2001-02 - Women's Basketball schedule/results

28-6 Overall, 13-5 GPAC

Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Results
Nov. 2	St. Mary's	Seward, Neb.	W 104-54
Nov. 3	Peru State	Seward, Neb.	W 94-48
Nov. 6	York College	York, Neb.	W 88-64
Peru State Classic:
Nov. 10	vs. Peru State	Peru, Neb.	W 70-60
Nov. 11	vs. Briar Cliff	Peru, Neb.	W 77-66
Hastings Classic:
Nov. 15	vs. St. Ambrose University	Hastings, Neb.	W 77-69
Nov. 16	vs. University of Mary	Hastings, Neb.	W 63-55
Nov. 17	vs. Jamestown College	Hastings, Neb.	W 79-57
Cattle Classic:
Nov. 23	vs. Park University	Seward, Neb.	W 84-71
Nov. 24	vs. Bethany College	Seward, Neb.	W 93-81
Nov. 27	Doane College*	Seward, Neb.	W 73-72
Dec. 1	Mount Marty*	Seward, Neb.	W 84-70
Dec. 5	Midland Lutheran*	Fremont, Neb.	W 79-67
Dec. 8	Dordt College*	Sioux Center, Iowa	W 91-47
Dec. 15	College of St. Mary's	Omaha, Neb.	W 71-57
Jan. 2	Dana College*	Seward, Neb.	W 94-51
Jan. 5	Dakota Wesleyan*	Seward, Neb.	L 70-61
Jan. 9	Hastings College*	Hastings, Neb.	W 68-54
Jan. 12	University of Sioux Falls*	Seward, Neb.	W 99-85
Jan. 15	Nebraska Wesleyan*	Lincoln, Neb.	W 75-50
Jan. 17	Colorado College*	Seward, Neb.	W 91-39
Jan. 19	Northwestern*	Orange City, Iowa	L 72-69
Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT):
Jan. 25	vs. Concordia River Forest	Ann Arbor, Mich.	W 78-37
Jan. 26	vs. Concordia Mequon	Ann Arbor, Mich.	W 76-47
Jan. 29	Doane College*	Crete, Neb.	L 78-61
Feb. 2	Northwestern College*	Seward, Neb.	W 77-66
Feb. 6	Midland Lutheran*	Seward, Neb.	W 94-77
Feb. 9	Dordt College*	Seward, Neb.	W 59-46
Feb. 12	Dana College*	Blair, Neb.	W 83-44
Feb. 16	Dakota Wesleyan*	Mitchell, S.D.	L 78-71
GPAC Tournament:
Feb. 21	vs. Doane*	Seward, Neb.	W 84-74
Feb. 23	vs. Dakota Wesleyan*	Mitchell, S.D.	L 70-55
NAIA National Tournament:
March 7	vs. Southern Oregon	Sioux City, Iowa	W 71-55
March 8	vs. Briar Cliff	Sioux City, Iowa	L 67-65

*Indicates Great Plains Athletic Conference Games
All Home Games in BOLD

Concordia opens with 104-54, 94-48 victories

2-3 NOV 2001

The nets were hot after Concordia opened its women’s basketball season with two wins, 104-54 over College of St. Mary on Nov. 2 and 94-48 over Peru State College on the afternoon of Nov. 3.

“Both games were easier then I thought they’d be,” Coach Micah Parker said. “There isn’t much of a dropoff, if any, from our starters to our second five off the bench so if we get up on someone early, we’re able to keep applying pressure.”

Concordia next travels to York College on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. game and enters the Peru State Classic against Peru (Saturday at 8 p.m.) and Briar Cliff (Sunday at 2 p.m.). Briar Cliff, which will be joining the GPAC next season, is No. 9 in the NAIA preseason ratings.

GPAC coaches in a preseason poll predicted the Bulldogs would finish sixth in the conference standings. Hastings got the nod from eight of the coaches as the prospective champion while defending national champion Northwestern was second with three first-place votes. Following them in order were Dakota Wesleyan, Midland Lutheran, Doane, Concordia, Sioux Falls, Mount Marty, Nebraska Wesleyan, Dordt and Dana.

“In both games,” Parker said of the opening weekend, “we were able to keep it simple on offense, which helps when you start three freshmen. Both were home games, and we expect to win those — we’ve got six road games in a row coming up so we’ll see more of what we have to work on.”

Freshman Kari Saving of Lenexa, Kan., led the scoring against St. Mary with 19 while Jonie Ficken had 15, Sarah Harrison 14 and Elizabeth Rhoden 12. Naomi Laune led balanced rebounding with six.

Against Peru State on Saturday in a game squeezed in between the football and volleyball games, all the Concordia players who suited up scored for the second game in a row.
“We shot well from three and outrebounded them 48-27,” Parker said. “We’ve still got some work to do defensively, but our pressure on the ball was good and we scored a lot of easy baskets off of their 25 turnovers.”

Harrison, a freshman from Stratton, Neb., led the scoring with 14 points while Saving had 12 in a balanced scoring attack. Mooney, Rhoden and Hannah Krenz each added nine points while Melissa Frees and Naomi Laune each popped in eight. Harrison and Laune combined for 17 rebounds.

Ficken only played four minutes because of a sprained ankle and Harrison also was restricted because of a pulled muscle.

Bulldogs win #3 at York, 88-54

6 NOV 2001

Dani Adams scored 17 and Jonie Ficken 16 as Concordia won over York College, 88-64, at York on Nov. 6. Becky Mooney and Kari Saving each added 10 points and Amy Streuter 9. Sarah Harrison pulled down 10 rebounds while scoring seven. Adams led in assists with five. The Bulldogs led, 42-35, at half.

Concordia defeats Peru, 70-60, at Classic

10 NOV 2001

Sarah Harrison scored 12 points to lead Concordia to a 70-60 victory over >Peru State on Nov. 10 at the Peru State Classic. The Bulldogs held a 45-23 halftime lead. Coach Micah Parker got balanced scoring with Jonie Ficken hitting nine, Kari Saving, Amy Streuter and Laura Frees eight each, Kayla Luehmann seven, and Elizabeth Rhoden six.

