Women’s basketball wins Concordia Invitational Tournament in Mequon, Wis.
Photo description: Head coach Drew Olsen talks to the team during a time-out.
Photo credit: Courtney Wright (photo from previous game)
Cohen Carpenter
Sower Staff
The first fireworks of the 2024 Concordia Invitational Tournament in Mequon, Wisconsin were set off Friday afternoon as Concordia Nebraska defeated Concordia Ann Arbor by a score of 73-64.
In a game that certainly prepared those in attendance for the hotly contested action of the CIT, it appeared, at different points, that either team was on the verge of blowing out the other entirely.
Beginning the matchup in the first quarter, the Bulldogs established themselves as the nationally ranked powerhouse they are, roaring to an imposing seven point lead a mere four minutes after tip-off. However, this early lead proved to be the Bulldog’s last until the waning seconds of the fourth quarter.
Thanks to the heroics of sophomore guard Abby Long, the Cardinals entered the second quarter leading the Bulldogs by a score of 26-16, 10 points of which were courtesy of the team captain Long. In the opening frame, Ann Arbor landed nine of 14 shots, making five of seven from three and sinking both free throws.
The scoring settled down in the second quarter, as both squads only scored 23 points combined. Nevertheless, the Cardinals were closing in on their largest lead of the night.
Following an Abby Long three-pointer in the opening minutes of the third quarter, Concordia Ann Arbor led No. 8 nationally ranked Concordia with the 18th best offense in the nation by a score of 16 points with the scoreboard reading 43-27, Cardinals. However, the Bulldogs are ranked eighth for a reason.
At the end of the game, there were five Bulldogs in double digits, most of whom saved their best for last. Junior guard Mackenzie Toomey specifically put up seven points in the third quarter after the squad went down by 16. Toomey finished the game with 13 points and 6 rebounds, making 50 percent of her field goals.
The 16-point deficit was entirely erased in the third quarter, as the Bulldogs scored a game best 26 points in the frame. As the final seconds ticked away in the third, junior guard Kendal Brigham drained a free throw, putting Concordia up 53-52.
The game ended on a disastrous sequence from the Cardinals. With just over three minutes left to play in the game, the game was knotted at 61 after a pair of Kendal Brigham free throws. Following the tie junior forward Sadie Powell hit a free throw to gain the lead, 62-61. A minute later, Powell drained a three-point attempt, her first and final of the game. Following the dagger, the Cardinals either turned the ball over or fouled the Bulldogs on their next three possessions. By the time Ann Arbor scored next, the game was well out of hand with the Concordians from Nebraska boasting a 10-point lead.
When the dust settled, the Cardinals had actually outshot the Bulldogs, making 24 of 52 field goals compared to Concordia’s 25 of 56. The differences began to be highlighted in the turnovers and fouls. When it was all said and done, the Cardinals had 17 turnovers while the Bulldogs only had ten. More striking was the Cardinals nine free throw attempts to the Bulldogs 21. To add insult to injury, Ann Arbor only made five of their nine free throws while Concordia made a whopping 19, good for a .905 shooting percentage.
Junior guard Taysha Rushton again led the Bulldogs in scoring, tallying 19 on 7 for 13 shooting with a rebound and two assists. Closely behind Rushton were Brigham and junior guard Abby Krieser who finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Between the two of them, nary a free throw was missed, as the duo made all 11 attempts from the charity stripe.
The Bulldogs will be back in action Saturday the 27 where they will square up against either Concordia University Chicago or Concordia University Wisconsin at 5:30pm in the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse in Mequon.
