Bulldogs’ winning streak extended to eight with Lancers defeat
Photo description: Freshman Juliana Jones maneuvers around opponents to pass the ball to a teammate.
Photo credit: Esther Molina (photo from previous game)
Darien Semedo
Sower Staff
The No. 8 Concordia Bulldogs (15-2, 11-2) defeated the Mount Marty Lancers (5-13, 1-11) 75-53, running away after an impressive 22-0 run in the second.
The Bulldogs opened a packed week that includes a trip to Wisconsin for the Concordia Invitational Tournament, against the Great Plains Athletic Conference last place Lancers. They struggled out of the gate but rode an impressive second quarter to take command of the game.
On offense, the Bulldogs struggled from the field. They shot 36.4 percent from the field, including 7-37 from the three-point line. The shot quality was high, but shots failed to hit the bottom of the net for the bulldogs, something that Coach Drew Olson credited to a lack of focus.
“Overall, I felt that we were just out of it at times,” Olson said. “Part of that led to us maybe not shooting as well as we normally would. Some defensive lapses as well but I can’t complain. We did still have a good win, but part of that might be distractions with CIT coming up.”
Junior Sadie Powell led the team with 15 points, while junior Taysha Rushton and sophomore Kristin Vieselmeyer finished with 10 each. With the game being out of hand early, the Bulldogs got much needed reps for their bench unit.
As a result, seven players came in and contributed 36 total bench points. As a team the Bulldogs finished with an impressive 18 offensive rebounds, leading to more opportunities that will come in handy once their shots fall.
On defense, Olsen mixed up the coverage throughout the evening. Their normal press worked well, leading to an impressive 32 forced turnovers. Powell finished with six steals, while eight other Bulldogs notched a takeaway.
Olsen was also able to try out some zone defense and halfcourt man, forcing the Lancers to shoot off the dribble as they only finished with 10 assists. Junior Abby Krieser led the team in rebounds with seven, including three offensive boards.
The Bulldogs will now prepare to defend their title in CIT this weekend. Coach Olsen has been a big fan of the tournament and is prepared to take away a lot from being on the road.
“A lot of things,” said Olsen. “The first is the pride that we have in Concordia. We want that trophy. That’s kind of a cool thing to be able to play for during the season. Secondly, the team bonding. It’s great to get even closer and connected with our group. Thirdly, we are playing well so we got to keep it going and keep getting better.”
The first game will be Jan. 26 at 1 p.m., in Mequon, Wis. against Concordia University Ann Arbor (13-5, 12-2). The winner will then go on to play the next day for the championship.
