SEWARD, Neb. – After winning their ninth consecutive Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT), the Bulldogs will be back on the road towards Sioux City, Iowa to face Morningside on Wednesday (Jan. 31). Then, Concordia will get a break from the asphalt with a three game home stretch, starting with Northwestern this coming Saturday. The No. 8 Dawgs won all three contests from last week, which began with a decisive (75-53) win over Mount Marty. All the way in Mequon, Wis., Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) hosted the 71st CIT, as CUNE continued their tournament win streak (18) over a three-driven Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA), 73-64, and CUW, 78-48. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad is rolling over opponents like a continuous tide, extending their win streak (10) and pushing their overall record to 17-2 (11-2 GPAC).
This Week
Wednesday, Jan. 31 at Morningside (11-8, 8-6 GPAC), 6 p.m. CT
-- Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center (Sioux City, Iowa)
Saturday, Feb. 3 vs. Northwestern (12-8, 8-6 GPAC), 2 p.m. CT
-- Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· The defense did not hold back against the Lancers, carving out 32 turnovers in the dominant home win. Concordia got out in front, in the first half, with a 22-0 run to blow out the visitors. Taysha Rushton (1,658 career points) moved up another rung on the program’s all-time scoring list as she jumped over Kristen Conahan for No. 9. Rushton notched 10 points, as Sadie Powell notched 15 points, six steals and four assists. Others contributing were: Kristin Vieselmeyer (10), Megan Belt (nine), Raelyn Kelty (seven) and Sammy Leu (seven).
· CUNE remained champions of CIT but had to find their way back from a 16-point deficit in the opening game versus CUAA. The Cardinals had a red hot start from beyond the arc, hitting five treys in the first quarter. The Bulldogs clamped down on defense and started to create a rhythm on offense in the second half. After cutting the lead to two, the Bulldogs went on a 12-0 run gaining a 10-point (71-63) lead late in the fourth. Rushton finished with a team high 17 points. Mackenzie Toomey (15), Abby Krieser (14), Brigham (14) and Powell (11) finished in double digits. In the Championship, CUW couldn’t hold onto the rock, as the Bulldogs caused yet another 32 turnover game. Ranked fourth (23.8) in forced turnovers and third (14.3) in steals, the stingy unit took over once again at CIT. Brigham paced the team with 14, with Rushton and Leu both having 10.
· CUNE lays claim to the most titles (32) in the history of the women’s basketball event at CIT. They have won 31 of the last 36 tournaments and Coach Olson continues to hold the record for the most championships (13) and has a 29-3 record for the weekend event. The average win margin in the 18 straight games is 32.5.
· Brigham garnered the CIT MVP with 14 points in both games on 9-of-20 (45 percent) from the field. The Wahoo, Neb., native also totaled 6 steals, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in the tournament. Brigham became the 32nd winner of the award and shot a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. She has made 15 consecutive free throws through 6 games. Rushton made the all-tournament team with 13.5 points per game, totaling six rebounds, six assists and four steals.
· With the 10-game win streak, the Bulldogs have bested six straight in the conference since Dec. 18. Their most impressive wins have been avenging an early season losses to No. 10 Briar Cliff (6-8-58) on Jan. 20 and Jamestown (69-63) on Jan. 3. Not to mention, being CIT champions. The most recent RPI rankings from Jan. 20 have Concordia ranked 9th (0.632) and ARC lists them as second in the North Central region (Jan. 22) under No.1 Dordt.
Concordia Projected Starting Five
G – Mackenzie Toomey, 5-9 (5.3)
G – Taysha Rushton, 5-5 (14.6)
G – Abby Krieser, 5-8 (9.6)
F – Sadie Powell, 6-0 (11.4)
F – Kristin Vieselmeyer, 6-1 (5.6)
Morningside
The Mustangs come into Wednesday’s game, having won four out of their last five games, pushing their record to 11-8 overall and 8-6 in the conference. They have won six of their nine games in Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center and have put themselves in a four way tie for fourth in the conference with Briar Cliff, Doane and Northwestern. Morningside averages 71.2 ppg while giving up 72.5 to their counterparts. With 38.9 rebounds a contest, the Mustangs share the ball with 16.5 assists every 40 minutes. Guard Alexis Spier leads the team with 13.8 ppg and assists per game (2.6). Chloe Lofstrom shoots a team-high 60 percent from the field, averaging 10.8 per game, and also has a team-high in rebounds per game (6.1).
Morningside Projected Starting Five
G –Jordyn Carr, 5-7 (4.2)
G – Jaeden Webb, 5-9 (7.8)
G – Alexis Spier, 5-7 (13.8)
F – Ella Wragge, 5-10 (4.7)
F – Chloe Lofstrom, 6-0 (10.8)
Northwestern
The Red Raiders come into the week in a slump, winning (79-61) their most recent matchup versus Hastings but fell in the previous three. They have totaled a record of 12-8 and 8-6 in the GPAC. Molly Schany is No. 3 in the conference in points per game (16.6) on 61.1 percent (3rd) from the field and No.2 in rebounds (8.3), making her a force for Northwestern. Hali Anderson averages 1.6 treys and a team-leading 79 total assists. The Red Raiders average 73 points as a team, while giving up 69. With one of the bigger lineups in the conference, they will look to get the ball down low and do damage in the paint.
Northwestern Projected Starting Five
G – Kylie Foss, 5-6 (4.0)
G – Hali Anderson, 5-6 (13.1)
F – Lexi Van Kekerix, 5-11 (5.1)
F – Emily TerWee, 6-0 (9.5)
F – Molly Schany, 6-1 (16.6)
Next week
Concordia will have their hands full with three games the following week, starting on Monday (Feb. 5) against top-of-the-conference Dordt. The Bulldogs have narrowed their opponents down to conference games following CIT, taking on College of Saint Mary (Feb. 7) and Dakota Wesleyan on Super Bowl Sunday.