SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs will fly to Honolulu, Hawaii facing two talented programs in the Hoops in Hawaii Classic in the coming days. Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball will take the floor against No. 3 Campbellsville University (Ky.) and the University of Providence (Mont.) in highly anticipated contests in the Aloha state. Head Coach Drew Olson and the Bulldog Blue split in its past two games to defeat Midland (98-37) and fall to No. 1 Dordt (79-57).
Hoops in Hawaii Classic
Thursday, Dec. 18 vs. No. 3 Campbellsville (13-0), 1:15pm HST / 6:15pm CST
--Live Webcast | Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Friday, Dec. 19 vs. Providence (8-3), 11 a.m. HST / 4 p.m. CST
--Live Webcast | Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
By the numbers
· Leading by only four in the middle of the second quarter, the Bulldogs came out of a timeout asserting their dominance over Midland with a 28-0 run to end the half. Ayla Roth started the scoring drive with a 3-point play as Sara Harley and Libby Hoffman dropped two three-balls apiece in the stanza. 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. Concordia shot 48.6 percent overall (36-for-74) and drained 14-of-31 attempts from 3-point range while taking away 40 possessions from the side with orange.
· Dordt used two second-half runs (12-3, 13-3) to put double-digit distance between it and Concordia. The home Defenders relied on Gracie Schoonhoven (26 points), Macy Sievers (16 points) and Olivia Harazin (16) playing like the big three in Sioux Center. Coming out firing, the Bulldogs won the first quarter with a 20-18 lead and forcing nine turnovers but couldn’t pull away from the defending national champs. Savannah Butterfield poured in her career high 15 points and kept the visitors in the contest in the second half. Bree Bunting also hit double figures (10) and Vieselmeyer added seven points and four blocks. The Bulldog defense forced 31 turnovers and 17 steals but were unable to take advantage on the attacking end. Gabrielle Wagner, Sammy Leu and Bunting all swiped three steals apiece.
· In their last trip to Hawaii, the Bulldogs faced a then-ranked No. 1 Campbellsville in 2021 and fell in a tight one to 64-57. Going against two Kentucky programs, Concordia was also pitted against then-ranked No. 3 Thomas More University (84-67), taking two losses to the two top-5 schools. The trip before in 2016, the Bulldogs gathered two wins over No. 17 Indiana Tech University (68-57) and No. 8 College of the Ozarks (Mo.), 78-68. Mary Janovich bolstered nine of the 13-2 run over the Bobcats finishing the seal of the top-10 win on the Island. After having flight troubles before game one in the Aloha state, the Dawgs nearly led the entire way after a slow opening. Janovich turned in an all-around impressive line, going for a team high 16 points to complement her five rebounds, four steals and four assists. Shelby Quinn added nine points.
· The defense gets much of the deserved credit for steals and forcing turnovers but the offense knows how to protect the rock in a way that only comes by going against a gnats at a picnic defense daily. Concordia gives up the fewest amount of turnovers (13.5) in the conference and 22nd in the nation. The primary on-the-ball handlers have been Ayla Roth, Gabrielle Wagner, Bree Bunting, Sammy Leu and Juliana Jones.
· Updated Massey Ratings has Concordia at No. 8. The strength of schedule for the Bulldogs is slotted at 18th in the country. Other GPAC teams in the top-25 are Dordt (2nd), Dakota Wesleyan (10th), Briar Cliff (12th), Hastings (17th) and Northwestern (22nd). In the upcoming opponents, Campbellsville is rated 3rd, and Providence is 33rd. DWU (2), Dordt (3), Hastings (9) and Northwestern (10) are all rated in the top 10 for strength of schedule.
Probable Lineup
G – Bree Bunting, 5-9 (9.7)
G – Ayla Roth, 5-9 (8.6)
G – Sammy Leu, 5-10 (9.2)
F – Raelyn Kelty, 5-11 (6.8)
F – Kristin Vieselmeyer, 6-2 (12.5)
The opponents
The Tigers are an undefeated 13-0 coming into the classic averaging a +41.6 scoring margin over their opponents. Piling up 90.8 points per game, Campbellsville has only had one win under 20 points versus Indiana Wesleyan University (68-50). The powerhouse is led by Whitney Hay (16.4 ppg) and Dea Bradley (12.5 ppg) on the offensive end. When the rock hits the boards, Tyra Flowers (7.7) and Hay (5.1) rush to the rebounds. Flowers is also out front in dishes (2.9) and swipes (3.8). Shooting 47.9 as a unit, the Tigers average 30.5 from three and 70.4 from the charity stripe. The standout stats come from forcing 24.7 turnovers and a +12.8 rebound advantage with 41.5 a game.
Campbellsville Probable Lineup
G – Dea Bradley, 5-5 (12.5)
G – Hallie Allen, 5-7 (7.5)
F – Talynne Shearer, 6-0 (8.4)
F – Tyra Flowers, 5-10 (6.7)
F – Whitney Hay, 6-0 (16.4)
The Argos have totaled an 8-3 record with two of their three losses coming from No. 4 Dakota State University (S.D.). Before taking on the Bulldogs, Providence will take on Dakota Wesleyan in Hawaii. Putting 63.3 points per contest on the scoreboard, the Argonauts are a defensively led squad allowing 57.2 to their opposition. Dropping 37.7 percent from the field, Providence 28.6 percent from beyond the arc and 66.2 percent from the free throw line. Pulling down 40.1 rebounds per game, the side out of Montana steals 10.1 possessions per contest. Brooke Dial, former Waldorf Warrior, paces the Argos with 11.8 points and 6.2 rebounds a game. Ainsley Thurbur (11.2) and Eliannah Ramirez (10.0) also reach double figures per contest. Ramirez is ahead of the pack in steals (1.9) and assists (3.0). Concordia and Providence last met in the round of 16 in the NAIA national tournament in 2024 with the Argos moving on, 73-66.
Providence Probable Lineup
G – Brooke Dial, 5-10 (11.8)
G – Eliannah Ramirez, 5-5 (10.0)
G – Camryn Cartwright, 6-1 (4.9)
F – McKennah Reggear, 6-0 (4.5)
F – Ainsley Thurbur, 5-10 (11.2)
Next week
The Bulldogs will open the new year with Northwestern at home inside Friedrich Arena on Jan. 3.