SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball came into Wednesday (Nov. 19)’s contest averaging more than 100 points per game, but it’s the team’s defensive tenacity that has stood out in the early going of the 2025-26 season. Visiting College of Saint Mary never reached more than 14 points in any single quarter as the 11th-ranked Bulldogs pillaged another opponent – this time by a 96-44 final score. Junior Sammy Leu led a group of four double-figure scorers with 16 points for the victors.
Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad has jetted out to a 6-0 (2-0 GPAC) start with all six wins coming by margins of 21 points or more.
“I thought our defensive effort was really good,” Olson said. “We played really hard. We did a great job causing them to turn the ball over, and I thought we did a good job on the glass. Offensively, we weren’t in the best of rhythm. We went a whole week against zone getting ready for Waldorf. We haven’t seen man-to-man in a while, so I think that had a little bit to do with it. College of Saint Mary played well defensively, but I think we’ve got to get a little bit sharper against man.”
Concordia actually started slow offensively in the opening few minutes, but it took the Flames out of everything they attempted to do at the other end. The Bulldogs built their first double-digit lead just over eight minutes into the action and never looked back. Their constant ball pressure resulted in 39 CSM turnovers and a flurry of uncontested layups. By halftime, Concordia had the game well in hand, leading 47-18.
In their most lopsided defeat yet this season, the Flames got a taste of not only the full-court pressure but also the Bulldogs’ devastating half-court zone defense. Twelve different Concordia players collected at least one steal as the entire roster took turns making contributions. In addition to her 16 points, Leu posted four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Three of her teammates recorded exactly 12 points: JJ Jones, Makynna Robbins and Kristin Vieselmeyer. The senior from Holyoke, Colo., Vieselmeyer added eight rebounds and two blocks to her stat line.
Soaring with confidence, the Wahoo High School product Leu netted 12 points in the second quarter. Leu drained two treys in the final two minutes of the first half as part of the stretch that put the game away early. All 15 Bulldogs who saw action registered in the scoring column.
Said Olson, “Sammy was awesome. We had a great run at the end of the second quarter. That was really all Sammy Leu. What she did on both ends of the floor was great. Then in the second half, it was great to see Makynna and Abbie Kromarek do what they do. They’re Energizer bunnies. You kind of wear them out and then you throw those two at you – that’s pretty tough to go against. That’s why it’s great to have depth and a great bench.”
Madelyn Gaughen entered the evening leading the Flames in scoring (19.3) while having played all 40 minutes in six of the team’s first seven games. She was limited to 2-for-9 shooting (10 points) on Wednesday. Ja’La Porter led CSM (1-7, 0-2 GPAC) with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The difficulty level will ramp up this weekend as the Bulldogs look forward to a trip to Orange City, Iowa. Saturday’s tipoff from the Bultman Center, home to Northwestern (4-1, 1-1 GPAC), is set for 5 p.m. CT. The Red Raiders took both of last season’s meetings from Concordia. The Red Raiders lost a tight one, 73-71, at rival and top-ranked Dordt on Wednesday.