Conference play is here, and Dordt has the GPAC’s first win! The Defenders went on the road Tuesday night and beat Waldorf 90-74 in Forest City, turning a one-point halftime deficit into a comfortable finish with a strong second half.
Dordt moves to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in league play. Waldorf falls to 3-2 and 0-1 after the first conference game on the 2026-27 GPAC men’s basketball schedule.
Waldorf answers the early run
Dordt looked ready to take control early. A Connor Millikan three pushed the Defenders’ lead to 22-9 with 12:32 left in the first half, but Waldorf had an answer.
The Warriors erased the deficit and took a 31-28 lead on three Ethan Round free throws with 6:41 remaining. From there, the teams traded the lead before Round knocked down two more at the line with eight seconds left to send Waldorf into halftime up 44-43. Round had 12 points at the break, while Gvidas Laurinaitis added nine.
Millikan and the defense change the game
That halftime lead did not last long. Millikan opened Dordt’s second-half scoring with a three, Reed Friesen followed with a three-point play, and the Defenders never trailed again. Dordt outscored Waldorf 16-4 to start the half and led 59-48 with 12:54 left.
Millikan scored 14 of his team-high 18 points after halftime. He also finished with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. His three with 9:53 remaining stretched the lead to 71-54, and Dordt eventually pushed the margin to 24.
The defensive numbers tell the story of the turnaround. After shooting 46.9% in the first half, Waldorf went 11-for-35 from the field and 2-for-15 from three in the second. Dordt won the half 47-30 and controlled the glass 25-15 over those final 20 minutes.
Five in double figures for Dordt
This was a balanced road win. Judson Henkel gave Dordt 15 points off the bench on 6-for-10 shooting. Landon De Stigter added 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Brayden Beckering finished with 13 points and seven boards. Friesen scored 11 on 4-for-5 shooting.
Steven Poulicek added seven points and a team-high five assists. Dordt shot 50% from the field, hit 10 of 24 from three and went 16-for-19 at the line. The Defenders also won the rebounding battle 41-26 and had a 27-8 advantage in bench points.
For Waldorf, Round put together a strong all-around line: 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists, including a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. Laurinaitis scored 18, while Krys Watley and Liam Canty added 10 apiece. Watley also had five steals.
Dordt still had 19 turnovers, so there is plenty to clean up. But five double-figure scorers, a big rebounding edge and a second-half defensive response are a good formula for getting out of a conference road game with a win.
Up next
Dordt heads to Orange City to face Friends on Friday, November 6, followed by Viterbo on Saturday. Waldorf travels to Clarke on Friday. Both return to GPAC play November 14, with Dordt hosting Mount Marty and Waldorf hosting Concordia.
Sources: Official GPAC box score and play-by-play; GPAC men’s basketball schedule and results.
