photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Haskell Indian Nations University fans cheer for the Fighting Indians during an NAIA Tournament watch party at the school's auditorium Friday, March 14, 2025. The 16th-seeded Haskell women lost 95-80 to the defending champions, No. 1 Dordt, during their first-round game in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The Haskell women’s basketball team’s postseason run came to an end on Friday night with a 95-80 loss to top-seeded Dordt at De Witt Gymnasium in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The Fighting Indians, who had earned a spot in the NAIA’s postseason championship as a No. 16 seed by winning the Continental Athletic Conference tournament on March 2, led at the end of the first quarter but eventually fell victim to Dordt’s offensive onslaught.

The Defenders are seeking a second straight national title, and they got a boost on Friday from a bevy of free throws, as they shot 35-for-48 from the line. Macy Sievers scored a team-high 19 points with six assists for Dordt, while Janie Van Donge posted a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double in just 22 minutes of action and Olivia Harazin scored 17 more points.

Haskell’s junior guard Tierzah Penn led all players with 23 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including five 3-pointers. Four other Haskell players accomplished double-figure scoring: Angela Astorga (13 points), Janae Kalama (11), Myona Dauphinais (10) and Wakiyan Irving (10).

The Fighting Indians had led by as many as six points in the first quarter after one of Penn’s 3s made it 21-15 with just over a minute remaining in the period. Haskell was poised to take a four-point lead into the second before Harazin scored a last-second layup off a steal and assist by Sievers.

Those two points were part of what became a 15-0 run for Dordt, as Haskell couldn’t get on the board again until Tea Murray scored more than halfway through the second quarter.

A 3-pointer by Kalama cut the Fighting Indians’ deficit to five points shortly before halftime, but Dordt’s Willow Bleeker responded immediately and the Defenders ultimately led 45-36 at the break.

In the third quarter, Dordt’s most pivotal run came midway through the period, when it poured on 11 straight points to extend the margin to 23, essentially putting the game out of reach.

The loss concluded Haskell’s season at 13-14, bringing to an end a campaign that had attracted national attention because head coach Adam Strom continued to coach the team after he was among nearly 40 federal employees laid off from the university on Feb. 14.