FOREST CITY, Iowa – A suffocating defensive performance and an onslaught of 3-pointers propelled Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball to a 103-52 rout of Waldorf on Saturday (Nov. 14). The Bulldogs overwhelmed the Warriors, forcing 35 turnovers in their GPAC opener. Ayla Roth engineered the offensive attack with a team-high 14 points as the Dawgs buried a staggering 18 triples.
Head Coach Drew Olson's squad improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
“I thought we played well,” Coach Olson said. “Our bench did a great job of keeping the energy up, we had good pressure, and we played with a good offensive pace. The second half was really fun to see, especially with a lot of people knocking down shots. We started shooting the ball really well in that second half.”
The relentless Bulldogs pounced on the Warriors early, building a 29-13 advantage through the opening 10 minutes. Roth ignited the Bulldog offense, burying nine points. The Milford High guard added four assists and two steals in just 15 minutes. Concordia tightened its defensive grip in the second frame, holding Waldorf to a mere seven points while stretching its lead to 53-20 at the break, sealing the contest early.
Concordia unleashed a barrage from beyond the arc, connecting on 18-of-50 attempts (36.0 percent). The collection of made threes matched the eighth-best single game performance in the program's history. Eight Bulldogs found the bottom of the net from deep, including Mack Reimer and Ona Stutzman, who each drained three triples. The Dawgs finished 36-for-82 (43.9 percent) from the field and dished out 23 assists in the balanced offensive showing.
Coach Olson continued, “Jenna (Luebbe) did a great job. She came in confident and shot the ball well. It was also good to see Ona (Stutzman) back for the first time since her injury. I thought Mack (Reimer) shot the ball well, too ... We were down a few people, but hopefully we'll start getting them back later.”
Roth ignited the Bulldog offense, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-4 from downtown. Maci Pittenger and Jenna Luebbe followed with 12 points apiece, with Luebbe splashing home four treys for a new career high. Bree Bunting rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points (5-for-9 FG).
The tenacious Bulldog defense hounded Waldorf throughout the contest, collecting 28 steals. Sammy Leu terrorized passing lanes, snatching a game-high six steals, while matching her single-game high from a last year in the season opener. Ava Reed added five with Makynna Robbins and Joclyn Bassett each collected three.
The Bulldogs attacked the offensive glass, pulling down 18 offensive rebounds. Robbins grabbed a team-high eight boards, while Bassett added six, including five on the offensive end. The guard, out of Parker, Colo., also chipped in five points, four assists and three steals in an all-around max effort.
Waldorf struggled to find a rhythm against the smothering Bulldog defense, shooting 37.9 percent from the floor and 17.6 percent from beyond the arc. Jariah Riley paced the Warriors with 10 points, while Lucia Alexander added nine. Kaylani Trout-Lacy and Hannah Halvorson grabbed eight rebounds apiece.
Concordia will travel to Omaha, Neb., to face in-state College of Saint Mary (1-4, 0-1 GPAC) on Wednesday (Nov. 18). The Bulldogs will take the floor against the Flames at 6 p.m. CT.