Concordia loses first-round NIAC game, 77-69
Hastings College eliminated Concordia, 77-69, in the first round of the NIAC playoffs at Seward Wednesday night. The Bulldogs hit only 32.8 percent of their shots to end the season at 19-10. After Hastings led at half, 37-33, Concordia took the lead, 42-40, three minutes into the final period. The Broncos went on a roll in the next five minutes that put them up, 54-45. They hit 12 of 20 free throws to close out the win. Mary Stuehm scored 25 and grabbed nine rebounds for Hastings. Vanessa Frana tallied 14 to pace the Bulldogs with Sara Hartman and Hayle Kobza each adding 11. In rebounding, Kobza pulled down 10 and Michelle Samek eight. They each had three assists. While the Bulldogs hit 28 of 35 free throws, Hastings had 31 field goals to 19 for Concordia, which had 20 turnovers.
Joni Ficken 3-4 1-1 8 Amy Streuter 1-9 2-2 5 Dani Adams 0-2 1-2 1 Sara Hartman 2-5 7-8 11 Vanessa Frana 5-10 3-3 14 Cheri Aliu 0-3 2-2 2 Leah Berens 0-4 4-4 4 Hayle Kobza 3-8 5-9 11 Michelle Samek 4-11 1-2 9 Jenn Schmidt 1-1 2-2 4 Hannah Krenz 0-1 0-0 0
Five score in double figures in 89-79 Dana win
Five Bulldogs scored in double figures as they beat Dana, 89-79, at Blair on Feb. 19. The Bulldogs trailed Dana, 43-40, at half after the Vikings ripped the nets at a 58.6 percent pace while Concordia connected on a cool 35.5 percent. Concordia went to the free-throw line 47 times, connecting on 33. Hayle Kobza had 17 points for the Bulldogs, with Michelle Samek adding 15, Sara Hartman and Vanessa Frana 13 each, Jonie Ficken 10 and Dani Adams nine. Kobza had seven rebounds and Frana dished out five assists. Ficken hit three of five from beyond the arc.
Joni Ficken 3-6 1-4 10 Amy Streuter 1-4 0-0 3 Dani Adams 2-4 5-7 9 Sara Hartman 4-9 5-5 13 Vanessa Frana 4-11 4-5 13 Cheri Aliu 1-2 2-2 5 Leah Berens 0-2 4-4 4 Hayle Kobza 5-12 7-10 17 Michelle Samek 5-11 5-8 15 Jenn Schmidt 0-0 0-2 0 Sarah Dahlke 0-0 0-0 0 Hannah Krenz 0-0 0-0 0
Midland hits late free throws to win, 79-67
Midland connected on 14 of 16 free throws in the last 2:18 of a NIAC game at Seward Feb. 18. Midland won, 79-67. The free throws were the only points the Warriors scored after the Bulldogs had pulled within 65-62. Midland led at half, 31-28. Vanessa Frana scored 18, Hayle Kobza 15 and Sara Hartman 12 to lead Concordia. Hartman and Michelle Samek each grabbed five rebounds. Hartman also had six assists. Concordia hit only 2 of 19 three-point attempts, but were 19-24 from the charity stripe. Angela Karpisek led Midland with 27 points.
Joni Ficken 1-4 0-0 2 Amy Streuter 3-15 1-7 7 Dani Adams 0-1 0-0 0 Sara Hartman 4-7 4-4 12 Vanessa Frana 5-12 7-7 18 Cheri Aliu 0-3 2-2 2 Leah Berens 0-0 0-0 0 Hayle Kobza 6-8 3-6 15 Michelle Samek 3-8 3-5 9 Jenn Schmidt 1-2 0-0 2
Northwestern takes top seed in NIAC, 70-59
Northwestern sewed up the top seed for the NIAC tournament next week with a 70-59 win over Concordia at Seward on Feb. 16. The Bulldogs led at half, 27-25, and built it to 40-33 with 15:16 left. The Red Raiders then went on a 16-0 run in the next five minutes. Concordia could only come within 54-49 with 7:47 remaining. Four Bulldogs were in double figures -- Hayle Kobza and Michelle Samek each scored 12, Vanessa Frana 11 and Amy Streuter 10. Kobza had nine rebounds and Streuter dished out five assists. The Bulldogs hit only 30.8 percent of their shots, three for 23 from three-point range, while Northwestern connected on 48 percent.
