Luke Drooger — Staff Writer

Following a 98-62 win on December 7^th, versus Midland, the Defender Women’s basketball team moved to 12-1 on the season with its lone blemish a three-point loss to the Mustangs from Morningside.

On average, the Defenders are outscoring their opponents by more than 25 points per game, which is largely in part to the 113-40 victory over Waldorf that opened the season in late October.

“We came into the season with a lot of confidence. The beauty of spending a lot of time together as a team is the unity we’ve built on and off the court,” said Rachel Evavold, a senior from Bloomington, Minnesota.

Evavold is putting together an impressive senior campaign, averaging 9.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. Most remarkably, she is doing so by shooting over 60% from the field and nearly 85% from the free throw line.

The  Dordt women’s basketball team easily identified their roles on the team. Having 10 or more girls who can enter the game and contribute is a big part of their success, especially when each player knows they don’t have to do more than they’re capable of.

The 5^th ranked Defenders are led by Erika Feenstra, a junior from Hull who is averaging 21.7 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. When in need of a score, Dordt will often turn to Feenstra to do just that.

The Defenders also receive big contributions from a less familiar face, Karly Gustafson, a freshmen from Ethan, South Dakota. She leads Dordt in rebounds with 6.8 per game. The Dordt Defenders aren’t 12-1 because they don’t play tough competitions. As a matter of fact, the Defender women have defeated two nationally ranked GPAC teams in Northwestern and Dakota Wesleyan. Plus they defeated Jamestown, a team who is being recognized nationally, 77-58.

Coming off a season in which the Defenders finished their season in the national tournament, people might think the Defender Women’s Basketball team might feel pressure to do better during the 2019-2020 season.

Evavold said, “We don’t necessarily feel any added pressure from our season a year ago, but we have created lofty. But realistic goals and expectations as a team because we know what we can do as a team if we work hard and play together.”

The Defenders have more than half of their season remaining, but they aren’t going to slow down any time soon. Coming back from Christmas break they have a crucial stretch of conference games and they would appreciate help from their amazing fans. Join them in the De Witt Gymnasium!