CRETE, Neb. – For the fourth-straight visit to the Haddix Center, the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball program faced a double-digit deficit. In this instance, the 14th-ranked Bulldogs thought they had it sewed up in regulation before Mak Hatcliff and host Doane forced overtime and eventually won in double overtime, 93-87, on Wednesday (Jan. 8). An 8-1 Tiger run in the second extra session made the difference in a physical clash. Sophomore Raelyn Kelty posted career-highs for points (20) and rebounds (14) for Concordia.
Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad has come up agonizingly short in back-to-back outings while having dropped in an overtime battle with No. 1 Dordt this past Saturday. Concordia slipped to 7-8 overall (4-7 GPAC).
“We started off a little slow and didn’t shoot great throughout,” Olson said. “But we put ourselves in great position and were there to win it. We just continue to battle and fight and be in position to win games. At the end of regulation, it’s just kind of one of those wild things. We feel like we have the game in hand. Doane needed about five things to go their way for them to win, and they all did. We didn’t help ourselves by missing free throws. We’re right there. I can’t explain it.”
The Bulldogs’ prospects of extending their 16-game series win streak over Doane appeared promising down the stretch of regulation when Kristin Vieselmeyer’s trey broke a 66-66 tie at the 1:12 mark. Leading by three in the closing seconds, Concordia elected to put the Tigers at the foul line. After Hatcliff made the first free throw and missed the second, a jump ball gave Doane a possession that yielded the game-tying free throws (Megan Chambers) to force overtime at 71-71.
At the end of the first OT, Kendal Brigham kept the game alive with a key triple and two free throws. The Tigers proceeded to miss a potential game winner just before the buzzer sounded. It then became a war of attrition as Kelty and Abby Krieser for Concordia and Kaylee Klover and Maddie Portwine for Doane all fouled out. In the end, Hatcliff helped will her side to victory with a 39-point, 12-rebound performance. The Tiger All-American made 15-of-16 attempts from the foul line.
In the early going, the scoring of Kelty and Abby Heemstra kept the Bulldogs afloat. They dug out of a 16-5 hole and made it a nail-biter for the entirety of the second half. Kelty drained all six of her free throws in a starring role. Four teammates joined her in double figures: Megan Belt (16), Brigham (15), Heemstra (11) and Vieselmeyer (11). Belt went 4-for-9 from long range on an evening when Concordia made only 9-of-40 3-point attempts as a team.
Doane (12-4, 7-3 GPAC) picked up its first win over the Bulldogs since January 2016. Hatcliff was backed by 17 points from Macy Holtz, 13 from Megan Chambers and 11 from Libby Trausch. The Tigers overcame their 19 turnovers and 15 fewer field goal attempts than Concordia. Doane held a 46-39 rebound advantage and canned 31-of-38 free throw attempts. A layup by Chambers with 1:19 left in the second overtime pushed the Tiger lead to 92-85 and essentially ended the Bulldogs’ hopes. Concordia managed only five points in the second extra session.
Said Olson, “It’s been a crazy season to this point, but I have to give our players a lot of credit. They continue to battle and fight and believe. We’re going to be ready for the next one. We’re going to find a way. We have to keep doing what we’re doing and continue to execute.”
The Bulldogs will play a ranked opponent for the seventh time already this season when they take on No. 9 Briar Cliff (13-2, 7-2 GPAC) in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT from the Newman Flanagan Center. The Chargers took the season’s first meeting by a score of 54-42 in Seward on Dec. 7. Briar Cliff had a bye on Wednesday.