Bulldogs defeat St. Ambrose, 77-69, at Hastings

15 NOV 2001

A balanced attack paid off for Concordia in a 77-69 victory at the Hastings Classic on Nov. 15. Elizabeth Rhoden paced the Bulldogs with 15 while Jonie Ficken added 14, Sarah Harrison 12, Kari Saving 11 and Dani Adams 8. Concordia led, 36-30, at half. Saving and Harrison led in rebounding with 11 and 10. In other games Doane defeated Mary, 66-59, and Hastings defeated Jamestown, 79-48.

Comeback pushes Bulldogs past Mary, 63-55

16 NOV 2001

The Concordia Bulldogs came back after a 32-29 deficit at half to defeat the University of Mary, 63-55, at Hastings on Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs hit only 24 percent of their field-goal attempts in the opening period while Mary (4-2) was pouring in 46 percent. Concordia warmed up to 35 percent in the second half to pull ahead. Jonie Ficken scored 16, Sarah Harrison 13 and Naomi Laune 12 for Concordia. Kayla Luehman dominated the boards, grabbing 11. Shayley Bebbe topped Mary with 14 points.

Bulldogs roll over Jamestown, 79-57

17 NOV 2001

Concordia opened a 42-19 lead at half as they defeated Jamestown College, 79-57, on Nov. 17 at the Hastings Classic. It was the eighth win of the season without a loss. Leading the scoring was Jonie Ficken with 14, Sarah Harrison 12, Leah Berens nine and Kari Saving and Amy Streuter eight each. Harrison grabbed nine rebounds and Dani Adams turned in six assists.

Concordia and Bethany meet in battle of undefeated teams

23 NOV 2001

The Cattle Classic on Nov. 24 will feature a match between undefeated Concordia (9-0) and Bethany (4-0) at 5 p.m. Concordia defeated Park University, 84-71, on Friday as Bethany overwhelmed York, 95-55. York and Park play at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Park came back to tie the game at 47 with 18:30 remaining after the Bulldogs had led by as much as 11 points in the first half. Concordia opened the lead to 65-55 with 9:35 remaining and was never threatened. Sarah Harrison led the Bulldog attack with 18 points while Jonie Ficken and Amy Streuter each had 10 and Elizabeth Rhoden and Rachel Kirchner each nine. Harrison grabbed seven rebounds while Kari Saving and Rhoden each had five and Laura Frees, Kirchner and Kayla Luehmann each four. Rhoden also had six assists. Concordia had 40 points off its bench, compared to 21 for Park, who was led by Muneerah Williams with 21.

Cattle Classic on Nov. 23-24 fights hunger

Hunger is the target of proceeds from the second annual Cattle Classic, a college women’s basketball tournament at Concordia University on Friday and Saturday. Food accepted as an admission price will be donated to the Blue Valley Food Pantry in the event sponsored by The Cattle Nation Bank and Trust Co. and Concordia. A year ago 1,200 cans of food and $300 in cash were donated to the cause.

Four cans of food (or $5 adults) will be the admission fee to the tournament sessions. Because it is a public service event, Concordia passes will not be accepted. Admission for children will be two cans of food (or $2).

Teams from three states will join Concordia in the classic. Bethany College (2-0) of Lindsborg, Kan., and York College (4-3) of York, Neb., open the event at 5 p.m. on Friday. Park University (2-4) of Parkville, Mo., and Concordia (8-0) play at 7 p.m. Saturday games will match York and Park at 3 p.m. and Concordia and Bethany at 5 p.m.

Halftime at the classic games will feature 20 participants in a clinic for girls in grades 3-5 that was conducted Sunday by Concordia coaches and players.

Bulldogs come back to maintain streak, 93-81

24 NOV 2001

Bethany jumped off to a 23-9 lead in the first seven minutes of play in the Cattle Classic on Saturday afternoon, but Concordia came back to tie it at half, 41-41. The Swedes went ahead, 49-43, in the first three minutes of the second half. After it was tied 65-65 midway in the period, the Bulldogs took over with a 16-3 run to ice the victory, 93-81. Concordia's balanced scoring included six players in double figures: Kayle Luehmann with 16, Naomi Laune and Kari Saving each with 14, Becky Mooney and Sara Harrison each with 11 and Elizabeth Rhoden with 10. Cayla Rush led Bethany with 26. York defeated Park, 83-72, in the first game. The all-classic team included Laune and Rhoden of Concordia, Jodi Strathman of Bethany, Jen Spickelmier of York and Le'Nae Gilmore of Park.

Concordia squeaks by Doane, 73-72, in GPAC

27 NOV 2001

Junior Becky Mooney hit three of four free throws in the last 29 seconds for the winning points in a 73-72 GPAC victory at Seward on Nov. 27. Doane, which led by 57-50 with 11:25 to go, had a final shot bang off the rim. It was Concordia's 11th win without a loss while Doane ended up 8-2. Balanced scoring helped the Bulldogs in the fast-paced game with Amy Streuter hitting two three-pointers in the last 4.5 minutes, the last to tie it at 70. Concordia led, 38-37, at half after the lead changed eight times and it was tied three times in the first eight minutes. Elizabeth Rhoden led the Bulldog scoring with 12 while Sarah Harrison added 11, Jonie Ficken nine, Mooney, Streuter each eight, Kari Saving, Kayla Luehmann and Naomi Laune each six, and Rachel Kirchner five. Kirchner led the rebounding with seven while Saving and Luehmann each grabbed five. Dani Adams and Rhoden each had five assists. Kate Reeson topped Doane with 25 points, hitting five of nine from beyond the arc. Amanda Creighton had 14 points and seven rebounds. Concordia had 39 points from its bench compared to 20 for Doane reserves. In the turnover department Concordia lost the ball 20 times and Doane 19.

Bulldogs win over Mount Marty, 84-70, at home

1 DEC 2001

Mount Marty went up 48-41 in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the second half before Concordia went on a 13-0 run to take an 84-70 win on Dec. 1 at Seward. Sarah Harrison scored 21 for Concordia with Jonie Ficken adding 18 and Kari Saving 15. Harrison and Saving also led rebounding with seven and six. Dani Adams had five assists. Eliza Leloux led Mount Marty with 22 points.

Concordia wins over Midland, 79-67, on road

5 DEC 2001

Four Concordia players scored in double figures as the Bulldogs defeated Midland Lutheran, 79-67, at Fremont on Dec. 5.