Amy Streuter 3-17 3-4 10 Dani Adams 1-4 0-0 3 Sara Hartman 3-8 1-3 7 Vanessa Frana 4-12 2-3 11 Cheri Aliu 1-5 0-0 2 Leah Berens 0-1 0-0 0 Hayle Kobza 3-6 6-12 12 Michelle Samek 4-10 4-4 12 Jenn Schmidt 1-2 0-0 2
Bulldogs avenge NIAC loss to Doane, 79-63
The Lady Bulldogs scored 79 points in both of the games they played against Doane College this year. The difference came Feb. 12 at Seward as the Bulldog defense held the Tigers to 63. The first meeting was won by Doane, 97-79. Doane started with intensity and led 6-2 before the Bulldogs caught up and went ahead, 20-10, at 10:44 on the way to a 37-26 halftime margin. Concordia kept the pace in the second half and withstood a challenge that brought Doane within 58-50 with 9:19 remaining. Concordia outrebounded Doane, 53-31. Sara Hartman and Vanessa Frana each poured in 16 points for Concordia, with Amy Streuter and Michelle Samek each chipping in 10. Samek also had nine rebounds and assists. The Bulldogs hit eight of 17 three-point tries and 51.8 percent of total field goals. Sara Hartman named NIAC Player of the Week
Amy Streuter 3-6 12-2 10 Dani Adams 2-7 3-4 7 Sara Hartman 8-10 0-1 16 Vanessa Frana 6-12 0-0 16 Cheri Aliu 3-5 0-0 8 Sara Dahlke 0-0 0-0 0 Leah Berens 1-1 0-0 2 Hayle Kobza 1-7 6-6 8 Michelle Samek 4-6 2-4 10 Jenn Schmidt 1-2 0-0 2 Hannah Krenz 0-0 0-0 0
Nebraska Wesleyan earns 70-61 victory
Rachel Klein hit a three-pointer with 1:17 left to put Nebraska Wesleyan out of reach as the Bulldogs lost, 70-61, at Seward Feb. 9. It was tied at 53 with 6:14 left. After a 30-30 tie at half, Wesleyan would build leads of four to six points only to have the Bulldogs fight back. The Plainswomen hit six for nine from three-point range while Concordia was 2 for 16. Klein scored 17. Sara Hartman scored 16 to lead Concordia while Vanessa Frana and Hayle Kobza each had 10 and Jenn Schmidt nine. Kobza had seven rebounds and Michelle Samek dished out five assists. The Bulldogs only hit 27 percent of their second-half shots after connecting on 52 percent the first half.
Amy Streuter 2-11 1-6 5 Dani Adams 0-3 0-0 0 Sara Hartman 6-10 4-5 16 Vanessa Frana 3-9 1-4 10 Cheri Aliu 0-3 0-0 0 Leah Berens 1-1 3-4 5 Hayle Kobza 3-5 4-8 10 Michelle Samek 2-6 2-2 6 Jenn Schmidt 4-5 1-2 9
Concordia wins over Hastings College, 71-69
Concordia defeated Hastings College, 71-69, for the second time this season. The NIAC game was played at Hastings on Feb. 5. The Bulldogs led, 36-35, at half. Concordia outrebounded the Broncos, 46-44, with Leah Berens grabbing 10 and Michelle Samek nine. Hayle Kobza poured in 22 points, hitting six for eight from the field and 10 of 13 free throws. Amy Streuter scored 11 and Dani Adams 10. Samek had five assists.
Amy Streuter 3-12 3-4 11; Dani Adams 4-8 0-0 10; Sara Hartman 2-2 0-0 4; Vanessa Frana 3-6 0-0 9; Cheri Aliu 1-4 0-0 3; Leah Berens 1-3 0-0 2; Hayle Kobza 6-8 10-13 22; Michelle Samek 2-12 2-5 6; Jenn Schmidt 1-2 2-3 4
Bulldogs win fifth straight CIT title, 67-51
Seward won its fifth straight Concordia Invitational Tournament championship on Jan. 29 with a 67-51 win over Mequon. The Bulldogs led at half, 32-23, after opening a 16-9 lead in the first eight minutes. Mequon came within 39-35 five minutes into the second half, but the Bulldogs opened it to 55-44 with 5:30 remaining. Sara Hartman and Vanessa Frana both scored 14 for Seward. Hayle Kobza added 10 and yanked down seven rebounds. Michelle Samek had eight assists. Mary Deitmeyer scored 19 and Sarah Christie 10 for Mequon. Seward is now 16-6 and Mequon 9-9.
