SEWARD, Neb. – Two teams that have gained momentum in recent action will meet inside Friedrich Arena on Thursday. The Concordia University Women’s Basketball team and Doane will tip things off at 6 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs are coming off a promising week that saw them blow out Mount Marty, 91-48, and then win comfortably at Hastings, 70-57. The back-to-back victories pushed Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad to 6-4 overall (4-4 GPAC). The matchup with Doane will be the lone outing during finals week on the Concordia campus.
Thursday, Dec. 15 vs. Doane (7-4, 3-4 GPAC), 6 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats | Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· The Bulldogs fell off the ratings radar when polls were released in late November, but the hope is to get back into that territory with further growth. Massey Ratings lists Concordia as the No. 16 team in the NAIA and rates the schedule as having been the third toughest in the nation to this point. The Bulldogs have put a couple of quality wins on the board having beaten No. 25 Morningside and Dakota State University, a squad that continues to receive votes nationally. On the national leaderboard, Concordia ranks fourth for made 3-point field goals per game (9.8) and 17th for fewest turnovers committed per game (13.3).
· The Bulldogs knocked down 21 treys in what just might have been a school record in last week’s win over Mount Marty (3-10, 1-7 GPAC). Even some of Olson’s very best teams like the editions that reached the national semifinals (2012, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019) never drained that many 3-point field goals in a single game. Kendal Brigham went 5-for-7 from long range, Megan Belt went 4-for-7 and three teammates put home three triples apiece: Sadie Powell (3-for-4), Taysha Rushton (3-for-6) and Mackenzie Koepke (3-for-7). Because of the way Concordia was defended, it attempted 47 3-point shots and only 16 two-point shots. Mackenzie Toomey added seven points and 10 rebounds in the blowout victory.
· The offense may not have operated with the same rhythm at Hastings, but the Bulldogs still managed to win comfortably. Two key spurts helped Concordia put the game away – a 13-0 run at the close of the first half and a 10-1 run in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 62-39 at one point and owned a double-digit advantage for the entire second half. Rushton put together an efficient outing in supplying 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting (4-for-6 from 3-point range) while Abby Krieser starred in posting 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. The Bulldogs have won six of the last seven in the series with the Broncos (6-5, 4-3 GPAC).
· The nature of the game against Mount Marty provided a soft landing for Koepke to see her most minutes (15) so far this season. The Lincoln Lutheran High School alum missed the entire 2021-22 season due to injury and has slowly made her way back from surgery. Koepke put up 11 points and six rebounds in the win over Mount Marty. In her collegiate career, Koepke has played in 108 games and has totaled 774 points while making 186 3-point field goals. She’s earned three career all-conference awards, including a second team mention in 2019-20. Koepke was a regular in the rotation for the 2018-19 national championship team.
· The calling card for this Concordia team has been on the defensive end of the court. Its opponents are averaging 19.6 turnovers per game. Individually, Toomey swipes 1.9 steals per game. If the Bulldogs can sustain their defensive success while simultaneously growing offensively, they can be dangerous. The starkest contrast last week between Concordia and its opponents was in 3-point shooting. The Bulldogs went 31-for-76 (.408) from the perimeter and their foes went 5-for-35 (.143). Concordia’s style of play has resulted in it taking 90 more shots (631-541) than its opponents through the season’s first 10 games.
· Still in just her third collegiate season, Rushton is going to continue to rise up the program’s all-time charts. Her 1,110 career points have pushed her into a tie for No. 23 in program history. She’s also tied for eighth on the program’s list for most career 3-point field goals (166). Just above her at No. 6 is Koepke (186). Rushton is on a trajectory that could have her challenging for 2,000 points before her college career ends. Only two players in school history have ever reached 2,000 points: Bailey Morris (2,054) and Philly Lammers (2,033).
· Coming into this season, Drew Olson owns a career record of 26-6 versus Doane. The Bulldogs have won 12 in a row in the series and have taken 21 of the last 22 meetings. The matchups were competitive last season as the Bulldogs won by scores of 76-70 (overtime) in Seward and 74-63 in Crete. That was a major contrast to several previous years when Concordia won handily. The scores in 2020-21 were 111-52 and 98-57. The most recent series win for the Tigers occurred in Seward during the 2015-16 season.
The opponent
Doane has been on an upward trajectory under Head Coach Ryan Baumgartner, who was initially named the program’s interim coach in November 2019. The Tigers went from 5-20 overall (3-19 GPAC) in 2020-21 to 12-18 overall (6-16 GPAC) last season. A major catalyst behind the improvement has been conference leading scorer Mak Hatcliff, a 5-foot-7 guard from Beatrice, Neb. The returning First Team All-GPAC selection is averaging 22.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Two others are averaging in double figures – Macy Holtz (13.5) and Megan Chambers (10.2). Doane started this season at 4-0, then lost four in a row and now has won three straight. The current win streak has included routs of College of Saint Mary, Viterbo University (Wis.) and Manhattan Christian College (Kan.).
Probable Lineups
Concordia (6-4, 4-4)
G – Abby Krieser (8.2)
G – Taysha Rushton (15.1)
G – Mackenzie Toomey (7.5)
F – Abby Heemstra (3.8)
F – Sadie Powell (8.8)
Head Coach: Drew Olson (429-125, 17th season at CUNE)
Doane (7-4, 3-4)
G – Mak Hatcliff (22.6)
G – Macy Holtz (13.5)
G – Olivia Nall (7.7)
G – Kali Staples (6.1)
F – Megan Chambers (10.2)
Head Coach: Ryan Baumgartner (4th season at Doane)
Next week
The Bulldogs will have the entire week off from game action. Next up on the schedule is the Dec. 28 contest at Texas Wesleyan University. As part of the journey south, Concordia will also be at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 30.