“We had lost the last two years at Midland by one point,” Parker said. “Our returning players were very determined not to let that happen again.”

Concordia led at half, 37-33. Sarah Harrison scored 17, Jonie Ficken 13, including three for five from three-point range, Kayla Luehmann 11 and Elizabeth Rhoden 10. Rachel Kirchner led the rebounding department with 10 while Harrison grabbed eight. Dani Adams had five assists. Nikki Gargano, who had 12 rebounds, scored 14 and Jill Hayden 11 for Midland.

“We were not as physical as they were for most of the game,” he said, “and they forced us into our second 20-turnover night of the season.”

The Bulldogs only got six points in transition. “I didn't think we ran the floor as hard as we usually do,” Parker said, “and it's tough to run when you give up as many offensive rebounds as we did.”

Other observations of Parker: Timely defense and knocking down some big perimeter shots (Ficken, Harrison and Adams) maintained the lead the entire second half. Luehmann and Kirchner did a good job of defending their All-American (Gargano). Luehmann also played very well offensively in the second half with nine of her 11 points being scored on physical postups. Harrison had an efficient night offensively (5-7 field goals and 6-7 free throws). Rhoden provided offensive spark off the bench with eight of her 10 point in the first half. Laura Frees also gave us some quality minutes in the second half, including some good defense and a big basket off an assist from Adams to stop a Midland rally.

Unbeaten string at 14 after 91-47 win over Dordt

8 DEC 2001

Concordia hit eight of 14 three-point attempts and 56 percent from the floor in the second half to seal its 14th straight win and fourth GPAC victory with a final score of 91-47 at Dordt College on Saturday. The Bulldogs won 79-67 at Midland on Dec. 5. They have one game before semester break – at Omaha on Saturday at 7:30 versus College of St. Mary.

“We played very well in this game on both ends of the floor,” Coach Micah Parker said of the Sioux Center, Iowa, game. “Our starters got us going with good defensive pressure and our bench even picked it up a notch from there.”

Joni Ficken, hitting five field goal attempts to start the game, and Becky Mooney, three for four from behind the arc, each scored 13 with Kari Saving adding 10. Dani Adams, who had eight assists, scored nine and Laura Frees and Sarah Harrison each eight, Keyna Kobza and Rachel Kirchner each seven and Naomi Laune six. “We outscored their bench 44-14,” Parker said, “including 36-8 in the second half. When you score 91 points with only three people in double figures and the leader being 13, you have a deep unselfish team.”

Laune led rebounding with eight while Saving and Harrison each pulled down six. Amy Streuter contributed six assists. Harrison and Laune each stole the ball three times and Harrison blocked two shots. It was 37-19 at half as Dordt only hit 25 percent of its field goal attempts. Katie Bleeker scored 12 and Serena Van Beek 11 for the Defenders.

”Our guards played extremely well,” the coach said, “only turning the ball over nine times and only twice in the second half. We wanted to pressure this team from the start and they did a great job with their traps and rotations.”

The Bulldogs played without Kayla Luehmann, who sprained her ankle in practice. Kirchner got her first start with Frees and Kobza coming off the bench to help fill the spot. “All three played well,” Parker said. “If you didn't know who we started, it would be tough to tell, because we were rotating 4-5 people at a time and everyone was contributing.” He also complimented post players Harrison and Laune for their defense. “Our posts are doing a great job of preparing with our scouting reports,” he said. “They listen well and are prepared for what we know our opponents will do inside.”

“We are very pleased to be 4-0 in the league,” the coach said. “That means more to us then being 14-0 overall. I hope the fact that we are winning, but know we have to improve will keep us focused on our season objectives.”

Bulldogs enter break, winning 71-57 at St. Mary

15 DEC 2001

The Concordia women’s basketball team entered a break for finals and Christmas by improving to 15-0 with a 71-57 win over College of St. Mary at Omaha on Dec. 15. Jonie Ficken scored a career-high 27 points to lead the Bulldogs, hitting eight of 13 field goal attempts and nine of 10 free throw attempts.

"This might have been our worst game this semester," Coach Micah Parker said. "Hopefully, we all had our minds on finals week." The Bulldogs turned over the ball on nine of their first 12 possessions and only got one shot off in the first four minutes. "Our intensity was not there," Parker said, "and St. Mary's outplayed us for most of the game. We committed 27 turnovers and had 14 less shot attempts then they did -- on paper we should have lost this game. We played just good enough to win, but this type of effort won't get us a conference win."

Sarah Harrison, who also topped the rebounding corps with nine, added 15 points and Elizabeth Rhoden 10. Becky Mooney made four assists while Rhoden and Kari Savings each had three. Harrison blocked three shots and Rachel Kirchner had three steals. Erin Corrigan led St. Mary (6-8) with 15.

The next game on the Concordia schedule is a GPAC home game on Jan. 2 vs. Dana.
“Overall,” the coach said, “we are very pleased with the semester. You can't do any better then 15-0.” That win string is the best start in school history and the NAIA No. 9 national ranking of Dec. 11 is the highest in the history of the program.

“The most important stat for us is 4-0 in conference,” Parker said. “We have a very tough January. Four of the first seven games will be against ranked teams in our conference.” They play Dakota Wesleyan at home on Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. before traveling to Hastings on Jan. 9 to meet the undefeated Broncos.

Parker points to some impressive statistics. Although the Bulldogs are averaging more than 80 points per game, only two players have scoring averages in double figures – Ficken at 13.3 and Harrison at 13.2. Concordia has taken 18 charges as a team so far this year and outrebounded every opponent. Twelve different players have scored in double figures at least once. The team has recorded 60 more assists than turnovers. The team has only had three games where they have turned the ball over more than 20 times.

“I feel like we are playing closer to our defensive potential then what I believe we can accomplish on offense,” he said. “With time and continued focus in practice, the offensive consistency will come. I have to keep reminding myself that five of our top 10 players are new to the program.”

Bulldogs tackle GPAC with 94-51 win over Dana

2 JAN 2002

The Concordia women’s basketball team advanced its win string to 16 with a 94-51 Great Plains Athletic Conference victory over Dana College at Seward on Jan. 2.

