Dawgs stellar performance falls short in final seconds

By Chase Benton on Jan. 18, 2025 in Women's Basketball

SEWARD, Neb. – Down by one with 32 seconds to go, Raelyn Kelty drove in for a layup to take a one-point lead over Northwestern on Saturday (Jan. 18). With four seconds left, the Red Raiders’ Hali Anderson would make the final jump shot as the visitors stole a road victory (74-73) in Seward. Kristin Vieselmeyer matched her career high (27) points as four Bulldogs were heavy contributors in the contest.

Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad drops to 8-10 and 5-9 in the conference.

Midway through the third quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 9-3 scoring run to reach its largest lead (58-47). Northwestern whittled the advantage down before Vieselmeyer scored seven straight points to put Concordia up eight with 5:30 left in the fourth frame.

The Red Raiders responded once again to go ahead for the first time since the second quarter with a little over a minute remaining. Kelty put the Dawgs up late but critical missed free throws allowed NWC to take the lead in the final seconds.

Vieselmeyer went 9-for-17 from the field and 3-for-5 from three in her Dawg-like drive to 27 points and tacked on four rebounds. Concordia shot 46.6 percent (27-for-58) in field goals and 52.4 percent (11-for-21) from the charity stripe.

Three other Bulldogs played with ferocity and hit double digit points: Kendal Brigham (15), Abby Krieser (11) and Kelty (10). All three contributed other numbers, affecting the game in multiple ways. Krieser, a Lincoln North Star alum, stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Brigham tied her season’s second most assists (seven) and Kelty grabbed nine rebounds, just short of a double-double.

Northwestern (13-6, 9-4 GPAC) was led in points by Akaysa Duitscher (17), Anderson (13) and Molly Schany (10). The Red Raiders shot 52.9 percent (9-for-17) from 3-point range and 44.8 percent (26-for-58) from field goal range. They will return to Orange City, Iowa to face Morningside on Wednesday.

Concordia (8-10, 5-9 GPAC) is set to travel to Omaha to face College of Saint Mary (1-18, 0-13 GPAC) on Wednesday before making the trek to the Concordia Invitational Tournament. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT inside Lied Fitness Center. The Bulldogs defeated the Flames, 87-53, on Nov. 20 in Seward.