GPAC Women's Basketball Quarterfinal Preview

#8 Mount Marty Lancers (15-13) at #1 Dordt Defenders (27-1)

Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Tip-off: 7:00 PM CST

Location: De Witt Gymnasium, Sioux Center, IA

ADMISSION & TOURNAMENT POLICY

Lancer fans traveling to Sioux Center, please be aware of the following GPAC postseason requirements:

• Adults: $10

• Students (K-College): $3

• GPAC Students: FREE with a valid Institutional ID.

• Passes: NO season passes (home or away) are allowed. Only NAIA-issued passes will be honored. All visiting school staff and faculty must pay the admission fee.

THE MATCHUP: DAVID VS. GOLIATH

The Mount Marty Lancers enter the postseason with a "nothing to lose" mentality as they take on the top-seeded Dordt Defenders. While Dordt has been nearly perfect this season (27-1), the Lancers have shown they can compete with anyone when their perimeter game is clicking.

Mount Marty: The Triple Threat

To pull off the upset, the Lancers will lean on their established stars:

• The Post Presence: Lacey Sprakel (14.1 PPG) is the focal point. Her ability to get to the free-throw line (86.9%FT) and grab boards (6.1 RPG) will be vital against Dordt's height.

• The Sniper: Kaela Martinez is the danger man from deep, having sunk 80 three-pointers this season at a 38.5%clip.

• The All-Around Force: Alexis Folkers does it all, leading the team in rebounds (6.5 RPG) and assists (3.3 APG), while playing a team-high 30.6 minutes per game.

Dordt: 

The Defenders are a balanced machine, but two names stand out:

• Gracie Schoonhoven: A dominant force averaging 21.8 PPG on an incredible 63.4% shooting. She is the engine of the Defender offense.

• Macy Sievers: The ultimate facilitator. She averages 9.1 assists per game, meaning the Lancers must disrupt her passing lanes to stand a chance.

3 Keys to an Upset

1. Limit Second Chances: Dordt is elite at rebounding. Alexus Motley and Alexis Folkers must have career nights on the defensive glass to prevent Schoonhoven from getting easy put-backs.

2. The Three-Point Variance: MMU lives by the three (Martinez and Leah Williams). If the Lancers can hit 10+ triples, they can keep the pressure on Dordt's defense.

3. Handle the Pressure: Dordt forces turnovers that lead to fast-break points for Sievers. The Lancers must play a disciplined, low-turnover game to keep the Sioux Center crowd quiet.

 THE GPAC BRACKET

The winner of this #8/#1 matchup will advance to the GPAC Semifinals on Saturday, February 28, to face the winner of #5 Briar Cliff vs. #4 Concordia.