The Bulldogs overcame a great start by the Vikings to lead 47-29 at half. Concordia grabbed its first lead at 20-19 on a three-point play by Naomi Laune when she was fouled putting back a rebound. Dana once led 17-10. Kari Saving fueled the first-half attack with 10 points while Dani Adams added eight and Laura Frees seven. Elizabeth Rhoden had three first-half steals and six points.

Concordia continued to added to the margin in the second half, outscoring the Vikings 47-23. Savings ended up with 15 points, Adams 14, Rhoden 12 and Freez and Laune each nine. Laune topped rebounding with eight while Sarah Harrison grabbed six. Four assists each were credited to Amy Streuter, Adams and Rachel Kirchner.

Dana was without a field goal in the final 10 minutes with the Bulldogs doubling the Viking field-goal total with 32, hitting 41 percent for the game. Both teams had good nights at the free-throw line with Concordia hitting 21 of 26 and Dana 16 of 20. Thirty-nine of the Bulldog points came off of 25 Dana turnovers.

Concordia played without the services of junior guards Jonie Ficken and Becky Mooney, both sidelined with injuries.

Dakota Wesleyan ends 16-game winning streak

5 JAN 2002

Dakota Wesleyan handed Concordia its first loss of the season at Seward on Jan. 5 by a score of 70-61. The GPAC contest was the Bulldogs first loss in 17 games.

Concordia jumped off to a 7-2 lead to start the game before hitting a seven-minute scoring drought while the Tigers built a 23-7 margin that they maintained the remainder of the game. It was 39-23 at half.

Both teams hit 23 field goals but he Tigers hit 58 percent of their 40 f attempts while the Bulldogs struggled with 34 percent of 68 hitting the mark, only 21 percent in the first half. Dakota Wesleyan was 20 of 24 at the free-throw line. The Bulldogs hit nine of 13 at the stripe.

Dani Adams and Kari Saving each scored 17 for Concordia with Elizabeth Rhoden adding seven and Sarah Harrison six. Becky Mooney grabbed five rebounds and Harrison and Kayla Luehmann each had four. Adams made five assists.

Five players did all the scoring for Dakota Wesleyan with Randi Morgan pouring in 25, Emily Janssen 18, Nikki Weber 13, Victoria Drefs 11 and Amanda Williams three. Morgan, Drefs and Janssen each pulled down seven rebounds. Williams had six assists.

Dakota Wesleyan now is 16-3, 4-1 in GPAC play. Concordia is 5-1 in the GPAC.

#1 Hastings dropped from unbeaten ranks, 68-54

9 JAN 2002

The Concordia Bulldogs upset NAIA #1 Hastings, 68-54, in a GPAC game at Hastings on Jan. 9. The Bulldogs, still stinging from a 70-61 loss to Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 5 to end their win string, dropped from #9 to #14 in the ratings that were released Jan. 8.

Hastings shot 24 percent from the field hitting 15 of 63 attempts. Concordia put in 29 of 67 tries. The Bulldogs were only five for 21 from three-point range, but the Broncos failed to hit any in 14 shots. The Bulldogs jumped off to an 11-2 lead in the first three minutes and increased it to 22-6 in the next three minutes. With 3:18 left in the game the Broncos
closed the margin to 58-54 but failed to score again.

Hastings had a huge advantage at the free-throw line, 24 of 29, while Concordia was five of nine, not getting to the line at all in the first half.

Concordia hit 49 percent of its first-half shots to gain a 38-27 lead.

Three Concordia players scored 12 points -- Kari Saving, Rachel Kirchner and Sarah Harrison. Saving also pulled down eight rebounds, made four assists and two steals in addition to blocking one shot. Kayla Luehmann grabbed seven rebounds and Amy Streuter also turned in four assists.

Wendy Okeson and Mary Stuehm each scored 14 for Hastings. Elizabeth Herbek added 10. Okeson had nine rebounds.

The teams are now tied for the GPAC lead with 6-1 records and both are 17-1 on the season. Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern also have only one loss in GPAC play but have played as many games.

The Bulldog win marked the second year they have defeated the top-rated NAIA team -- a year ago Northwestern was the victim but the game was at home.

Rhoden's second-half burst helps Bulldogs, 99-85

12 JAN 2002

Elizabeth Rhoden scored 21 points in the second half to help Concordia come back for a 99-85 GPAC victory at Seward on Jan. 12. The Bulldogs trailed by as much as 10 points in the first half and trailed 47-39 at the break. They went ahead at 51-50 four minutes into the second half and held the lead the rest of the way, outscoring the Cougars, 60-38. Sioux Falls cut it to the final margin after the Bulldogs once held an 88-71 margin.

Rhoden, the sophomore guard from Friendswood, Texas, finished with 25. Sarah Harrison added 20, Rachel Kirchner 14 and Kayla Luehmann nine. Harrison also had eight rebounds. Dani Adams led in assists with six.

Courtney Farrell, who had 10 rebounds, poured in 29 points for Sioux Falls with Lindsey Schneiderman and Jill Austin each adding 17.

Both teams hit 53 percent of their field goals with Concordia taking 13 more shots. Sioux Falls was 17 for 20 at the charity stripe with Concordia connecting on 18 of 22.

Harrison named GPAC Player of the Week

Sarah Harrison of Concordia earned Great Plains Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honors for games played Jan. 8-12.

Harrison, a 6-1 freshman center from Stratton , Neb., was Concordia’s high scorer in GPAC victories over Hastings and Sioux Falls . She scored 12 points with five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots as the Bulldogs beat NAIA #1 Hastings on the road, 68-54. Harrison followed that up with 22 points and eight rebounds in a 99-85 win over Sioux Falls .

For the week, Harrison shot 57 percent from the field while averaging 17 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs.

Bulldogs win over Nebraska Wesleyan, 75-50

15 JAN 2002

Concordia got balanced scoring in a 75-50 GPAC victory over Nebraska Wesleyan on Jan. 15 at Lincoln.

The Bulldogs led 32-26 lead at half and then hit 59 percent of their field goals in the second half to outscore the Prairie Wolves, 43-24.

Jonie Ficken led the attack with 13 points while adding 10 each were Naomi Laune, Kari Saving and Elizabeth Rhoden, who also topped the rebounders with eight. Laune pulled down seven rebounds. Adding to the point total were Amy Streuter nine (three for three three-pointers), Sarah Harrison eight and Kayla Luehmann seven. Dani Adams had nine assists and Harrison and Becky Mooney each stole the ball three times.