Bulldogs advance to CIT finals, 84-35 over River Forest
Seward advanced to the finals in the women's division of the Concordia Invitational Tournament with an 84-35 victory over River Forest on Jan. 28. The Bulldogs took a 15-6 led midway in the first half and stretched it to 40-17 at the intermission. A 17-0 run midway in the second half ran the score to 71-23 with 5:34 remaining. Hayle Kobza led Bulldog scorers with 14. Cheri Aliu added 12, Vanessa Frana 10 and Amy Streuter and Leah Berens eight each. Aubree Lawrence led the Cougars with eight. Berens had seven rebounds and Kobza and Jenn Schmidt six apiece.
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Five score in double figures to beat Dana, 92-42
Five Bulldogs scored in double figures and the Concordia team played strong defensively as they throttled Dana, 92-42, in a NIAC game at Seward on Jan. 26. The Bulldogs scored nine points before the Vikings got on the board and it was 17-2 six minutes into the game. It was 21-4 midway in the first half and 48-22 at the intermission. Dana had a 5 1/2-minute dry spell early in the second half and the Bulldogs pulled ahead, 69-27. Concordia held its biggest lead at 90-38 with about two minutes remaining. Cheri Aliu came off the bench to lead scoring with 17, while Hayle Kobza added 14, Sara Hartman and Leah Berens 11 each, Jenn Schmidt 10 and Vanessa Frana nine. Hartman yanked down seven rebounds while Kobza grabbed five. Dani Adams and Frana each had five assists. Kobza was named NIAC Player of the Week.
Jonie Ficken 0-2 1-2 1; Amy Streuter 1-6 0-0 3; Dani Adams 2-5 0-0 4; Sara Hartman 4-5 3-4 11; Vanessa Frana 3-10 0-1 9; Cheri Aliu 6-10 0-0 17; Sara Dahlke 2-4 1-2 5; Leah Berens 3-6 5-5 11; Hayle Kobza 7-11 0-0 14; Michelle Samek 2-8 0-0 5; Jenn Schmidt 5-7 0-0 10; Hannah Krenz 0-1 2-2 2
Lady Bulldogs upset No. 6 Northwestern, 66-65
Concordia played great defense and got balanced scoring to upset Northwestern, ranked No. 6 in the NAIA, by 66-65 in a Jan. 22 game at Orange City, Iowa. The Red Raiders had the ball for the final 23 seconds of the game, but failed to connect under pressure from the Bulldogs. Four players were in double figures with Michelle Samek netting 16, Sara Hartman 12 and Hayle Kobza and Vanessa Frana 10 each. Amy Streuter and Jonie Ficken each chipped in eight. Kobza grabbed 11 rebounds. Samek hit three of four attempts from three-point range. The Bulldogs trailed at half, 38-29, after hitting only 10 of 20 free throws. Northwestern is now 14-4, 3-2 in the NIAC, while Concordia is 13-6, 2-3 in the NIAC.
Doane takes NIAC win over Bulldogs, 97-79
Doane College played a strong second half to take a 97-79 NIAC win over Concordia on Jan. 19 at Crete. While the Bulldogs hit 51 percent of their second-half shots, the Tigers put in 62 percent to increase their margin from the 40-34 lead at the intermission. Doane dominated the boards, 50-28. The loss left Concordia with a 1-3 NIAC record and 12-6 overall. Hayle Kobza led the Bulldog scoring with 19 while Michelle Samek and Sara Hartman each added 11.
