SEWARD, Neb. – After a lull in the schedule for the Thanksgiving holiday, the top-ranked Concordia University women’s basketball team now gears up for a big showdown with 11th-ranked Morningside on Wednesday. Tipoff from Walz Arena is set for 6 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs will then break for a weekend bye in the schedule.
This Week
Wednesday, Nov. 28 vs. No. 11 Morningside (6-1, 4-1), 6 p.m.
-Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
-Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Thirteenth-year head coach Drew Olson has his program out to a 9-0 start of the third time during his tenure (2012-13 and 2017-18). In the team’s most recent outing, Concordia cruised to an 88-55 win at College of Saint Mary on Nov. 20. Not a single Bulldog saw more than 18 minutes of action, but Mackenzie Koepke (14), Quinn Wragge (12) and Taylor Cockerill (11) each managed to reach double figures in scoring. In addition to her career high point total, Koepke added seven rebounds. Concordia forced 31 turnovers and knocked down 15 3-point field goals in its latest rout.
That turnover number actually comes in below the season average for Bulldog opponents, who have committed 319 turnovers over nine games (35.4 per game). As a team, Concordia sports national rankings of first in steals per game (22.1), second in turnover margin (+15.8), fourth in scoring offense (88.6) and fourth in scoring margin (+28.7). The Bulldogs have maintained such dominance while going up against a schedule that Massey Ratings currently lists as the 23rd toughest in the NAIA to date. Concordia owns wins over four ranked opponents: No. 15 Indiana Wesleyan University, No. 14 University of Saint Francis (Ind.), No. 13 Hastings and No. 16 Jamestown.
Junior Grace Barry was needed for only 17 minutes in the win at College of Saint Mary, but she will be counted upon heavily against the league’s top teams. On the national leaderboard, the point guard from Lincoln East High School ranks third in assists per game (5.78) and third in steals per game (4.11). She’s the catalyst in the backcourt for a team that also has one of the nation’s top frontcourts. The unit features senior Quinn Wragge, who needs just three more points to become the 10th player in program history to reach 1,500 for a career. Wragge also ranks among the school’s top 10 all-time in rebounding.
Morningside will attempt to snap a 40-game home win streak for the Bulldogs, who have not suffered a loss inside Walz Arena since January 2016. The Mustangs also hope to end Concordia’s five-game win streak in the series. Head coach Jamie Sale’s squad has endured just one defeat so far this season – a 91-66 loss to No. 8 Northwestern on Nov. 17. Morningside will have had the same break as the Bulldogs with their last outing resulting in an 89-46 victory over Doane on Nov. 20. Behind Sierra Mitchell (20.6 ppg), the Mustangs have rated as one of the top 10 offensive squads in NAIA Division II.
Projected Starters
(Scoring average in parentheses)
Concordia (9-0, 5-0)
G – Grace Barry, Jr., 5-7 (11.2)
G – Taylor Cockerill, So., 5-9 (15.9)
G – Riley Sibbel, Jr., 5-9 (5.3)
F – Quinn Wragge, Sr., 6-0 (13.0)
F – Philly Lammers, Jr., 5-11 (12.8)
Morningside (6-1, 4-1)
G – Grace Meyer, So., 5-8 (1.9)
G – Sierra Mitchell, So., 5-6 (20.6)
G – Jordyn Moser, Jr., 5-5 (9.3)
F – Sydney Hupp, Jr., 6-1 (12.3)
F – Sophia Peppers, So., 5-10 (6.4)