Ronda Hofmann led Wesleyan with 14 points.

Concordia notches 20th win by score of 91-39

17 JAN 2002

A 91-39 blitz of Colorado College at Seward on Jan. 17 gave Concordia its 20th win of the season. The Bulldogs jumped to an 11-2 lead in the first four minutes and a 12-0 run late in the first half made it 39-16 at the break.

Elizabeth Rhoden scored 17 to lead the Bulldog attack with Amy Streuter and Rachel Kirchner each adding 12 and Sarah Harrison 10. Kayle Luehmann's five rebounds led that department. Kari Saving had four assists as well as three steals, matched by Rhoden and Becky Mooney. Loren Udall topped Colorado College, now 9-10, with 11 points.

Woudstra leads Red Raiders over Bulldogs, 72-69

19 JAN 2002

Center Jaime Woudstra scored 30 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead Northwestern to a 72-69 GPAC victory over Concordia on Jan. 19 at Orange City, Iowa. Both teams scored 36 points in the second half after the Red Raiders led 39-36 at the break.

Elizabeth Rhoden paced the Bulldog attack with 18 points and Sarah Harrison contributed 15. Harrison also had nine rebounds and blocked three shots. Four assists were credited to Dani Adams and three to Becky Mooney, who also had four steals. The Bulldogs were four of 17 from three-point range and had three more field goals, but only got to the free throw line 21 times, compared to 32 for Northwestern. The Bulldogs hit 13; the Red Raiders 23. Both teams had 14 turnovers.

Concordia played without Jonie Ficken, junior starting guard who is out indefinitely with a leg injury.

Northwestern is 12-5, 5-3 in the GPAC, while Concordia is 20-2, 8-2 in the GPAC.

Bulldogs roll over River Forest, 78-37 to open CIT

25 JAN 2002

Concordia Nebraska was up 24-0 in the first nine minutes as >Concordia River Forest fell, 78-37, in the first round of the Concordia Invitational Tournament on Jan. 25 at Mequon, Wis. The Bulldogs hit 64 percent of their field-goal attempts to go ahead, 52-13, at half. They managed to hit only 30 percent of their shots in the second half, running up only half the total of the first period. The Cougars hit only 21 percent for the game.

Unofficial total found Kari Savings leading the scoring with 14 with eight points each added by Amy Streuter, Dani Adams, Keyna Kobza and Sarah Harrison and Elizabeth Rhoden chipping in seven. Harrison picked off eight rebounds and Saving six. Anne Krass had 10 for River Forest.

The Bulldogs face Concordia Wisconsin in the finals at 6 p.m. on Jan. 26. The Mequon team defeated Ann Arbor, 58-43, in the first round with Stacey Rusch getting 21 points and 15 rebounds. Carey Musko led Ann Arbor with 20.

Bulldogs win over Wisconsin, 76-47, for CIT title

26 JAN 2002

Concordia Nebraska defeated Concordia Wisconsin, 76-47, in the championship game of the Concordia Invitational Tournament Saturday night at Mequon, Wis. The Falcons staged a comeback to make it 40-32 at half after trailing by as much as 18 points with 6:46 left in the period.

Sarah Harrison, who was chosen at the tournament's most valuable player, scored 14 points to pace the Bulldog attack while playing only 11 minutes after getting in early foul trouble. Dani Adams also was named to the all-tournament team. Elizabeth Rhoden scored 10, Keyna Kobza and Kari Saving each nine and Naomi Laune and Becky Mooney each eight in the balanced attack. Laune and Rachel Kirchner each had six rebounds.

The Bulldogs outscored the Falcons by 26-15 in the second half after leading, 40-32, at the break. Stacey Rusch and Beth Degler each scored 10 for Wisconsin.

Doane wins 10th in a row; Bulldogs fall, 78-61

29 JAN 2002

Doane defeated Concordia, 78-61, at Crete on Jan. 29 to run its win streak to 10 games. The Tigers shot 52 percent from the field in the first half to go ahead, 40-29, as the Bulldogs shot only 29 percent. Doane also controlled the board, 47-39, with Amanda Creighton pulling down 13 in addition to scoring 24 points, making four assists and stealing the ball three times.

Doane closed the first half on a 21-3 run, wiping out an early 7-0 deficit.

Becky Mooney paced the Bulldogs with 15 points while Sarah Harrison added 10, Kari Saving nine and Jonie Ficken seven. Concordia hit only five of 23 three-point attempts. Rachel Kirchner led the rebounding corps with seven and Elizabeth Rhoden grabbed five. Dani Adams and Harrison both fouled out.

In the NAIA poll that was released Tuesday, Concordia maintained its No. 8 ranking and Doane advanced to No. 22. Doane, now 19-5 and 7-4 in the GPAC, lost at Concordia in the first GPAC game of the season, 73-72.

Down 18, Bulldogs come back for 77-66 win

2 FEB 2002

Things didn't look good for Concordia as they trailed the Northwestern Red Raiders, 48-30, with 17:28 left to play. The Bulldogs had connected on only 29 percent of their field-goal attempts as they were behind, 38-26 at half. A 6 1/2-minute scoring drouth allowed Concordia to take its first lead at 595-7 with six minutes left on Becky Mooney's three-pointer. It was a see-saw battle until Jonie Ficken connected on a jump shot from the side as the shot clock was running down to give the Bulldogs a 68-63 cushion with 1:14 left. Kayla Luehmann's layup on a fast-break against the Red Raider press put it away.

Concordia hit 55 percent of its field goal attempts in the second half, including seven of 12 from beyond the arc. The Bulldog bench outscored the Red Raider bench, 31-14.

It was a team effort with Ficken and Dani Adams each scoring 12, Sarah Harrison 10, Rachel Kirchner eight, Becky Mooney, Amy Streuter and Luehmann six each, Kari Saving and Elizabeth Rhoden each five, Naomi Laune four and Keyna Kobza two. Harrison had six rebounds and Ficken, Adams, Saving and Luehmann each four. Saving had four assists and Ficken and Laune each three.