Wesleyan wins over Concordia, 86-75
Nebraska Wesleyan took over first place in the NIAC with an 86-75 win over Concordia at Lincoln on Jan. 15. It was 45-37 at half as the Bulldogs made 16 of 19 free throws and five of 10 from behind the three-point line. The Plainswomen controlled the boards, grabbing 44 compared to 28 for the Bulldogs, and hit 54 percent of their shots. Amy Streuter had 18 points for the Bulldogs, all three-pointers. Also in double figures were Hayle Kobza with 16, Sara Hartman 15 and Vanessa Frana 12. Concordia's record is 12-5, but 1-2 in the NIAC. Concordia was No. 24 in the national NAIA ratings on Jan. 11.
Five in double figures in win over Hastings, 83-62
Five players scored in double figures as Concordia defeated Hastings, 83-62, in a NIAC game at Seward on Jan. 12. Vanessa Frana led the charge with 20, followed by Sara Hartman with 14, Amy Streuter with 13, Hayle Kobza with 11 and Jonie Ficken 10. The Bulldogs are now 1-1 in the NIAC and 12-4 on the season. The two teams traded runs in the first half, which ended with the Bulldogs in front, 36-35. The hustling Bulldogs steadily increased their lead in the second half. Michelle Samek had 14 rebounds and five assists.
Midland wins NIAC opener in final seconds
Midland Lutheran College rallied in the second half to edge Concordia, 73-72, in the NIAC opener for both teams at Fremont on Jan. 5. Both teams were ranked nationally in NAIA Division II on Jan. 4, Midland No. 7 and Concordia No. 19. The fans saw 12 ties and 15 lead changes before Angela Karpisek connected on two free throws with 7.1 seconds left to put Midland ahead. Hayle Kobza led Concordia with 25 points and 15 rebounds, followed by Michelle Samek with 17 and Vanessa Frana 10. The Bulldogs led at half, 34-30. Concordia hit 50 percent of their shots, but put up 22 fewer attempts than the Warriors, who scored 12 points off of steals. The Bulldogs had 21 turnovers while causing 10.
Women burn nets in California, 93-48
Concordia jumped out to a 14-0 lead and never looked back as they posted a 93-48 victory over Westmont College on Dec. 30 at Santa Barbara, Calif. The Bulldogs turned 25 Warrior turnovers into 32 points and had 21 second-chance points as well as outrebounding the home team, 52-32. It was 47-16 at half. Hayle Kobza scored 21 and grabbed five rebounds. Michelle Samek scored 10, had five rebounds and seven assists. Jonie Ficken added 13 points and Vanessa Frana 10. "Leah Berens (six boards), Dani Adams (five assists) and Hannah Krenz (six points) all came off the bench to do some good things for us," Coach Micah Parker said.
Bulldogs excel in classroom with 3.66 GPA in first semester
The women's team had an average grade point average of 3.66 in the first semester. "Sixteen of the 18 players on our roster had GPAs over 3.0 and half of our team is above 3.5," Coach Parker said. "That is outstanding. I'm more proud of them for their excellence in the classroom than I am of their excellence on the court."
Concordia wins for second time over Peru State, 63-59
The Lady Bulldogs pulled out a big win on the road Dec. 19, defeating Peru State College by 63-59. Concordia trailed by six at half and by as many as 10 early in the second half before making a final push in the last eight minutes to improve to 10-3 on the year. Amy Streuter led all scorers with 17 points, including five three-pointers. Jonie Ficken added 11, including two crucial free throws with five seconds left to seal the win.
First NAIA ranking puts Concordia at No. 24
Concordia took the No. 24 spot in the first ratings of the season issued on Dec. 7 by NAIA Division II with a 9-2 record.
Mount Marty earns 74-59 win over Bulldogs
Mount Marty College, ranked in the NAIA pre-season polls, earned a 74-59 victory over Concordia University at Yankton, S.D., on Dec. 11. It was the third loss for the cold-shooting Bulldogs.
Women prevail at Kansas Newman Classic
Hayle Kobza started her first game of the year and responded with 22 points and eight rebounds to lead Concordia University to an 85-53 win over McPherson College Dec. 3 at the Kansas Newman Classic in Wichita, Kan. Amy Streuter scored 18 points, dished out 12 assists and added five steals. Sara Hartman (19), Amy Streuter (16) and Hayle Kobza (15) led Concordia scoring in a 94-62 win over Mid-American Bible College of Tulsa, Okla., Dec. 4. Kobza added 10 rebounds and Michelle Samek added eight as the Bulldogs topped the rebounding department, 41-28. Cheri Aliu and Vanessa Frana added nine points each off the bench.
