Women’s basketball wins against Mount Marty with large margin
Junior Kristin Vieselmeyer moves the ball down the court, going for a basket (photo from previous game).
Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh
By Cohen Carpenter
The Bulldogs rode junior Megan Belt’s career high scoring total to a 74-55 win versus Mount Marty Wednesday night, snapping a four-game skid and getting Concordia their first conference win since December 14.
The Lancers came into Friedrich Arena searching for some sort of consistency. After opening the season 6-0, the Great Plains Athletic Conference has not been kind to Mount Marty, who lost nine of their 11 following matchups following their hot start.
Unfortunately for the Lancers, however, the Concordia offense had other plans—jumping out to an early 41-26 lead from which they would never look back. Headlining this effort was Belt, who boasted a career-high 18 points in only 21 minutes on the court.
After starting the season as a sixth man, Belt has worked into the starting five in head coach Drew Olson’s recent lineups. The Papillion native allows the Bulldogs to stretch the court as her .380 three-point field goal percentage demands attention from opposing defenses.
“Tonight, she had great confidence as she continued to shoot,” said Olson. “Defensively she’s been good for us too. When she first started starting, it freed up our team, knowing, ‘Hey, we got this shooter over there that they’ve got to guard. If they don’t guard her, we’re just going to keep hitting her.’ It allows Kendal [Brigham], AK [Abby Krieser] and Rae [Raelyn Kelty] to drive a little bit more; Kristin [Vieselmeyer], they can’t help as much in the post. So, [Belt’s] done an awesome job.”
Megan’s 6-9 performance from downtown was indicative of the offense’s effort as a whole. The Bulldogs rang the bell Wednesday night having made 15 of their 36 three, good for a percentage north of 40. Senior Kendall Brigham was also in double digits, having 10 points on five assists while going 4-11 from the field.
The action wasn’t limited to the starting lineup, as many younger Bulldogs saw the court as the game went on. Sophomore Sammy Leu contributed 11 points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of action, going 3-4 from beyond the arc. Concordia as a team also moved the ball around well Wednesday, winning both the assists and turnover battles.
“I liked our pace,” said Olson. “We are always trying to get downhill, get into the lane and kick out. The faster we play the better we are going to be, and I thought we did a really good job of that tonight.”
The Bulldogs weren’t unsuccessful on defense either, forcing the Lancers to turn the ball over 20 times. Five Bulldogs had exactly two blocks on the night—the entire starting lineup (aside from Belt) and Leu.
In totality, there was a lot for coach Olson’s squad to hang their hat on—not to mention the win halted a four-game losing streak that stretched back to 2024. For a Concordia team ranked as the fifth-best team in the nation early in the season, this game felt a little like a return to form. The pace of play was fast, mistakes were limited, and open shots were made; all sentiments that coach Olson echoed when asked about the upcoming matchup with 12-6 Northwestern.
“We need to build on the confidence we have now after winning,” said Olson. “I know we are a really good basketball team. We had a couple tough breaks so far in the season, but we have a really good season ahead of us. We’re confident, we’re excited and it’ll be a big one on Saturday.”
Northwestern currently stands at sixth in the GPAC standings, with Concordia only two spots behind. For a matchup that has proved to be eventful in the past, across every sport here at Concordia, a win versus the Red Raiders might be just what the Bulldogs need to get their season back on track. Tip-off is Saturday, January 18 at 2 p.m.