Jami Woudstra, who had been averaging among the GPAC socring leaders with 19.7 points per game, led the Red Raiders with 15, but was held to four in the second half. Lindsay Kropf and Carrie Stromley each scored 12 and Health Block and Sara Friedrichsen each scored 11. Woudstra, who had been averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, only pulled down two.

The win avenged a 72-69 loss to Northwestern at Orange City, Iowa, on Jan. 19.

Bulldogs win 10th in GPAC, 94-77, over Midland

6 FEB 2002

Concordia won its 10th GPAC game and advanced its season record to 24-3 with a 94-77 win over Midland Lutheran College at Seward on Feb. 6. The Bulldogs sit at third in the GPAC with three losses. Midland went ahead, 53-50, seven minutes into the second half after trailing 46-43 at the break. It was 67-61 in favor of Concordia at the halfway point of the last period and the Bulldogs pulled away.

Three Bulldogs scored 13: Amy Streuter, Elizabeth Rhoden and Jonie Ficken with two others in double figures, Naomi Laune 11 and Rachel Kirchner 10. Laune pulled down nine rebounds, Sara Harrison eight and Kirchner five. Kari Saving stole the ball four times while Becky Mooney had five assists. The Bulldogs had 13 more fouls than Midland but the Warriors only hit 24 of 34 free throws while the Bulldogs put in 18 of 20 chances. Concordia was best on the boards, 46-34, including 20 on the offensive end and took 25 more shots than the Warriors. The Bulldogs also got 57 points from their bench while Midland got only 14. Midland is now 14-10, 7-6 in the GPAC.

Concordia defeats Dordt, 59-46, for 25th win

9 FEB 2002

Concordia won its 25th game of the season against three losses with a 59-46 victory over Dordt College, 59-46, at Seward on Feb. 9. The Bulldogs made a 12-0 run in the first half to take a 28-11 lead and kept it at 32-17 at the break. Their greatest margin was at 50-27 with 11:14 remaining.

Senior Hannah Krenz received special recognition in the final home game of the regular season.

Kari Saving was the leading Bulldog scorer with 15 while Elizabeth Rhoden added nine and Sarah Harrison and Becky Mooney each eight.

Harrison pulled down seven rebounds and Kayla Luehmann and Rachel Kirchner six each. Jonie Ficken and Amy Streuter each added five assists and the ball was stolen four times by Becky Mooney. Concordia got 28 points from its bench to 11 for Dordt. Both teams shot at 38 percent from the field but Concordia took 66 shots, 11 more than the Defenders, and hit five three-pointers to one.

Katie Bleeker scored 13 to lead Dordt, now 4-20 and 2-13 in GPAC play.

13 score as Bulldogs win over Dana, 83-44

12 FEB 2002

Thirteen players scored as Concordia won over Dana College, 83-44, in a GPAC game at Blair on Feb. 12. The Bulldogs hit on 51 percent of their field-goal attempts in the first half to pull ahead 49-25. They put up 70 shots during the game, 20 more than the Vikings.

“A good team effort,” Parker said. “Everybody played and played well. It’s another example of how much of a TEAM we are when we score 83 points and our leading scorer has 11. Our press was effective and we moved the ball around well offensively.”

Leading the Bulldog scoring were Elizabeth Rhoden with 11, Kari Saving 10, Rachel Kirchner and Kayla Luehmann each nine, Laura Frees eight, Becky Mooney seven and Keyna Kobza and Naomi Laune each six. Sarah Harrison grabbed seven rebounds, followed by five by Luehmann, and four each by Kirchner, Kobza, Rhoden and Saving. Concordia counted on 11 steals -- three each from Dani Adams and Mooney. Harrison contributed three assists while seven other players each had two.

The Bulldogs travel to Mitchell, S.D., for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday against GPAC leader Dakota Wesleyan to close the regular-season schedule.

Bulldogs host Doane Tuesday in GPAC tourney

The nation’s #8 and #13 teams play in the first round of a conference tournament. That scenario surfaced after a weekend of women’s basketball in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, which has five of its 11 teams ranked in the Top 14.

First-round action on Wednesday finds #13 Doane College at Seward against #8 Concordia University at 7:30 p.m. The teams split with during regular-season play, each winning games at home. Dani Adams, among the GPAC assist leaders with more than four per game, may not play because of a leg injury.

Dakota Wesleyan clinched the GPAC women’s basketball regular-season championship with a 78-71 win over Concordia Saturday afternoon before 3,000 at Mitchell, S.D. It left the Bulldogs seeded fourth and in the same bracket as top-seeded Dakota Wesleyan, which faces Mount Marty.

The Bulldogs, down 15 late in the first half, made a big run to cut the Tiger lead to 37-31 at the break. The scoring was even in the second half but Concordia never got closer than four.
“We could have folded our tent,” said Bulldog Coach Micah Parker, proud of his team’s play after the first-half deficit. “We were ‘right there’ in the second half, but never could turn the corner. They made big shots.”

The Tigers’ 22^nd straight victory at the Corn Palace ensured them a spot in the NAIA national tournament. A Concordia victory would have put them in the same position, illustrating the tight GPAC race.

Dakota Wesleyan finished 14-2 with Hastings second at 13-3 in the GPAC standings. Concordia at 12-4 tied with Northwestern, which won 106-97 in overtime over Doane (10-6) on Saturday. Other first-round games find Sioux Falls at Hastings and Midland at Northwestern. Semifinals are Feb. 23 and finals Feb. 26.

Concordia finished the regular season at 26-4, 14-0 versus nonconference teams. Half of their games were against ranked teams or teams receiving votes in NAIA ratings. NAIA ratings of Feb. 12 also placed Hastings (26-3) at #3, Dakota Wesleyan (27-4) #5 and Northwestern (20-6) #14. Midland (16-11) and Sioux Falls (16-12) also received votes but failed to crack the top 25. The final NAIA ratings come out Feb. 19. Doane is 22-7 for the season.

“We never got to the free throw line and it killed us,” Parker said of the loss. The Bulldogs were five of 10 from the charity stripe while the Tigers converted 23 of 28. Concordia topped the winners in field-goal shooting, taking 22 more shots while hitting 40 percent, and rebounding, 43-36.

