Now in sole possession of first place in the GPAC, the Bulldogs are looking to lock up a fourth-straight conference regular-season title. Concordia is getting set for trips to Midland and Jamestown.
An all-senior starting lineup blitzed Mount Marty from the start as No. 3 Concordia glided to a 94-51 win on Saturday (Feb. 15). Senior MacKenzie Helman made all six of her shots from the field for the first-place Bulldogs.
The 2019-20 Concordia women's basketball seniors will leave a mark on the program that will stand the test of time. The results speak for themselves in the form of winning, relationships and memories made.
It took collective defensive tenacity and the star power of Grace Barry and Philly Lammers to get past No. 2 Hastings in front of an electric Walz Arena crowd on Wednesday (Feb. 12).
This week will likely decide whether the ninth-ranked Concordia women’s basketball team will hoist the GPAC regular-season championship trophy for the second time in three seasons. The Bulldogs host Midland (13-13, 9-7 GPAC) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and before welcoming No. 3 Northwestern (22-2, 14-2 GPAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in what has the potential to be a game of significant importance.
A career high 34-points in last week’s win at Dakota Wesleyan has allowed Concordia junior Bailey Morris to earn GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Basketball Player of the Week accolades for the second straight time, as announced by the league on Tuesday. Morris also received the same recognition on Dec. 17, making her a three-time conference weekly honoree on the season.
Concordia and Hastings will meet Wednesday in a battle with GPAC title implications. The Bulldogs will also celebrate a senior class of nine on Saturday when Mount Marty comes to town.
The ninth-ranked Concordia women’s basketball team missed its first 12 shots of the night as part of a frustrating start at Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday evening. But then Bailey Morris happened. The sparkplug guard dominated with a career high 34 points and Concordia went 32-for-36 from the free throw line to steal an 86-84 win over the host Tigers (15-11, 8-9 GPAC).
Outside of the program, people kept wanting to talk about Hastings next week. The third-ranked Bulldogs kept the focus on the task at hand and defeated No. 9 Dordt, 74-56, on Saturday (Feb. 8).
The third-ranked Bulldogs showed the maturity not to look past Doane with No. 9 Dordt and No. 2 Hastings coming up on the schedule. Claire Cornell and Concordia pummeled the Tigers, 102-47.
Mackenzie Koepke had played in 102 of a possible 103 games over her first three seasons. After missing the 2021-22 season due to injury, the Lincoln Lutheran alum, a link back to the national championship team, is determined to go out on her own terms.
Just a few weeks after playing the 123rd and final game of her collegiate career, Rylee Pauli reflected on four years of Concordia Women's Basketball. There were ups, downs, unique experiences and incredible highs.
Led by do-it-all guard Taysha Rushton and relentless senior Rylee Pauli, the 2021-22 Bulldogs extended the program's national tournament streak while beating five teams that qualified for nationals throughout the season.
Four starters, including First Team All-GPAC star Taysha Rushton, return for a Concordia Women's Basketball program coming off an appearance in the NAIA national quarterfinals last season. Depth will be a strength.
Taylor Cockerill and Taysha Rushton were the ringleaders for a squad that reached the NAIA national quarterfinals while playing an exciting brand of hoops in 2020-21.
For Concordia Women's Basketball, tradition never graduates. That's become evident in 2020-21, even as the program 'rebuilt' following the graduation of several stars.
In season No. 15 as head coach, Drew Olson has reached the 400-win milestone. As his current and former players will attest, Concordia Women's Basketball is about more than winning.
From October 2011 through December 2020, Concordia Women's Basketball was included in every possible NAIA top 25 ranking, a run of 97-straight poll appearances.
It's a new-look Concordia Women's Basketball team, but the program is determined to prove it's still a major force in the GPAC and nationally. Taylor Cockerill and Mackenzie Koepke are the headlining returners.
Don't forget about TC. The leading scorer for the 2018-19 national championship team, Taylor Cockerill is roughly 90 percent of the way back from the knee injury she suffered last October.