SEWARD, Neb. – Two of the most accomplished programs in GPAC women’s basketball history will meet on the hardwood as conference play tips off on Saturday. The fifth-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball team is preparing to welcome Morningside to Friedrich Arena. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad is coming off a signature road win over No. 6 Dakota State University (S.D.) this past weekend. The Bulldogs and Mustangs both sport 2-1 records in nonconference play.
This Week
Saturday, Nov. 16 vs. Morningside (2-1, 0-0 GPAC), 2 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· The challenging nonconference slate continued on Nov. 9 as the Bulldogs met up with No. 6 Dakota State in Madison, S.D. In a contest featuring two sides that employ full-court pressure, Concordia got the best of the Trojans, 64-54, while forcing 20 turnovers and limited the opposition to 39.6 percent shooting from the floor. Dakota State managed to whittle a 15-point third-quarter deficit down to six before the Bulldogs responded and built the lead back up to double digits. Concordia held the Trojans to only one made basket over the game’s final four-and-a-half minutes. Offensively, Megan Belt topped the Bulldogs with 12 points on four 3-point field goals. Juliana Jones added 10 points, Kendal Brigham dished out seven assists and Abby Heemstra collected seven points and eight rebounds off the bench.
· Entering the week, every GPAC women’s basketball squad has played at least one nonconference game. Five GPAC teams are undefeated in the early going: Mount Marty (5-0), Briar Cliff (3-0), Dordt (3-0), Doane (1-0) and Hastings (1-0). The defending national champion Defenders have backed up their No. 1 NAIA ranking with two top 25 wins – over No. 17 Grand View (Iowa) and No. 20 Oregon Tech. Ranked No. 9 in the NAIA preseason poll, Dakota Wesleyan stands at 2-1 with the loss coming at home to Dakota State.
· If the first three official games are a proper indication, the Bulldogs will be a balanced team when it comes to scoring. Through three games, five Concordia players are averaging at least 7.0 points per game: Kendal Brigham (10.3), Abby Krieser (10.3), Megan Belt (9.3), Raelyn Kelty (9.3) and Juliana Jones (7.0). In her home state of Colorado, Kelty put up 21 points at NCAA Division I University of Northern Colorado on Nov. 4 in a game that counted as an exhibition for the Bulldogs. Kelty and Abby Heemstra currently share the team lead for rebounding average at 5.7 per game. In the backcourt, Belt has been hot from 3-point range having gone 9-for-17.
· Now a graduate student, Brigham is closing in on 1,000 career points. Through 112 career collegiate games, the Wahoo, Neb., native has totaled 952 points, 268 rebounds, 254 assists and 122 steals. She sports an impressive career assist-to-turnover ratio of 254-to-120. Brigham has been named an Honorable Mention All-GPAC selection in back-to-back years and has been part of national tournament qualifying times in each of her previous four seasons as a Bulldog. Brigham will shoulder much of the load at point guard. She played 35 minutes versus No. 10 Southern Oregon and 34 minutes at No. 6 Dakota State.
· Jones and Kelty are two of the rising stars in Concordia’s sophomore class. Both have joined the starting five that also includes Brigham, Krieser and Kristin Vieselmeyer. As freshmen in 2023-24, Jones and Kelty got their feet wet at the college level while both appearing in at least 25 varsity games. Jones’ career high of 12 points came at College of Saint Mary last season while Kelty’s career high of 14 points came this season versus No. 10 Southern Oregon. The varsity roster includes additional sophomores in Joclyn Bassett, Bree Bunting, Jordan Ernstmeyer, Libby Hoffman and Sammy Leu.
· During Olson’s tenure, Concordia has become known for forcing turnovers thanks in large part to a suffocating full-court press. The 2023-24 team that reached the NAIA national round of 16 averaged 20.1 turnovers forced per game. So far this season, the Bulldogs have forced an average of 16.7 turnovers per outing. The accomplished Concordia teams of 2018-19 and 2019-20 flustered their opposition into more than 1,000 turnovers in both seasons.
· Under Olson’s direction, the program has won at least 13 GPAC regular season games each season since 2011-12. In that timeframe, the Bulldogs have celebrated GPAC regular season titles in 2011-12, 2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 for a total of six championships. Olson’s 18-year record in GPAC regular season games stands at 275-90. Olson has also led the program to six GPAC tournament titles.
The opponent
Morningside finished the 2023-24 season at 15-13 overall and missed out on the national tournament, breaking a string of 21-straight appearances on the NAIA national stage. Head Coach Jamie Sale has been at the controls of the program since 2001 and has guided the Mustangs to four national championships. Morningside returns First Team All-GPAC guard Alexis Spier and honorable mention selection Lily Vollertsen. So far this season, the Mustangs have earned home wins over No. 17 Grand View, 93-87, and Kansas Wesleyan University, 75-57. The loss came on the road at 2024 national qualifier Benedictine College (Kan.), 71-60. Three Morningside players are averaging in double figures in scoring: Vollertsen (17.3), Sam Ehlers (13.0) and Spier (11.0). The Bulldogs took all three meetings from the Mustangs in 2023-24.
Next week
League play will heat up next week with a pair of GPAC matchups. Concordia will host College of Saint Mary on Nov. 20 before heading to Sioux Center, Iowa, to take on No. 1 Dordt on Nov. 23.