Four players scored in double-figures and two more had eight in a balanced effort as Concordia University (1-0) defeated Upper Iowa University (0-2) 76-61 on Friday afternoon at the Gangelhoff Center in the Radisson St. Paul Women's Basketball Classic.
The Bears were strong in the low post, outscoring the Peacocks 50-30 in the paint, led by sophomore
Amanda Behnke and junior
Janine Kuklis, who each scored a team-high 15 points. Behnke shot 6-10 from the field while Kuklis was 7-11. They combined to go 4-4 at the line, with Behnke converting all three of her free throws, while Kuklis connected on her one.
The starting lineup for the Bears shot 27-46 on the day and scored 62 of Concordia's 76 points. Also reaching double-figures for the Bears were senior guards
Nakia Carlisle and
Ashley Smith, who each scored 12 points. Sophomore point guard
Katie Laviolette scored eight points on 4-4 shooting and dished out a game-high six assists, while Carlisle's five assists were close behind.
The Bears edged the Peacocks on the glass with a 37-31 rebounding margin, including a 16-10 advantage on the offensive glass. Behnke led the Bears with seven rebounds, while Kuklis and junior
Stephanie Westman each added five.
Sophomore center
Whitney Smetana led the Bears off the bench with eight points on 3-6 shooting while also grabbing a pair of rebounds, dishing a pair of assists, and recording a blocked shot in nine minutes of action. Freshman forward
Candace Olstad contributed four points and a rebound in 15 minutes of bench work.
Concordia's defense was fierce, forcing 28 Peacock turnovers and holding them to just 48 shot attempts, while the Bears fired up 70 field goal attempts. Laviolette, Smith, and Carlisle each recorded three steals, helping the Bears to a 12-7 advantage in fast break scoring.
Concordia returns to action tomorrow afternoon for their second game of the Radisson St. Paul Women's Basketball Classic when they face Minnesota Duluth, who defeated Bemidji State 72-52 earlier in the afternoon. The Golden Bears face the Bulldogs at 3:00 p.m. following the 1:00 p.m. matchup between Bemidji State and Upper Iowa.
