Women’s Basketball Triumphs Again While Men Struggle Against Northwestern
Madeline Peters
Sower Staff
The Concordia basketball teams traveled to Northwestern College Saturday afternoon in a double-header against the Red Raiders. The women won their game 65-55 while the men lost 79-65.
The women started off their game with a small early lead against the Raiders. This lead was maintained through the whole game. Every time Northwestern managed to close in on Concordia’s lead, the Bulldogs would sink another basket to keep ahead.
Northwestern had a turnover streak at the start of the third quarter, with four consecutive turnovers to Concordia. The Bulldogs still struggled to keep the Raiders back despite their mistakes. Northwestern scored 17 points in the quarter compared to Concordia’s 14, but their lead was strong enough to withstand the pressure. Concordia ran away with the game in the fourth quarter. The team expanded their lead to its largest at 14 points and kept Northwestern at a double-digit deficit for the remainder of the game.
Sophomore Abby Krieser was the top scorer of the game with 12 points. Fellow sophomores Abby Heemstra and Taysha Rushton both scored 10 points each. Rushton led the team in assists with four while yet another sophomore, Sadie Powell, led the team in rebounds with five.
The men’s game started off horribly for the Bulldogs. Northwestern took an early lead and easily ran away with the game. Concordia had a six and half scoreless minutes while the Raiders went up 19 points. The Bulldogs managed to get 17 more points in the half, but the Raiders scored another 19. The half ended with a shocking 21-point deficit for the Bulldogs with a score of 45-24.
The second half went much better, scoring-wise. Concordia outscored Northwestern in the half 41-34. But the lead the Raiders racked up in the first half was not going to be overcome by an extra seven points.
Sophomore Noah Schutte was the top scorer of the night with 12 points. He was the only male Concordia player to achieve double digits. Senior Gage Smith scored nine points. Junior Garrett Seagren and freshman Zac Kulus each scored eight points. Sophomore Bradley Bennett led the team in assists with six and Schutte led the team in rebounds with seven.
The women’s team is now 12-7 overall and 10-5 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The men’s team is now 11-9 overall and 7-7 in the GPAC. Both basketball teams will compete against Hastings College on Jan. 25 in Friedrich Arena. The women play at 6 p.m. and the men at 7:45 p.m.
The basketball teams also have the Concordia Invitational Tournament to look forward to against the Concordia Ann Arbor, Concordia Wisconsin, and Concordia Chicago universities. That tournament will take place Jan. 27-28 in Friedrich Arena.
