SEWARD, Neb. – The path to a third-straight GPAC tournament title will require the top-ranked Concordia University women’s basketball team to go through No. 15 Hastings. The two in-state GPAC rivals will collide inside Walz Arena on Saturday in the conference semifinals. Tipoff from Seward is set for 1 p.m. CST. The Bulldogs have won seven-straight meeting in the series with the Broncos.
Once again, the contest will be aired live via 104.9 Max Country, the radio home of Concordia athletics. The Concordia Sports Network will provide a live stream.
Thirteenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s co-GPAC regular season championship squad forced 33 more turnovers on Wednesday while breezing past eighth-seeded Briar Cliff, 80-55, in the GPAC quarterfinals. All-American Philly Lammers notched 18 points and 10 rebounds for the 24th double-double of her career. Lammers teamed with Quinn Wragge (19 points, 8-for-13 shooting) and Grace Barry (11 points, eight assists) for a dynamic trio in the latest victory. The Bulldogs have now won 17 GPAC postseason home games in a row, a streak that dates back to 2008.
Wragge’s 19 points equaled a season high (both 19-point performances this season have come versus Briar Cliff). The senior from Crofton, Neb., continues to make a push for the top five of the program’s all-time scoring list. Her 1,716 career points put her within striking distance of sixth-place Lynda Beck (1,720) and fifth-place Stephanie Schilke (1,736) on the school’s all-time list. Elsewhere on the charts, Wragge ranks seventh in rebounds (795) and 11th in steals (243). Wragge is the only player in program history to record 1,700+ points, 750+ rebounds and 240+ steals in a career.
Program’s all-time scoring leaders
1. Bailey Morris (2011-15) – 2,054
2. Sarah Harrison (2001-05) – 1,800
3. Kari Saving (2001-05) – 1,773
4. Whitney Stichka (2004-09) – 1,765
5. Stephanie Schilke (1994-98) – 1,736
6. Lynda Beck (1988-92) – 1,720
7. Quinn Wragge (2015-19) – 1,716
In the history of the GPAC (2000-present), Concordia and Hastings have been two of the league’s most storied women’s basketball programs. In the first 19 years of league play, there have been a total of 27 claims to regular-season titles. Of them, Morningside has the most with nine, followed by Concordia with six and Hastings and Northwestern with five apiece. The Bulldogs are now on the hunt for their sixth all-time GPAC postseason championship. They also have an opportunity to break the program record of 1,014 turnovers forced in a single season. The 2018-19 squad has forced 972 turnovers for an average of 31.4 per game.
Head coach Jina Douglas’ squad can combat the Concordia press with star point guard Shandra Farmer. The team’s catalyst missed roughly a month-and-a-half in the middle of this season due to injury. Her loss was felt in a big way. The Broncos are 17-5 with Farmer and 2-6 without her. Farmer helped steer Hastings to a 66-63 win at No. 13 Dordt in the GPAC quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Broncos have now won nine of their last 10 outings and seem to have secured their spot in the national tournament. Farmer (15.3) and Mackenzie Willicott (10.7) are the team’s lone double figure scorers. Hastings averages 12.1 steals per contest. Now its mission is to do something the program hasn’t done since January 2015 – win inside Walz Arena.
The team that emerges victorious in Seward on Saturday will advance to play in the GPAC tournament championships game on Tuesday (Feb. 26). The other semifinal matchup in the bracket features second-seeded Northwestern hosting third-seeded Dakota Wesleyan.
Projected Starters
(Scoring average in parentheses)
Concordia (28-3, 19-3 GPAC)
G – Grace Barry, Jr., 5-7 (10.8)
G – Taylor Cockerill, So., 5-9 (16.1)
G – Riley Sibbel, Jr., 5-9 (5.2)
F – Quinn Wragge, Sr., 6-0 (10.6)
F – Philly Lammers, Jr., 5-11 (14.6)
Hastings (19-11, 13-9 GPAC)
G – Taylor Beacom, Fr., 5-6 (7.4)
G – Shandra Farmer, Jr., 5-3 (15.3)
G – Sophia Pankratz, Jr., 5-7 (5.3)
F – Gabby Grasso, Jr., 5-11 (8.4)
F – Mackenzie Willicot, Sr., 5-9 (10.7)
2019 GPAC Women’s Basketball Tournament
Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Feb. 20
No. 1 Concordia 80, No. 8 Briar Cliff 55
No. 5 Hastings 66, No. 4 Dordt 63
No. 3 Dakota Wesleyan 88, No. 6 Morningside 75
No. 2 Northwestern 60, No. 7 Midland 36
Semifinals – Saturday, Feb. 23
No. 5 Hastings (19-11) at No. 1 Concordia (28-3), 1 p.m.
No. 3 Dakota Wesleyan (27-4) at No. 2 Northwestern (26-3), 1 p.m.
Championship – Tuesday, Feb. 26
Time TBA