Concordia takes second at Huron, S.D., tourney on Nov. 26-27
Concordia earned the second-place trophy at the Huron tournament Nov. 26-27. The Bulldogs defeated the South Dakota hosts, 76-68, in the first game before losing to Jamestown, 80-75, in the finals. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 39-27 halftime lead before allowing Jamestown College to score 53 in the second half. Hayle Kobza, who scored 40 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the two games, and Jonie Ficken, who scored 21 points, dished out six assists and played good defense, were all-tournament selections. Kobza scored 24 points, including 10 for 16 from the field, to lead the Bulldogs in a 76-68 first-round win over Huron University. Ficken came off the bench to score 13 points, including 8-8 from the free-throw line down the stretch. Concordia led 35-24 at half.
Defensive effort pays off against Peru State, 68-52
Concordia used an aggressive defensive game plan to hold 4-1 Peru State to 52 points, including only 21 in the second half, to earn a 68-52 victory at Seward on Nov. 23. "We didn't force a lot of turnovers (17), but we limited them to 46 shot attempts and did a good job of limiting Peru to one shot each possession," Coach Parker said. Freshman Amy Streuter scored 15 points from the perimeter and junior Sara Hartman scored 15 points inside to lead a balanced scoring attack. Senior Michelle Samek was the only other Bulldog in double figures with 10 points.One of the fun things about coaching this team is their unselfish play," Parker said.
Bulldogs win fourth straight over No. 27 Sterling College, 83-72
The Concordia University women's basketball team won their fourth straight of the season, 83-72, on Nov. 16 at Seward over Sterling College of Kansas, ranked No. 27 by the NAIA in the preseason. After trailing, 19-13, with 10 minutes left in the first half, the Bulldogs went on a 21-8 run to take a 34-27 lead into the locker room. Becky Mooney was one assist away from a triple double. She scored 10 points, gathered 10 rebounds and handed out nine assists. In addition, the 5-6 sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio, had six steals. Michelle Samek and Hayle Kobza recorded double figures in points and rebounds. Samek had 16 points and 11 rebounds while Kobza added 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Concordia shoots 61% in second half to beat Dordt, 52-35
After leading 31-28 at the break, Concordia outscored Dordt College, 52-35, in the second half by shooting 61 percent from the field, including 45 percent (4/9) from behind the three-point line on Nov. 13 at Sioux Center, Iowa. The battle of the boards was won by Concordia, 42-28. Michelle Samek, Sara Hartman and Hayle Kobza each had seven rebounds. Sophomore Vanessa Frana scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half to help push the lead from three to nine early in the period, before fouling out with six minutes to play. Freshman Jonie Ficken also came off the bench to score eight points on 4/6 shooting. Sara Hartman scored 22 points on 7/12 shooting while Michelle Samek added 11 points and good post defense.
Bulldogs trounce York College, 103-58
Concordia got their second blowout win in a row with a 103-58 victory over York Nov. 9 at Seward. The Bulldogs started slowly, but ended the half with a 15-3 run, led by sophomore Becky Mooney's 12 first-half points, to take a 46-36 lead. Sara Hartman was limited in minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, but scored 16 of her game-high 20 points in the second half as the Bulldogs outscored York, 57-22. Jonie Ficken scored 18 points and dished out four assists and Leah Berens added 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Bulldogs. Overall, the bench scored 49 points on the night.
Concordia opens season with 85-45 win at McPherson
Concordia University got off to a 13-0 lead at McPherson College on Nov. 6 and won their opening game of the season, 85-45. The Bulldogs shot 56 percent from the field and forced 29 turnovers, which led to some easy baskets. The halftime score was 50-9. Amy Streuter was 6-8 from the field for 13 points and had five assists. Sara Hartman had 13 points and nine rebounds. Jen Schmidt (11) and Hayle Kobza (9) combined for 18 points and nine rebounds while shooting 8-10 from the floor at the post position. Michelle Samek dished out seven assists and scored six points. Vanessa Frana and Leah Berens had 13 and 12 points off the bench.