The men’s basketball team from Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, advanced to the quarterfinals of the national championship for its division. That’s the furthest the team has advanced in three trips to the national championship.
Dordt College plays for the men’s basketball national championship.
Photo by Jamin Ver Velde
“We’ve been up against very good teams,” said Ross Douma, head coach of the Defenders. “It’s been a very good experience.”
The team this year was fairly young, with only one senior. Douma could see nationals on the horizon from early on in the season.
“Our chemistry and work ethic have gotten us here,” he said.
At the national championship, the team was encouraged by the number of Dordt fans who traveled to Missouri. Douma estimated that Dordt’s fan section was the largest of the 32 teams, aside from the home team.
A number of parents and alumni spent the morning of the first game helping to clean up the aftermath of the tornado that swept through nearby Branson, Missouri.
“We’re blessed to have a lot of success,” Douma said. “It’s been very enjoyable to have people come alongside.”
About the Author
Kate Padilla is a staff writer at the Spencer Daily Reporter in Spencer, Iowa, where she is a member of Hope Church.
