Prescott, Ariz. – After making the drive to the deserts of Arizona, the Bulldogs squared off against a physical Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) on Monday (Dec. 18) night. After leading by single digits at the end of two frames, Concordia erupted for 31 points in the third quarter, making 16 total treys in its 94-70 win over the hosting Eagles. Taysha Rushton gathered 21 points on 4-of-6 from the field, as Sadie Powell bottomed 18 points on 70 percent (7-of-10) shooting and five rebounds in the bout.
The Bulldogs are 8-2 with one game left in Arizona. Head Coach Drew Olson commented on quality shooting and getting back to Concordia basketball.
“We finally started shooting the ball again. It was a good game for us. Embry-Riddle is a tough team. They pressed us, cut the lead to six at the half, and we responded well. If the ball goes in, all of a sudden our team feels really confident. Then we are back to who we are.”
ERAU used a zone defense that helped them turn over the Dawgs and cut the lead (34-28) before halftime. Rushton, nursing a lower extremity injury, came out firing from beyond the arc and shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the field (2-2 3-pt) on her way to eight points and a steal in the runaway quarter.
Up nine with 4:07 left in the third, the visitors stepped on the gas and went on a 17-5 run to end the frame, with Powell leading the drive having eight of her own. Megan Belt, Bree Bunting and Juliana Jones all chipped in on the 12-point scoring advantage, climbing to a 65-44 lead. Concordia forced eight turnovers on five steals in the quarter, bolstering the offensive on slot.
“Taysha is a gamer. Despite an injury, she played really well on both ends of the floor. Sadie. It is awesome to see. When she plays well, we are a really tough team. She did a good job of being aggressive and looking for her shot, and I thought defensively she was really active.”
Having scored six from downtown in the third, the Dawgs matched the three-point count in the final quarter, for 12 in the second half and 55.2 percent (16-of-29) in the game. Kendal Brigham started with a three-point make, collecting one bucket of her 13-point night. Belt finished the whipping with two back to back three-pointers in her 11-point performance, pushing the lead to the game high 33 in the final minutes.
Abby Krieser put numbers on the stat sheet in almost every category with eight points, five assists, four steals, and a rebound.
Concordia will stay in Arizona for its second game of the trip, facing off against Arizona Christian University (9-2) in Glendale, Ariz. Tip off is set for 2 p.m. CT on Tuesday (Dec. 19) at ACU Events Center.