Box Score PHOTO GALLERY (courtesy www.communityhoops.com)
MINNEAPOLIS – The Concordia University women's basketball team played its first of two exhibition games to start the 2012-13 campaign, losing to the University of Minnesota 76-49 on Wednesday night at Williams Arena.
Anika Whiting (Ashland, Wis.) led the Golden Bears with 18 points. She shot 5-for-8 from the field and made 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
Rachel Hansen (Eagan, Minn.) also posted double digit points for the Bears with 12. Hansen shot 3-for-9 from the field and went 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.
Mandy Poke (Richfield, Minn.) led the team with eight rebounds.
The Gophers jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the four minutes and never looked back. It wasn't until the 15:47 mark Concordia scored its first points of the game with a pair of free throws by Hansen. At halftime, Minnesota held a 44-24 lead. The Gophers didn't allow the Golden Bears to cut into their lead in the second half, resulting in the 27-point margin of victory.
As a team, Concordia shot 16-for-50 from the floor (32.0%), while the Gophers converted 28-of-63 (44.4%). The battle of the boards was close as Minnesota edged the Bears 38-35 in rebounding, but the difference was turnovers – CU committed 29 turnovers compared to 19 by Minnesota. The Gophers capitalized for 30 points off the takeaway, while the Bears put up 10 points in that department.
Concordia continues exhibition play on November 4 against another Big Ten opponent – the University of Wisconsin. The Golden Bears and Badgers tip off in Madison at 2:00 p.m.
