CRETE, Neb. – Bree Bunting and Raelyn Kelty helped bag the Bulldogs' eighth road victory, 84-59, of the season by branding Doane with a decisive 17-0 statement run in the fourth quarter on Wednesday (Feb. 4). Concordia University, Nebraska owned the blacktop with superior shooting (49.2 percent) and defensive stops in the second route of the Tigers this campaign. Bunting matched her old career high in points by halftime to reach new heights (19 points), and Kelty (19 points) owned the defensive glass.
Head Coach Drew Olson and the Dawgs move on to 18-5 overall and 13-4 in the GPAC.
“Our defense, in that fourth quarter, was really, really good,” Coach Olson said. “Our composure throughout the game was really solid. Doane is a tough team that kinda kept hanging around. There were a lot of people who stepped up in different ways. Our team did a much better job of playing inside-out.”
Doane kept hanging within striking distance until the 4:19 mark in the fourth quarter (67-56). The Bulldogs hit four treys with one by JJ Jones to start the added advantage, and Abbie Kromarek capped off the final surge. The defense held Doane to four shots in the run, but they all came up empty. The press continued to stifle the home squad throughout the 40 minutes as it produced 22 turnovers and 15 steals.
The visitors to the Haddix Center shot consistently throughout the contest zeroing in at 31-for-63 from field goal range. Different Dawgs had their time to shine but Bunting made the most of the opening frame with the first eight points (11 first quarter) for the navy and white. A junior guard out of Kersey, Colo., Bunting shot 7-for-12 from the floor (4-for-8 from 3-point range) while adding three rebounds and two steals.
Olson said, “Bree and Rae were really good. Bree was special. We have got a lot of talented players and she is really good. She is continuing to gain confidence and continuing to see what she can do. Today, she had a lot of things working for her.”
Kelty scored in every stanza, burying an efficient 8-for-11 from the field while taking down a team-high eight boards. Ayla Roth came on strong in the second half and stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Jones was right behind her piling up seven points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Kristin Vieselmeyer tallied nine points on 4-for-8 shooting and five snags off the glass.
The Tigers’ Mattea Kassebaum played a huge role in keeping the side in the battle with a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds, three assists). Ella Johnson and Keeleigh Knobbe both reached 10 points apiece as Megan Chambers was held to eight. Doane (8-11, 6-9 GPAC) shot 38.3 (23-for-60) percent from the field and pulled in 39 rebounds total.
Concordia (18-5, 13-4 GPAC) will return to Friedrich Arena and face Morningside (13-11, 8-10 GPAC) this upcoming Saturday. The Bulldogs will tip-off at 4 p.m. CT in Seward. CUNE defeated the Mustangs, 72-49, in the first meeting in Sioux City.