SEWARD, Neb. – Backcourt pressure combined with the scoring punch of Ayla Roth was almost enough. However, 16th-ranked Montana Technological University spoiled the home opener for Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball. The Orediggers grinded out a pulse pounder of an 80-77 overtime win inside Friedrich Arena. A trey at the end of regulation by Montana Tech’s Brooke Badovinac forced the extra session.
Chalk it up as an early learning opportunity for Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad, which put itself in position to win despite making only 5-of-32 attempts from 3-point range. The Bulldogs are 2-1 with one game to play on the weekend.
“There were a lot of things that didn’t go our way,” Olson said. “Some of it they did and some if it we did. It was a great game and something that we’ll learn from. We feel confident about what we’re doing. We have to sharpen up a little and be ready for another great opportunity tomorrow.”
Concordia nearly got it done by scoring exclusively from the foul line for much of the fourth quarter. Its final 10 points of regulation all came from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs appeared to be in fine shape at the 1:35 mark of regulation when star guard Ayla Roth drew a critical charge. Concordia led, 65-62, at the time. Four missed foul shots in the final 1:30 left the door open enough for the Diggers to crawl through. After Badovinac’s game-tying triple, Makynna Robbins had a near miss on a potential game winner at the second half buzzer.
In overtime, Roth’s driving layup knotted the score at 75-75 with 1:21 to play (after Concordia had trailed 75-71). The next sequence decided the game as Montana Tech got two free throws from Hallie Neibauer, a stop on the defensive end and then a back-breaking triple from Badovinac, who made her two treys count. The Bulldogs had one last chance when Sammy Leu tossed up a desperation heave that rimmed out.
It was a matchup that saw Concordia put its frenetic pace and attacking guards up against a lengthy Montana Tech squad that starts four players who stand at 5-foot-10 or taller. Roth never backed down from the challenge. She poured in a game-high 23 points while making 12-of-16 from the foul line. Roth’s 5-for-18 shooting from the field was reflective of the team as a whole, which shot 31.0 percent (22-for-71) overall.
Roth and company enjoyed a plus-12 turnover margin (27-15), which helped negate a 52-37 disadvantage on the boards. When not turning it over, the Diggers shot a solid 47.1 percent (32-for-68) from the floor. Four MT players finished in double figures: Neibauer (22), Badovinac (12), Avery Carlson (11) and Halle Haber (10). The Orediggers are off to a 4-0 start after reaching the second round of last season’s national tournament.
Roth was joined in double figures on Friday by junior Makynna Robbins (12 points and nine rebounds) and freshman Maci Pittenger (11). Roth added five rebounds and two steals to her stat line. Bree Bunting chipped in with nine points and three steals.
Said Olson, “Ayla was awesome. Probably her best play was when they had a breakaway and she flew in there just to get her to miss the layup. She was phenomenal throughout the game. She showed incredible heart and toughness.”
The 27th annual Cattle Classic will continue on Saturday with four more games. The Bulldogs will take on another nationally ranked opponent when they tip off action with No. 3 Dakota State University at 12 p.m. CT. The Trojans reached the national semifinals last season. In its Friday matchup with No. 2 Dakota Wesleyan, Dakota State allowed a large first half lead to disappear in a 71-56 defeat. For more details on the Cattle Classic, click HERE.