SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University women’s basketball team will have a slow schedule this week after last week’s three game stand. The Bulldogs will travel to Dordt College to take on the Defenders on Friday, Dec. 18. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m.
GAME INFO
No. 14 Concordia University (7-3, 4-3 GPAC) at Dordt College (4-9, 1-6 GPAC)
Friday, Dec. 18 | 5 p.m. CDT
Site: De Witt Gymnasium | Sioux Center, Iowa
Webcast: Live Stream
Live Stats: DakStats
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Last time out
The No. 14 Concordia women’s basketball team breezed by the Dordt Defenders on Wednesday evening. The 86-54 victory came thanks to a stiff Bulldog defense, forcing 31 Defender turnovers. CUNE also helped themselves with a 41.9 shooting percentage.
The No. 14 Concordia women’s basketball team had no troubles with non-conference foe York College on Thursday night. The Bulldogs stomped the Panthers, 111-65 in the tilt played in Walz Arena. Junior Devin Edwards posted a career-high 14 points. Three other Bulldogs scored in the double digits.
The 14th-ranked Concordia University women’s basketball squad used its patented depth to wear down visiting Mount Marty in Saturday afternoon’s GPAC grinder. The Bulldogs put together a 16-4 second-half splurge to pull away for a 77-59 victory inside Walz Arena.
In the rankings
For the 55th straight poll (dating back to the 2011-12 preseason poll), the Concordia women’s basketball team was ranked in the top-25 in the 2015-16 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll. It was the eighth straight preseason ranking that the Bulldogs received. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Concordia has been ranked inside the top 10 in all but two polls, including 31 top-five appearances. After the Dec. 7 coaches’ poll, the Bulldogs extended that streak to 55 consecutive top-25 rankings when the squad checked in at 14.
Nationally as a team, the Bulldogs rank second in 3-point field goals made per game (10.3), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.249), fifth in scoring offense per game (83.1), eighth in steals per game (13.4) and ninth in total 3-point field goals made (103).
Rankings in the GPAC
As a team so far this season, the Bulldogs lead in scoring offense per game (83.1), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.249) and 3-point field goals made per game (10.3), rank second in field goal percentage defense (.373), steals per game (13.4) and total 3-point field goals made (103), rank third in free throw percentage (.745), 3-point field goal percentage (.367), total rebound offense per game (40.10), offensive rebounds per game (13.10), assists per game (17.10) and total steals (134), rank fourth in scoring margin (17.8), field goal percentage (.449) and turnover margin (5. 0) and rank fifth in scoring defense per game (65.3), defensive rebounds per game (27.0) and assist-turnover ratio (1.03).
Brenleigh Daum – 3-point field goals per game, tied for ninth (2.0)
Becky Mueller – 3-point field goal percentage, eighth (.413)
Quotable
“I was really impressed with how we played, especially from the second quarter through the fourth quarter. Defensively our effort was awesome. We really stuck to the scouting report. In the first quarter we kind of lost our heads at times. We just gave them way too much space. We got back to the game plan and played really well.”
-Head coach Drew Olson
“It was good team basketball, we really had good team chemistry and flowed really well tonight. That’s what we’ve been working on in practices and so we really emphasized that in the game.”
-Sophomore Sydney Feller
Scouting the Dordt College Defenders
The Defenders of Dordt College are currently 4-9, 1-9 GPAC on the season. This will be the second time the Defenders and Bulldogs battle. In the first matchup, CUNE prevailed, 86-54. As a team, Dordt is averaging 69.2 points and 41.8 rebounds per game. Dordt has defeated Northwestern in GPAC play, 64-53. The victory on Nov. 18 was the last time the Defenders won a game and have lost six straight tilts since. Dordt has three athletes averaging double-digit scoring, Alissa Pollema (12.2), Mycah Hulst (10.2) and Paige Engbers (10.8). The Defenders are led by head coach Katie DeWitt-Severson who is in her first full season at Dort College. DeWitt-Severson is assisted by Jeff Larson and Nick Miller.
Up next for the Bulldogs
The Concordia women’s basketball team will play on the west coast next week. The Bulldogs will play a pair of games in Redding, Calif. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 29-30. Tipoff for Tuesday against Simpson University will be 8 p.m. while Wednesday’s start time is slated for 4 p.m. against Pacific Union College. (Times are CDT)