge part of our Lady Wildcat program."

Watch a recap of Bethel's season and postseason later at www.bethelathletics.com