“I hope we get a chance to play them again because I still feel we can beat them,” the coach said. “Except for a eight-minute stretch in the first half, we played really well.”
Elizabeth Rhoden led the Bulldog scoring with 21 points while Sarah Harrison added 17 and Kari Saving 11. Harrison pulled down seven rebounds and Rachel Kirchner six. Jonie Ficken had five assists and Becky Mooney stole the ball three times. Emily Janssen topped Dakota Wesleyan with 20.

Bulldogs advance with 84-74 win over Doane

21 FEB 2002

Concordia advanced to the GPAC semifinals with an 84-74 win over Doane at Seward on Feb. 20. Concordia came back after trailing Doane, 55-49, with 13:55 remaining on the shooting eye of Amy Streuter. The Collinsville, Ill., junior hit three straight shots from behind the arc in a span of a little over a minute.

“We knew going in that this would be a game of runs,” Parker said. “Doane is such an explosive and streaky team. Other than a three-minute span to start the second half, we limited their quick scores and forced them in to half-court offense.”
After trading the lead several times the Bulldogs moved in front, 62-61, at 8:19 and increased the margin. Becky Mooney’s three with two minutes left sealed the win.

Concordia led by as much as 29-17 in the first half but were only up 40-36 at half.
Four scored in double figures for Concordia -- Sarah Harrison 17, Streuter 15, Kari Saving 11 and Mooney 10. Harrison had nine rebounds and Dani Adams contributed five assists. Amanda Creighton topped Doane with 23. Both teams were torrid at the free-throw line, Concordia hitting 22 of 28 and Doane 18 of 22. Forty-eight of Concordia's points came from its bench. Guard pressure caused 24 Doane turnovers. The Bulldogs pulled down 18 offensive rebounds.

The unusual matchup of NAIA rated teams in the first round ended Doane’s season at 22-8 with a #21 ranking.

“One thing about our team is we never quit when other teams make runs on us,” he said. “Sometimes we are almost better when we get down. We've some good leadership and support on the floor - instead of pointing fingers or blaming teammates, you see them encouraging each other after big mistakes.”

Bulldogs to play in NAIA national tournament

23 FEB 2002

The Concordia women's basketball team will be playing in the NAIA national tournament. The NAIA made the official designation on Feb. 27 that the Bulldogs will be in the 32-team field on March 6-12 at Sioux City, Iowa.

GPAC champion Dakota Wesleyan and Hastings, tournament champion (84-58 over Dakota Wesleyan on Feb. 26), automatically received bids. Concordia, which was #10 in the final NAIA ratings, came up with a school record 27 wins against five losses for the season, 12-4 in the GPAC. Three of those losses were to Dakota Wesleyan. Northwestern, another GPAC rival who lost to Hastings in the semifinals, also qualified for an at-large spot in the national.

“We are very excited about being one of four teams from the GPAC,” Coach Micah Parker said. “To finish in the top 10 and be ranked all year is an accomplishment.”

Dakota Wesleyan defeated Concordia, 70-55, in the semifinals of the GPAC tournament on Saturday afternoon at Mitchell, S.D. The Bulldogs pulled within 57-51 with five minutes to go but didn't score again for more than three minutes. The Tigers used a 12-4 run early in the second half to widen a 34-28 halftime advantage. They also made a run at the end of the first half after the Bulldogs had led by three on a couple of occasions. Bulldog center Sarah Harrison was on the bench with three fouls in the first three minutes of the physical defensive game.

“We played well defensively,” the coach said, “but simply missed shots we normally make in the second half. They also hit the big shots when they needed to even though they were not easy.”

Concordia hit only 32 percent of its field-goal attempts, three of 17 from three-point range. Dakota Wesleyan hit 44 percent of 50 shots and converted 24 of 27 free-throw attempts. The Bulldogs were 10 of 13 at the line. Concordia had 15 turnovers to 12 for the Tigers.

“Again, we outshot and outrebounded them,” Parker said. “I told the team if we could shoot 40 percent we'd win and that would have been the case. I was proud of our defense.”

Randy Morgan led Dakota Wesleyan to its 25th consecutive win in the Corn Palace with 21 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 4:11 left. Kari Saving scored 11 for Concordia, followed by Jonie Ficken with nine and Dani Adams eight. Kayla Luehmann and Rachel Kirchner each pulled down five rebounds and Naomi Laune four.

Concordia advanced the semifinals game with an 84-74 win over Doane at Seward last Wednesday night.

It's Southern Oregon Thursday at 9:15 p.m.

Southern Oregon (19-10) will be the opponent of the Concordia women's basketball team at the NAIA national tournament at Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday, March 7, at 9:15 p.m. The Bulldogs are seeded #9. On Wednesday, Hastings plays Nova Southeastern at 5:45 and Dakota Wesleyan is matched with Caldwell at 2:15. Northwestern plays William Jewell at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. A Concordia victory would pit them against the winner of the Briar Cliff-Shawnee State game at 9:15 p.m. on March 8. Hastings was seeded #3, Dakota Wesleyan #7 and Northwestern #13.

Four GPAC teams in different brackets at national

Four of the Great Plains Athletic Conference teams in the Final Four of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) women’s basketball tournament? It’s a long shot, but not impossible, as the four entries – all seeded – are in separate brackets in the 32-team field.

Concordia and Northwestern earned at-large bids to the March 6-12 event at the Municipal Auditorium in Sioux City, Iowa, after Dakota Wesleyan earned a spot with the conference championship and Hastings with the GPAC tournament championship. Only the American Mideast Conference with three entries comes close to matching participation in the finals.
Concordia, 25-7 and 12-4 in the GPAC, was seeded ninth and will face Southern Oregon in the last game of the first round on Thursday at 9:15 p.m.

“We are excited about going and hope to prove the toughness of our league by winning,” Coach Micah Parker said. “We feel we have prepared well by playing 13 games this year against nationally ranked teams.”

The road to glory for the GPAC teams is crowded. Hastings (29-3) was seeded at No. 3 and faces Nova Southeastern (Fla.) (14-14) at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday. Dakota Wesleyan, seeded seventh at 29-5, will battle Caldwell (N.J.) (21-8) at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday. No. 13 Northwestern (21-7) battles William Jewell (Mo.) (23-8) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The winner of the Thursday showdown meets either tournament host Briar Cliff (Iowa) or No. 8 Shawnee State (Ohio) at 9:15 on Friday night. The Bulldogs defeated Briar Cliff, 77-66, in November as part of the 16-game win string that opened the season. Top-seeded Holy Family of Pennsylvania sits atop the Bulldogs’ bracket.

