SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The second-ranked Concordia University women’s basketball team continues to hurdle every obstacle placed in front of it. Even without all-conference guard Mary Janovich, the Bulldogs pummeled host Dordt, 81-43, inside De Witt Gymnasium in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Friday evening in a rescheduled contest.
Eleventh-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad still has yet to drop a true road contest and has now won 17-straight games. The GPAC front running Bulldogs are 17-1 overall and remain unbeaten in the conference at 10-0.
“I was really impressed. Defensively we were really, really good,” Olson said. “We had a couple bad spurts, but overall just a great effort, great energy. To do it without Shelby (Quinn) and Mary, I loved how our kids were able to adjust. People just stepped up. We had kids assume some different roles. Laurel (Krohn) played point guard and we shifted some people around. They handled it and they were ready to do it on the fly.”
During a game featuring a dizzying number of Concordia substitutions, the constant was the Bulldogs’ relentlessly nasty defensive pressure. The offensively challenged Defenders shot only 28.3 percent from the floor and committed 38 turnovers. It became a chore for Dordt (8-10, 0-7 GPAC) to possess the ball long enough to simply get a shot up.
After leading 37-20 at the half, Concordia opened the third quarter with a 14-0 run that gave the rest of the game a scrimmage-like feel. The lopsided score meant playing time was divvied out among many. Twelve different Bulldogs found their way into the scoring column. Freshman Philly Lammers paced the victors with 13 points and four rebounds. Off the bench, fellow rookie Colby Duvel added a career high nine points to go with four boards.
“We have so many great upperclassmen who took a lot of us under their wing and showed us the way,” Duvel said. “They’ve made it easy to go along with it.”
For a team with the depth the Bulldogs possess, practices are a battle. Survival of the everyday grind has made Concordia even more equipped to handle the rigors of the GPAC.
Aubri Bro joined Lammers in double figures with 10 points. Duvel was one of three Bulldogs with exactly nine points. The others were Dani Andersen and Carissa Gutz. Andersen knocked in 3-of-4 shot attempts from beyond the arc. In addition, Riley Sibbel chipped in four late points and Shelby Pollman saw the first varsity action of her career.
Concordia shot 40.5 percent (30-for-74) from the floor and just 20 percent (5-for-25) from beyond the 3-point line. The Bulldogs outrebounded Dordt, 44-38. Quinn Wragge topped all players with eight rebounds.
Concordia has come accustomed to blowout wins. Only two of its 17 victories have come by margins of less than 10 points. The Bulldogs entered the day ranked fourth nationally in scoring margin (plus-25.3).
“I keep saying this each time, but our kids are really mature,” Olson said. “They come into every game with good focus. They do what they’re supposed to do and are methodical in their approach. It’s a very unique group.”
Not only did Janovich watch the game from the sideline, Quinn had to leave the contest early after a cut above the eye bloodied her face. She received stitches while the game carried on without her.
The Bulldogs will return home on Wednesday to host Midland (11-5, 4-4 GPAC). Tipoff from Walz Arena is set for 6 p.m. CT. In this season’s first meeting, Concordia defeated the Warriors, 89-50, in Fremont on Nov. 16. The Bulldogs are 77-9 at home since the start of the 2011-12 season.