Women’s Basketball’s Historic Season

by Chris Johnstone

The 2nd ranked Concordia University women’s basketball team enjoyed a historic regular season, going 32-1, the Bulldogs’ highest winning percentage during head coach Drew Olson’s tenure. They finished the regular season with a 90-88 victory over the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers in the GPAC championship game.

This follows a similarly successful 2016-17 season, in which Olson led the Bulldogs to a 34-3 overall record and winning the GPAC regular season title and the GPAC tournament title.

Olson has been named Coach of the Year in the GPAC for the third time in his career. Sophomore forward Philomena Lammers and junior forward Quinn Wragge also picked up accolades, both receiving all-GPAC first team honors. Seniors Mary Janovich and Dani Hoppes picked up all-GPAC second team honors with senior guard Brenleigh Daum and freshman Taylor Cockerill earning all-GPAC honorable mentions.

“This team is dominant. They find ways to break the other team’s will,” Graduate Assistant coach Erin Vieselmeyer said. “These girls play hard all the time and have a desire to win.”

The Bulldogs were riding a 24-game winning streak earlier in the year that was halted by the Midland Warriors during the middle of the season. Concordia has had some narrow wins throughout their 2017-18 campaign, including an overtime win in Point Lookout, Missouri, against 4th ranked College of the Ozarks and an overtime victory in Jamestown, North Dakota, against the Jimmies on Nov. 10.

For most of the season, the Bulldogs have been handling teams with their defensive identity and their ability to force turnovers and get easy transition scoring on the other end. They are currently on a seven-game winning streak which they hope to continue to accomplish Olson and staff’s first NAIA Division II national title.

The Concordia community will say farewell to four seniors at the end of the year. Gretna, Nebraska native Mary Janovich; McCook, Nebraska native Brenleigh Daum; Papillion, Nebraska native Sydney Feller; and Lincoln, Nebraska native Dani Hoppes will all reach the end of their college eligibility at the season’s end and hope to finish their college careers strong with a national championship.

The Bulldogs will travel to Sioux City, Iowa, to compete in the national championship from March 7-13 at the Tyson Events Center. Concordia will compete in the Liston bracket as the 1st seed. Their first opponent is Stillman College (Alabama). Tip-off is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 at 12 p.m.