Mueller goes for career high as Bulldogs pummel Dordt
By Taylor Mueller, Sports Information Assistant
SEWARD, Neb. – Energy and second efforts were certainly not for a loss on Saturday as the women’s basketball squad stormed its way to an impressive 89-66 rout of the visiting Dordt Defenders (6-4, 2-3 GPAC). Concordia improved to 8-2, 4-1 GPAC.
Concordia made a strong statement with its big win over a quality opponent in Dordt. Using its up tempo attack, the Bulldogs had the Defenders on their heels from the opening tip.
“Our team really came out ready to play defensively,” head Coach Drew Olson said. “We wanted to play fast, and not just defensively.”
Versatile freshman Becky Mueller started off what would be a big night for her with a three-point bucket to open the game, giving the Bulldogs an early 3-0 lead. The Elkhorn, Neb., native finished with a career best 20 points.
“I just wanted to go out and play really hard and run more,” Mueller said. “That just gave me a lot more opportunities in transition. Everything was going.”
Mueller’s poise and high comfort level throughout the game were evident, something she attributes to her increased familiarity with the team and the Concordia system.
“I’m getting more used to playing,” Mueller said. “It’s a faster paced game playing with these girls and I’m starting to get more comfortable.”
After exchanging baskets through six minutes of play, the seventh-rated Bulldogs stepped on the gas to blow the game wide open with a 21-8 run that was capped off by a Kristen Conahan three-pointer, putting the score at 28-14 in favor of Concordia. The Bulldogs stayed hot through the rest of the half, shooting 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point land, pushing their lead to 49-26 as they headed into the locker room to end the first half.
The second half was much of the same for the Bulldogs, who continued to dominate, particularly on the offensive glass. Their hustle and second efforts provided numerous opportunities to keep the ball at their end of the court, and ultimately helped to account for 26 second chance points. Dordt, in comparison, managed just nine.
Concordia’s defensive intensity caused 26 Dordt turnovers, off which they scored 32 points. The Bulldog’s presence in the paint was also too much for the Defenders to handle, as they outscored Dordt 44-22 in the lane. The Bulldogs dominated nearly every aspect of the game, topping the Defenders in every major offensive and defensive category.
Mueller commented on the focused energy and effort that the Bulldogs displayed.
“We worked a lot on practice just executing our plays, working really hard on defense as a team,” Mueller said. “We really just did well together today as a team. We worked hard and we did everything coach told us to do.”
Juniors Tracy Peitz and Bailey Morris added 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Conahan pitched in with 12. Junior Jerrica Pearson snatched 8 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end of the court and senior Lori Laboda contributed with seven total rebounds of her own.
The Bulldogs will prepare for a busy week of competition when they take on Nebraska Wesleyan (1-6, 0-4 GPAC) on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. to continue a five-game home stand.
