FREMONT, Neb. – After taking a mid-second quarter timeout, Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball busted the game wide open with a game-defining 28-0 run to close the first half. GPAC rival Midland had no answer in what amounted to a 98-37 blowout victory for the ninth-ranked Bulldogs in Fremont, Neb., on Wednesday (Dec. 10). The hounding pressure applied by Concordia resulted in 40 turnovers. Freshman Sara Harley netted three first-half treys in leading the charge offensively.
Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad effectively bounced back from its first defeat of the season. The Bulldogs have moved to 10-1 overall (6-1 GPAC).
“I felt like the first quarter and part of the second quarter, we were going too fast and not being ourselves,” Olson said. “We made some decisions we normally don’t make. Ayla (Roth) got the and-one after a timeout and Libby (Hoffman) hit a three (to make it 29-19 Concordia). At that point, we knew we were okay. Just keep playing our game. It snowballed from there.”
Midway through the second quarter, Concordia was shooting a modest 36 percent (9-for-25) from the floor and led by only four (23-19). Fittingly, the stretch of utter dominance began with a steal by Ayla Roth, who went on the run and finished with a three-point play. The 28-0 surge included a pair of Libby Hoffman treys and was capped by two Harley triples. For the night, the Bulldogs shot 48.6 percent overall (36-for-74) and drained 14-of-31 attempts from 3-point range.
Concordia exceeded its season average of 30.7 turnovers forced per game while overwhelming the Warriors with its full-court pressure. In a stat that told the story of the night, the Bulldogs outscored Midland in points off turnovers, 65-5. Junior Sammy Leu continues to frustrate opponents with her defensive play. She swiped six more steals on Wednesday.
Three Concordia players reached double figures in scoring: Raelyn Kelty (15), Kristin Vieselmeyer (12) and Harley (11). Another three Bulldogs poured in exactly nine points: Libby Hoffman, Makynna Robbins and Ona Stutzman. Vieselmeyer added seven rebounds and two blocked shots while Leu stuffed the stat sheet with six points, four rebounds and three assists in addition to her six thefts. Kelty was near perfect offensively in going 6-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the foul line. Point guard Ayla Roth chipped in with five points and five assists.
Midland (1-10, 1-6 GPAC) has dropped each of the past 10 meetings with Concordia. The 61-point margin of defeat on Wednesday was the largest this season for the Warriors. They were led by the 12 points from Jenna Weber. As a team, they shot only 30 percent (15-for-50) and went 2-for-12 from 3-point range. Midland held a slight edge in rebounding, 37-35.
The Bulldogs are 3-0 in GPAC road games and have hit the 90-point mark five times this season. Said Olson, “We feel good about ourselves. I think we’re still realizing how good we really are. Sometimes we try to do too much. Just trust everybody, relax and make the simple play. When we do that, we’re really good.”
Pre-New Year’s conference action will wrap up on Saturday with a trip to Sioux Center, Iowa, home to top-ranked Dordt (9-1, 5-1 GPAC). Game time is 2 p.m. CT from De Witt Gymnasium. Winners of the 2024 and 2025 national championships, the Defenders twice defeated the Bulldogs in overtime last season. In Wednesday night action, Dordt rallied to defeat No. 14 Dakota Wesleyan, 86-81.