“We are excited about getting the opportunity to extend our season,” the coach said. “Our players have the attitude that we don't just want to get to nationals -- we want to win at nationals.”

A Concordia women’s team last went to the national tournament in 1998 after advancing to the quarterfinals in 1997, both under Coach Mark Lemke. The first trip was in 1992 under Coach Carl Everts.

“Southern Oregon looks like a good team,” Parker said. “They have size, depth and numerous three-point shooters. It should be a fun challenge.”

Guided by first-year head coach Kevin Wilson and paced by junior5-5 guard Sara Marks, who led the team in scoring 19 times at a 17.4 per game clip, Southern Oregon enters the national tournament as winners of 11 of its last 12 games.

The unseeded Raiders (19-10) are experienced in national tournament play, getting their fourth berth since 1996. They beat 2001 national runner-up Albertson College, 75-62, in the Cascade Conference tournament finals. They advanced to the NAIA Final Four in 1996 and came in as the No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in the 1998 and 1999 tournaments.

The university campus at Ashland of about 5,000 students is part of the public seven-school Oregon University System.

Concordia puts a deep squad on the floor with 11 getting a good share of the playing time. Sarah Harrison, a 6-1 freshman from Stratton, Neb., tops scoring with an 11.9 point average and 6.6 rebounds per game. Junior guard Jonie Ficken of Davenport, Neb., averages 10 points per game with freshman Kari Saving (Lenexa, Kan.) at 9.9 and sophomore Elizabeth Rhoden (Friendswood, Texas) at 9.3. Junior Rachel Kirchner (Clarinda, Iowa) averages 4.6 caromes a game, following by freshman Kayla Luehmann (Lewiston, Minn.) with 4.5. Junior guard Dani Adams of Blue Springs, Neb., leads in assists with 136.

Ficken had the second-best record in the NAIA in free-throw shooting, hitting 86 percent of 71 attempts.

“Our practices have been going well,” Parker said, “and we've got a few people that are hopefully healing up. Playing at 9:15 shouldn't be a problem for our players, but that is usually when I'm going to bed so I hope I don't fall asleep on the bench.”

Bulldogs top Southern Oregon, 71-55, in NAIA

2 MAR 2002

Concordia went on an 18-6 run early in the second half to ice a 71-55 first-round victory in the NAIA women’s basketball championships on Thursday night at Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs’ 28^th win of the season (five losses) stopped Southern Oregon at 19-11.

Concordia plays Briar Cliff at 9:15 p.m. on Friday in the second round. The ninth-seeded Bulldogs defeated the host team, 77-66, early in the season.

“I was proud of the way we played,: Coach Micah Parker, “and it showed we deserved to be here. I was glad we did not let down the GPAC.” Four of its members advanced from the first round.

Parker was pleased with the defensive play of guards Dani Adams and Becky Mooney, who held Sara Marks, the Raiders’ high scorer, to 14 points. Kara Magee-Arick also scored 14.
He got four players in double figures with Sarah Harrison hitting 12, Jonie Ficken and Elizabeth Rhoden each 11 and Becky Mooney 10. Concordia controlled the boards, 56-41, with Harrison and Rachel Kirchner each pulling down nine.

The game got off to a “cool” start as neither team could manage more than 23 percent shooting from the field. Concordia made up the difference by connecting on 10 of 13 free throws in the opening half. Southern Oregon once led at 10-7 but Amy Streuter’s three at 11:08 put the Bulldogs ahead at 14-12 and they never trailed again. The Raiders didn’t score in the final five minutes as Concordia went into the break with a 29-19 margin. With 8:19 left to play, the Bulldogs had their biggest margin at 61-39.

Second-round games for GPAC teams find Dakota Wesleyan vs. Evangel, Hastings vs. Ohio Dominican and Northwestern vs. Cardinal Stritch.

Last-second layup dooms late Bulldog rally, 67-65

8 MAR 2002

Pam Shaw drove for a layup with seconds remaining to push Briar Cliff to a 67-65 victory over Concordia in the quarterfinals of the NAIA women’s basketball championship at Sioux City, Iowa, on Friday night.

Jonie Ficken had tied the game at 65-65 with two free throws with 22 seconds left, the first time Concordia had knotted it up after the opening baskets. Ficken scored seven points to rally the Bulldogs in the last two minutes after they had trailed by as 15 points early in the second half. She led Concordia scoring with 20 points.

Heather Jones scored 24 points as Briar Cliff came out with an aggressive attack and defense and never trailed. Concordia turned the ball over 21 times and the Chargers stole the ball nine times.

The Concordia season ended at 28-6 while Briar Cliff advanced to 20-12. Concordia had won a 77-66 match early in the season. The Bulldogs were the only GPAC team to lose in the second round as Hastings, Northwestern and Dakota Wesleyan won.

Concordia had closed it to 56-53 with five minutes left on two baskets by Kari Saving but Jones hit a three-pointer from the top of the circle as the clock shot was running down to delay the threat.

Concordia Coach Micah Parker had expressed fear about playing the tournament’s host team, saying the teams were constituted differently and the situation had changed greatly since the early-season meeting.

Briar Cliff hit 47 percent of its field-goal attempts while Concordia hit 45 percent. The Bulldogs hit 12 of 18 free throws; Briar Cliff hit 13 of 18.

Betsy Graf put the exclamation mark on the 33-19 halftime margin by driving the length of the floor for a layup. It was 16-10 midway in the first half. Sarah Harrison had a double-double for Concordia by scoring 10 and grabbing 12 rebounds. Shaw scored 14 and Sarah Niles 10 for Briar Cliff.

Briar Cliff played top-seeded Holy Family at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Ficken Kodak All-America honorable mention

Jonie Ficken, a Concordia University junior from Davenport, Neb., earned 2002 Kodak All-America basketball team honorable mention, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced.

Ficken, a 5-6 guard, averaged more than 10 points a game as she hit at 40 percent of her three-point attempts and 83 percent of free-throw tries as the Bulldogs advanced to the NAIA national quarterfinals with a 28-6 record.