ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team (5-14, 2-11 NSIC) fell to Sioux Falls (13-5, 10-4 NSIC) 84-54 on Saturday afternoon at the Gangelhoff Center, as the Cougars hit 13 threes and shot 51.8% from the field. Anna Schmitt compiled her 16^th game in double figures for the Bears and Lindsay Dorr racked up her fifth double-double of the year in the contest.
 
With the loss the Bears fall to 8-4 in their all-time series record against the Cougars and snap their two-game winning streak that CSP owned against Sioux Falls coming into today's game.
 
The Cougars were solid all day on the offensive end, connecting on 29 of 55 (51.8%) shots from the floor and an impressive 13 of 26 (50.0%) from the three-point line. Sophomore guard Mariah Szymanski of Sioux Falls was a major factor in this efficiency as she hit nine threes in ten attempts (90.0%), finishing with a 70.0% field goal percentage (14-20) and a career-high 43 points, which is tied for the season high in Division II so far this year. Also ending in double figures for the Cougars was sophomore Kaely Hummel, with 15.
 
Schmitt led the Bears with 17 points, finishing with 54 total points over the weekend. Dorr was close behind her, as the junior center finished with 13 points and secured 13 rebounds for her second double-double of the weekend and her fifth of the season. Dorr also tallied three blocks throughout the contest.
 
The Bears did not shoot well in the contest, posting a 29.3% (17-58) field goal percentage, but did cash in on some points from the free-throw line, scoring 20 from the charity stripe, compared to their opponent's 13. The Cougars, however, really capitalized on CSP turnovers, scoring 21 points from these opportunities.
 
The first quarter went back-and-forth and featured three ties and two lead changes. A three from Schmitt with 1:19 left in the quarter got the Bears within four, but Sioux Falls quickly answered with four points of their own to lead by eight after the first ten minutes. The Cougars scored the first ten points in the second quarter to really build up a lead, while holding the Bears scoreless for the first eight minutes of the second frame, which resulted in the Bears trailing by 15 at the half.
 
Sioux Falls continued their solid offensive play in the third quarter, shooting 78.6% (11-14) from the field, including hitting five threes in six attempts (83.3%), which was their best shooting quarter of the game. The Bears outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter (22-20) and posted a solid 43.8% (7-16) field goal percentage, but the Cougars went on to win 84-56.
 
The Bears have a busy week next week, as they take on Minnesota State Mankato on Tuesday, January 23^rd and then face Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston over the weekend. All three games will be played at home to finish off this five-game homestand for the Bears. Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 6 p.m.