Kassidy De Jong scored a game-high 22 points in leading No.2 Northwestern to a rugged 77-70 road win over No.14 Dordt Wednesday night in Sioux Center. 

The Red Raiders extend their win streak to five and improve to 14-2 in the GPAC, 20-2 overall. This marks the third straight 20+ win season, 17th overall. 

Trailing by one (70-69) with 2:39 left to go, De Jong scored the go-ahead basket on a jumper in the lane with 44 seconds left after getting back-to-back stops on the defensive end. Following a Dordt timeout, Northwestern forced a turnover on a steal from Breana Schuiteman, who was fouled and then made two free throws to put her team up three (73-70). Two more stops on defense by the Red Raiders led to four consecutive free throws by Haley Birks in the final nine seconds to seal the victory. 

De Jong scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, her seventh double-double and eighth 20+ point game of the season. The senior made 4-of-7 three-pointers and went 8-for-15 from the field. Darbi Gustafson scored 17 points, doing more of her work from the free throw line, going 11/12 from the charty stripe. Birks added 16 and Sammy Blum scored 12, giving Northwestern four players in double figures. 

Northwestern scored the first nine points and led 16-4 after a three-pointer by De Jong with 2:12 left in the first quarter. The host Defenders closed the quarter with an 8-0 run to get within four (16-12) and then scored the first six points of the second period, in total a 14-0 run, finished off with a Jordyn Van Maanen lay-up to give Dordt its first lead, 18-16, early in the second quarter. 

A three-point play by Birks ended the Defenders' surge and the lead switched hands five times over the next three minutes, until a Blum three-pointer capped a 7-0 run to put NW in front 28-23. Northwestern extended its advantage to 35-28 by halftime. 

The teams traded baskets and played fairly even in a third quarter that ended with a 53-47 Northwestern lead. Defenders guard Payton Harmsen hit a pair of three-pointers to begin and cap a 10-2 surge to put the hosts back in front, 59-58, with just over seven minutes left. The game was tied six times and lead changed hands on five occasions during the dramatic final seven minutes. 

Northwestern shot 39% for the game, 6/19 (32%) from the three-point line and made 25 of 32 free throw attempts (78%). The Red Raiders were outrebounded (46-35) for just the third time this season but committed 10 turnovers compared to 15 by Dordt. 

Rachel Evavold led the Defenders with 16 points, followed by Kenzie Bousema with 12 points and 10 rebounds coming off the bench. Erika Feenstra and Harmsen scored 12 each and Annie Rhinesmith came through with 11 points and eight assists.