SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball will celebrate senior day on Saturday (Feb. 15) versus Dakota Wesleyan but not before competing against Hastings in Lynn Farrell Arena. The Bulldogs got ahead of Northwestern in Orange City but didn’t hold on in the final quarter (82-73). The Seward bunch has earned a 13-11 overall record and 8-10 in conference play.
This Week
Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Hastings (18-6, 13-5 GPAC), 6 p.m.
--Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Lynn Farrell Arena (Hastings, Neb.)
Saturday, Feb. 15 vs. No.16 Dakota Wesleyan (19-5, 14-4 GPAC), 2 p.m.
--Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· Down 41-32 after half one, the Dawgs came out of the locker rooms with a 13-2 run to take their first lead since the beginning of the first quarter. Raelyn Kelty led the charge scoring all five of her points in the stretch. Northwestern used a 17-8 spurt to take the slim lead (71-66) broken up by Brigham’s eight points in the run. The home side used free throws to keep the advantage at a distance before the final buzzer. Kendal Brigham took control of the offense in the second half scoring 16 points (20 total) and Abby Krieser swiped a game high five steals. The Bulldogs bested the Red Raiders in 3-pointers (7-3), forced turnovers (17-13), steals (9-4), and points off turnovers (17-13). Krieser and Kristin Vieselmeyer tallied 12 points apiece.
· Krieser, out of Lincoln, Neb., has targeted double figures in four of her last five outings including her season high (14) versus Midland. The Lincoln North Star product has hit 10 points 11 times this year and 14 steals (total) in the last four games. With 16 assists in the last five games, the senior guard continues to fill the stat sheet and show her prowess on both ends of the floor.
· Graduate Student Kendal Brigham has hit 15+ points eight times this year and capped off her season high versus Northwestern (20). The 5-5 guard has reached double figures 15 times, the most by any Bulldog this season. A Wahoo, Neb., native, Brigham reached her career high her senior year against Doane, scoring 24 points against the Tigers on Jan. 10 in a dominant win (101-60) at home. The Wahoo product has 1,196 career points, 192 made treys, less than 10 away from Bailey Morris (201). Brigham has doubled her career blocks to four in total this season.
· The Colorado connection has been evident with Assistant Coach Tae’lor Purdy-Korell in her 10th year with the Bulldogs. Originally from Agate, Colo., Purdy-Korell has been a link to the Centennial state. With four current varsity players on the roster (two starters), the Rocky Mountain natives have impacted the college in the cornfield averaging 66.6 (out of 200) minutes per game. Vieselmeyer, Kelty, Joclyn Bassett and Bree Bunting surmount 24.7 points from the 77.0 team average. With a junior, Vieselmeyer, and three sophomores, the high altitude natives have a couple of years remaining on the floor in Seward.
· Senior Day will include Abby Heemstra and Abby Krieser on Saturday (Feb. 15) in Friedrich Arena. Heemstra, a Rock Valley, Iowa, native totaled 118 games played with 50 starts. The Rock Valley Community alum has gained 1,849 minutes played, 577 points (45.3 FG percentage), 112 made free throws (75.7 percent), 407 rebounds, 57 steals and 55 assists. Her career single game high was 19 points versus Dakota State. Following 107 career games played, Krieser has garnered 88 starts (2273 minutes), 885 points (48.6 FG percentage), made 89 3-pointers (33.5 percent), 116 free throws (75.3 percent) from the charity stripe, 326 rebounds, 169 steals and 154 assists. Her highest total points was her junior season (317).
· Concordia has a dominant recent history versus GPAC members Hastings and Dakota Wesleyan. In the past five years, the Dawgs have scored a 4-1 record in Lynn Farrell Arena and an unbeaten 6-0 slate inside Friedrich Arena against the Tigers. CUNE will look to respond to the first meetings this season including its losses against Hastings (71-69) and DWU (77-65) at the Corn Palace.
· Dordt is unbeaten no more thanks to Hastings but still leads in conference play (18-1) and will look to finish out the season as the GPAC champions. Briar Cliff (15-3), Dakota Wesleyan (14-4), Hastings (13-5) and Northwestern (13-6) are battling it out for the second slot and a semifinal home basketball game in the conference tournament. Three teams are in the middle of the pack including Doane (9-9), Morningside (9-9) and Concordia (8-10) and are jockeying for position in the GPAC postseason playoff. Waldorf (4-14) and Mount Marty (4-15) will try and make a move in the regular season's final games to seize the final spot.
Probable Lineup
G – Megan Belt, 5-6 (7.1)
G – Kendal Brigham, 5-5 (11.5)
G – Abby Krieser, 5-9 (8.6)
F – Raelyn Kelty, 5-11 (9.5)
F – Kristin Vieselmeyer, 6-2 (10.7)
The opponents
The Broncos come into the week on a five game winning streak and an 18-6 overall record. With a 13-5 conference slate, Hastings has knocked down Waldorf (106-51), CSM (95-53), No. 1 Dordt (91-83), Mount Marty (90-52) and Morningside (80-58). Averaging 79.3 points per game, the Broncos pull down 44.1 rebounds, 17.8 assists and 12 steals per game. Shooting 43.2 percent from the floor, they will look to Mckenna Yates (11.5), Ann Bose (11.0), Mariyah Avila (10.8) and Macy Bryant (10.3) to fill up the basket. Bose (48), Avila (42) and Yates (40) have all hot at least 40 treys and Bryant (45.3) is third in the GPAC for 3-point field goal percentage. Hastings rebounds by committee plus Arredondo and Yates dish out 3.3 assists per game. Avila (1.9) steals almost two a game from her opponents.
Hastings Probable Lineup
G – McKenna Yates, 5-8 (11.5)
G – Mariyah Avila, 5-5 (10.8)
G – Tathis Arrendondo, 5-4 (5.0)
F – Macy Bryant, 5-11 (10.3)
C – Rachel Goodon, 6-3 (8.5)
The Tigers are 19-5 overall and 14-4 in the conference, winning six of their last seven games. In February, Dakota Wesleyan defeated Midland (69-36) and Mount Marty (66-48) while falling to Briar Cliff in overtime (79-71). Averaging 71.9 points, the Tigers grab 39.2 rebounds and 15.3 assists a contest. With a 9-3 away record, they shoot 43.8 percent from the field and make five threes a game. With 8.3 steals, the DWU defense allows 71.6 points and 43.7 percent shooting from opponents. Forward Emma Yost (16.3) leads the pack of Tigers in points followed by Rylee Rosenquist (12.9) and Avery Broughton (10.7). Broughton (6.0) and Yost (5.5) crash the boards as Rosenquist (2.9) and Mya Wilson (2.7) are out front in assists. Broughton blocks a team high 1.6 a game.
Dakota Wesleyan Probable Lineup
G – Avery Broughton, 6-1 (10.7)
G – Mya Wilson, 5-4 (8.6)
G – Rylee Rosenquist, 5-7 (12.9)
G – Shalayne Nagel, 6-1 (8.9)
F – Emma Yost, 6-0 (16.3)
Concordia will finish out the regular season with two contests hosting Doane and driving to Mount Marty over the weekend. The Bulldogs are going to face off against the Tigers in Seward and complete the season inside