Women’s basketball defeats Saint Mary leading up to Concordia Invitational Tournament

Graduate student Kendal Brigham (32) turns around to pass the ball to a teammate (photo from previous game).

Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh

By Cohen Carpenter

While typically head coach Drew Olson’s Concordia squads have always prided themselves on their offensive prowess, the defense has become more and more of a bright spot this season. Featuring a stifling full-court press at times, Concordia was able to force 27 Saint Mary turnovers on 15 steals.

27 opposing turnovers marked the second highest total of the season for the Bulldogs, with Concordia’s November 11 bout with Midland coming first where the Bulldogs forced 34 defender turnovers.

Due to the high scoring and one-sided nature of this contest, a lot of Concordia’s young Bulldogs got to see extended minutes on the floor with all of them putting up impressive numbers.

““It was a great game,” said Olson after the game. “We talked about the maturity of the game. Not just to show up, but to show out and actually do really well. We had a lot of players step up and take advantage of the opportunities that they had tonight. With Savy [Butterfield], we know she is capable of great things and we are hoping she continues to take strides forward. Bree [Bunting] played great. Across the board, Joclyn [Bassett] played really well. Makynna [Robbins] played really well. It was great to see a full group. I would say the bench outplayed the starters tonight.”

In total, the bench accumulated 144 minutes compared to the starters’ 56. Leading the way for the reserves was sophomore guard Libby Hoffman who totaled 10 points in her team-leading 25 minutes on the court. Equally as notable were some of the Bulldogs Coach Olson mentioned. Savannah Butterfield and Bree Bunting, a freshman and sophomore respectively, tied for the team lead in scoring with 13 with a combined three assists and 30 total minutes.

Freshman Makynna Robbins, who is often touted for her defensive presence, was a mere two points shy of a double-double. The native Houstonian went 4-8 from the field, good for eight points, and led the team with a total of 12 rebounds all in only 16 minutes of action.

A strong first quarter is what allowed Olson the freedom to empty the bench, with the starters doing their part and out-scoring the Flames 25-9 in the game’s opening frame. Senior Kendal Brigham was quick and efficient in her time on the court, leading the starters with nine points, four rebounds and two assists in her 16 minutes.

The victory moved the Bulldogs to be one game away from .500, with their record now at 9-10 overall. Eclipsing that total will come down to Concordia’s performance on the road in the Great Lakes State. The Bulldogs’ next action will come against Concordia University Chicago in the opening round of the 72nd annual Concordia Invitational Tournament.

“We are excited about the CIT experience,” said Olson. “It is going to be a lot of fun. For our players, just to be in that kind of atmosphere is going to be awesome.”

Tip off versus the Cougars will be 12 p.m. on Friday, January 24th in the home of the Wolverines: Ann Arbor Michigan at the Cardinal Fieldhouse.

Streaming options can be found at the Concordia University Cardinals website where links to the streams are provided for free. Doghouse Grill in the basement of Janzow is also streaming the men’s and women’s games on Jan. 24 and the championship games on Jan. 25 should the teams win.