The 9th-ranked Concordia University women's basketball team earned a hard fought 64-61 road victory over the Mount Marty College Lancers on Saturday afternoon at the Laddie Cimpl Arena in Yankton, S.D.
The Bulldogs (17-2, 8-2 GPAC) used a tough defense and opportunistic offense to earn a victory on a night when Concordia made only one three pointer. The Bulldogs turned 15 Lancer turnovers into 22 points to offset the cold long-distance shooting on the night (1-for-15 from beyond the arc). Mount Marty (8-9, 2-6 GPAC) continues to struggle as a team that began the season ranked 17th in the nation.
The Bulldogs held the upper hand for most of the first half, leading by as much as 11 before the Lancers went on a 9-3 run to close the gap before halftime, closing the gap to four at 34-30.
Mount Marty was able to carry the momentum into the second half and even gained a brief second-half lead, at 39-38 on a jumper by Stacey Lickteig. The lead was short-lived as junior guard Melissa Tinkham sank two free throws the next time down the court to put the Bulldogs back into the lead for good. Concordia was able to survive a late surge by Mount Marty to hold on for the three point victory.
Tinkham led the Bulldog offense with 11 points. Senior post Jenni Lovegrove added 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting while pulling down eight rebounds.
Mount Marty was led by Michelle Amundosn with 17 points and Tevan Wenbourne added nine points and five rebounds for the Lancers.
The Bulldogs continue the road trip this week, heading Blair, Neb., for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off against GPAC foe Dana on Tuesday evening before heading to Chicago, Ill., to take part in the 54th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament.