SEWARD, Neb. – A slow start for the Concordia University women’s basketball team had little effect on the outcome. The Bulldogs overmatched visiting Peru State College with superior depth and their patented pressure defense to run away with a 100-55 victory on the opening day of the 19th annual Cattle Classic on Friday (Nov. 2). The Bobcats committed 39 turnovers, including 27 in the first half.
Games like these are nothing new for 13th-year head coach Drew Olson’s program. His latest squad improved to 3-0 overall this season with the help of runs of 9-0 to open the first quarter, 15-0 to begin the third quarter and 9-0 to start the fourth period.
“I thought we did a nice job, especially after that slow start,” Olson said. “I thought our kids picked it up in the second quarter and carried it into the third quarter. Defensively we’ve been really, really good. That continued today. I thought we took care of the ball better in the second half. We just moved the ball better in the second half.”
Friday’s contest marked the first-ever home appearance for eight new Bulldogs, including starting point guard Grace Barry, a transfer from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. She turned in one of the game’s more impressive stat lines, going for 12 points (6-for-7 from the floor), six assists (only one turnover) and two steals in 16 minutes of action.
Barry is especially adept at setting up her own teammates. That skill will come in handy even more when Concordia breaks out from 3-point range (6-for-24 on Friday). She’s a perfect fit for this roster.
“It was a lot of fun,” Barry said of her first Walz experience. “The biggest thing to me is I’m around a great group of girls, a great group of coaches. Then you have professors here and friends here that I’ve met from classes. It’s just a great environment. There’s lots of energy and excitement.”
It is clear that junior Taryn Schuette has developed to the point of taking on more minutes this winter. She was the game’s high scorer with 17 points. She accomplished that in 14 minutes of playing time. Freshman Mackenzie Koepke (11 points, eight rebounds) and junior Philly Lammers (10 points, four steals) also reached double figures.
Peru State (0-1) was coming off a three-win season and was forced to play short-handed on Friday – only eight players were in uniform. Two Bobcat starters were harassed into 11 turnovers apiece. One of them was Giovanna Silva, who did manage to contribute nine points, eight rebounds and five steals.
Olson continues tinker with different lineup combinations during the early season. Junior guard Riley Sibbel started in the backcourt alongside Barry and sophomore Taylor Cockerill. Koepke shined in a reserve role while carrying the flag during a fourth quarter that was all about the bench players. Other rookies also contributed with Claire Cornell chipping in seven points and Delani Fahey adding six points.
The Friday game was something like an appetizer for Saturday’s big matchup with 14th-ranked University of Saint Francis (Ind.). The Cougars blew away Doane, 82-49, in the very first game of the Cattle Classic. Saint Francis’ top returner is All-American Kara Gerka. Saturday’s tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. CT.
“They look like an awesome team,” Olson said. “They have a lot of really good shooters and they’re well organized. They’re going to be a tough team to beat. They’re a great defensive team. Hopefully our kids will be ready to go.”