Concordia Women’s Basketball Loses by 5 in Defensive Battle Against Briar Cliff

Concordia player getting ready to pass the ball to one of her teammates

Photo credit to Kayla Korb

By Darien Semedo

The Concordia Bulldogs women’s basketball team started the last week of the regular season with a tough 56-51 loss to the Briar Cliff Chargers, who are 23rd in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics rankings.

The Bulldogs had been hot since returning from Christmas break, coming into the night with an 11-2 record. But on Wednesday they ran into trouble with one of the top defensive teams in the nation.

Both teams were locked in defensively, with neither able to pull away at any point in the game. The game had six lead changes, with the largest a seven-point Concordia advantage. Near the end of the game, Concordia had opportunities to tie, but missed key free throws and shots down the stretch. The Bulldogs were down by three points with under 20 seconds left in the game, but failed to get the shot they needed.

The Bulldogs struggled to score, shooting 32.1% from the field and 31.8% from the 3-point line. Abby Krieser led with 12 points, but the offense struggled to find open players, leading to just 10 assists. Fifteen turnovers proved to be detrimental as Briar Cliff turned them into 22 points on the night.

Coach Drew Olsen credited Briar Cliff’s top 20 defense for CUNE’s loss, but still liked the way that his team played.

“I knew it was going to be a grind,” Olsen said. “I was still happy with the way that we played, especially defensively. I just felt like we needed more players to step up.”

The Concordia defense held the Chargers to 29.5% shooting, while holding their bench to zero points. The Chargers were led by Konnor Sudmann, who scored 27 on the night.

This was the final home game for the Bulldogs, and graduating senior Taylor Farrell started and was honored at halftime. When asked what this team has meant to her and her favorite moment as a Bulldog, she mentioned her love for her teammates and much fun it has been.

“My sophomore year at the national tournament we were down in the opening round, but came back and won to send us to the national tournament,” she said. “It was the best four years, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Concordia will close regular season play at Dakota Wesleyan, looking to defend their position as fourth seed for the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament.

Olsen said he likes where his team is and wants his players to continue to be confident in who they are. “We’re a great basketball team who is capable of beating anybody, continue to sharpen every area in the game,” he said.