SEWARD, Neb. – It’s time for the third-ranked Concordia University women’s basketball time to come down from the high of winning the 30th Concordia Invitational Tournament title in program history. The Bulldogs will have a couple of days to get their legs back underneath them after traveling back from Chicago. A 3-0 stretch over four days leads into a week with two ranked opponents: No. 17 Northwestern and No. 12 Dakota Wesleyan.
This Week
Wednesday, Jan. 29 vs. (17) Northwestern (12-7, 7-7 GPAC), 6 p.m.
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Saturday, Feb. 1 at (12) Dakota Wesleyan (15-7, 8-6 GPAC), 2 p.m.
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Grace Barry earned tournament MVP honors and Philly Lammers garnered all-tournament recognition as CUNE won CIT for the 11th time during head coach Drew Olson’s 14 seasons leading the program. The Bulldogs have won seven CITs in a row, including 14-straight CIT games. Once again, CUNE dominated the event, forcing a combined 74 turnovers while defeating Concordia-Ann Arbor, 74-49, and Concordia-Wisconsin, 102-47. Barry totaled a combined 30 points, 15 assists, eight steals and five rebounds during the team’s stay in River Forest, Ill., home to Concordia University, Chicago.
Prior to traveling to CIT, the Bulldogs claimed their eighth win this season over a ranked opponent when it pulled away from seventh-ranked Morningside for an 85-61 victory on Jan. 22. Freshman sharpshooter Taylor Farrell led CUNE with 14 points on 4-for-4 shooting from 3-point range in that victory. Her status is in question this week after she left the CUAA game with an injury. Farrell is 31-for-60 from 3-point range on the season. The Bulldogs have beaten the following ranked teams this season (based on rankings at the time games were played): No. 2 Southeastern University (Fla.), No. 6 Dordt, No. 7 Morningside (twice), No. 9 University of St. Francis (Ill.), No. 12 Northwestern, No. 12 Sterling College (Kan.) and No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan.
Turnover margin has routinely been a key part of the narrative during Olson’s tenure. In last week’s action, CUNE posted turnover margins of +13 versus Morningside, +25 versus CUAA and +16 versus CUW. The Bulldogs are the national leader in turnover margin at +16.2. Those takeaways have helped fuel CUNE to reach the 100-point mark 10 times this season. With an average of 93.4 points scored per game, the Bulldogs rank No. 2 among NAIA Division II squads. They have managed to do so while playing a schedule that Massey Ratings judges to be the second most challenging in the NAIA.
Since the calendar flipped to 2020, the Red Raiders have endured their share of struggles that began with their 97-81 home loss to Concordia on Jan. 2. Northwestern is 2-5 since New Year’s and is coming off a 77-67 home defeat at the hands of Briar Cliff. Head coach Chris Yaw’s team did not have the services of typical starter in sophomore forward Alexis Toering in that contest. The team’s biggest star has been Sammy Blum, who is averaging 13.9 points while shooting 35.2 percent from 3-point range. The Bulldogs have won 10 of the last 11 meetings with the Red Raiders.
Dakota Wesleyan has become a compelling rival of Concordia’s in recent years. Back on Dec. 7, the Bulldogs flustered the Tigers into 41 turnovers in a 100-72 victory. Concordia has won eight of the last nine matchups with Dakota Wesleyan. Head coach Jason Christensen’s squad boasts two of the league’s top players in seniors Sarah Carr and Kynedi Cheeseman. The latter ranks as the conference scoring leader with an average of 20.6 points per game. Since New Year’s, the Tigers are 4-3 while alternating wins and losses each time out. Each of those three defeats have come against top 10 foes.
In next week’s action, the Bulldogs will be on the road for games at Doane (Feb. 5) and at No. 9 Dordt (Feb. 8).
Projected Lineups
Concordia (20-2, 13-1 GPAC)
G – Grace Barry, Sr., 5-7 (13.2)
G – Riley Sibbel, Sr., 5-9 (7.3)
G – Mackenzie Koepke, So., 6-1 (8.2)
F – Colby Duvel, Sr., 5-9 (7.2)
F – Philly Lammers, Sr., 5-11 (13.1)
Northwestern (12-7, 7-7 GPAC)
G – Devyn Kemble, So., 5-6 (10.7)
G – Sammy Blum, Jr., 5-7 (13.9)
G – Bre Schuiteman, Sr., 5-8 (10.7)
F – Taylor VanderVelde, So. 5-8 (8.0)
F – Alexis Toering, So., 5-11 (10.8)
Dakota Wesleyan (15-7, 8-6 GPAC)
G – Kaylee Kirk, So., 5-5 (4.6)
G – Kynedi Cheeseman, Sr., 5-9 (20.6)
F – Sarah Carr, Sr., 6-0 (17.0)
F – Makaela Karst, Sr., 6-1 (11.1)
F – Jessica Mieras, Sr., 6-4 (8.4)