ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul's women's basketball team is just days away from kicking off their 2018-19 season, primed with high hopes and NSIC Championship aspirations. The Golden Bears begin regular season play Friday, November 9th at 7:30 p.m. against Harding (Ark.), followed by a November 10th matchup against Washburn (Kan.) at 5:30 p.m. Both games are part of the Central Region Challenge that will be played at a neutral site in Kansas City, Mo. at the Municipal Auditorium.
The Golden Bears posted a record of 13-18 in their 2017-18 campaign, but finished the season strong. Dealing with injuries throughout the season, the Golden Bears found their groove in their back half of the year and won their last six games of the season (including two in the NSIC tournament) before falling to Winona State in the NSIC semifinals.
Prior to this season, CSP was picked 3rd in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll and second in the NSIC South Division. The Golden Bears trailed just Sioux Falls (1st) and MSU Moorhead (2nd) in the conference poll. Senior guard Anna Schmitt was also named NSIC South Player of the Year by the coaches.
Concordia has also been recognized regionally as a team to watch. The Golden Bears were tied for eighth in the D2SIDA Central Regional Poll, comprised of six voters (two from each conference in the region).
"With the strong finish last year, I think the group we have coming back is good," said head coach Amanda Johnson. "I'm happy about being picked third out of 16 teams [in the conference]," the third year head coach continued. "But we want to win the conference."
Concordia returns four of five players that started 20+ games last year. The team features five seniors, including Schmitt, center Lindsay Dorr, and guards Hanna Vidlund, Kyrah Fredenburg, and Lexi Lee. The Golden Bears also bring four freshman and two transfers to the mix this season.
Johnson believes that the her seniors will be able to bring veteran leadership throughout the season. "I think when it comes down to experience at the end of the year and trusting [our players], that's a huge bonus for us," the head coach stated. "Having those girls who have been to the [conference] tournament a couple times before, that experience will be huge. And they are really good basketball players."
Schmitt has been an all-conference performer in all three of her seasons with the Golden Bears, being tabbed as a first team All-NSIC performer in her past two seasons. The Waconia, Minn. native was second in the conference in scoring with 19.4 points per game last season and also led the Golden Bears in assists (84), steals (29), three-point percentage (40.7%), and free-throw percentage (86.7%). Schmitt is 4th in school history at 17.6 points per game and third with 1,553 career points.
"Anna Schmitt is an unbelievable player," Johnson stated. "She has been doing a really good job of leading not only on the court, but off the court." Schmitt has also had propensity for late game heroics, including a game-winning three point shot in a 97-94 overtime win against Southwest Minnesota State that helped turn the CSP's 2017-18 season around.
"Anna is just a tough person to guard. Not only can she take a girl to the basket, but she can shoot the ball," Johnson stated. "Teams just lose their minds because she can do it all offensively. The girls trust her at the end of the game, when it comes down to it and the clock is running down, she wants the ball."
The Golden Bears will also look to Fredenburg to give the team the boost this year, as the senior played in just three games last year due to injury. "She's just a tough kid." Johnson stated. "She's on the ground for loose balls, she's getting in there for rebounds, coming out of nowhere."
Fredenburg, a native of Coon Rapids, Minn., led the NSIC in rebounding in 2015-16 and 2016-17 and is fourth in CSP's all-time ranks with 8.2 rebounds per game. "She just brings a tough competitive side to this group as a senior, and that's what we really want out of her when games start," Johnson remarked. Fredenburg set the CSP's single season record for defensive rebounds in a season in 2015-16 with 235 boards, with her mark of 211 rebounds in 2016-17 ranking 2nd in school history.
Dorr, a center from Otsego, Minn., is a captain for the Golden Bears for the 2018-19 season along with Schmitt and Fredenburg. The senior, who transferred in from Toledo for the 2016-2017 season, showed her potential in the second half of the season by scoring double digits in 12 of her last 14 games of the season.
"Lindsay Dorr finished off the year strong, she was [dominant] inside and not a lot of teams could stop her," Johnson said. "Coming into this year, she knows that's what we expect of her." Dorr finished last season second on the team in points per game (11.3) and also collected the most blocks (43). The 6'2 center ranks 7th in school history with 1.2 career blocks per game.
Vidlund has also showed up big down the stretch last year, averaging over 14 points per game in the last four contests of the season, including three conference tournament games. The Forest Lake, Minn. native was also second in the team in assists on the season, with 72. "Vid had to step up at the end of the season last year," Johnson said. "In tournament play she did a really good job of leading our team in assists and knocking down shots."
Lee transferred in from Sioux Falls and played in 24 games in 2017-18 after redshirting the previous season. "Lexi, with her experience, we are just [comfortable] with throwing her in there." Johnson said. "She's another person to bring the ball up the floor and another great shooter."
Along with their five seniors, the Golden Bears will also bring back their third-leading scorer in Ellie Gess. The sophomore averaged 6.3 points per game last season, including scoring 10+ points in 10 games last year.
Johnson is the looking for Gess to take the next step this season after a solid rookie campaign. "She's been doing a great job at the start of this year, she's competitive, she plays defense and she's talking," the head coach stated. "Not only can she be great defensively for us, but she can shoot the ball and she has a competitive side to her that'll be really good."
The Golden Bears will also bring two transfers from Division I programs to the mix this season, forwards Riley Wheatcraft and Sidney Wentland. Both are 5'11 sophomores who played their high school basketball in Minnesota, with Wheatcraft calling Prior Lake home and Wentland attending high school in Elk River. Johnson is looking for big things this season from the pair of talented transfers. "I expect a lot out of those two once they get more comfortable," the head coach said.
Wheatcraft played her freshman season for Northern Iowa, appearing in 13 games. "Riley is a knockdown three-point shooter," Johnson stated. "She is a long guard that can also get to the basket." Wheatcraft was a three-time all-conference performer in the South Suburban Conference and an All-State honorable mention her senior season.
Wentland appeared in nine games in her first season of her collegiate career, playing for the University of Denver. "Wentland is a tough three-four player that will get on ground," Johnson remarked. "She is physical inside, and she can also shoot the ball." Wentland was also a three-time all conference selection in high school.
Concordia brings in four freshmen for the 2018-19 season, including St. Francis, Minn. native Sydney Zgutowicz. Johnson tabbed the freshman forward as a newcomer to watch coming into the season.
"Sydney is another tough kid, she will be one of our freshmen that will be able to come off of the bench and play good minutes," Johnson stated. "She is not only great defensively but she can shoot the ball and post up inside. She can do some damage as a freshman." Zgutowicz was named to the All-Conference team in the Mississippi 8 conference three times in high school as a prep athlete at St. Francis HS.
The Golden Bears will open the season with five non-conference games before starting up conference play against Minnesota State on December 1st. The Golden Bears will have a couple of tough tests right out of gate, facing Harding (Ark.) and Washburn (Kan.) in the Central Region Preview on November 9th and 10th. Washburn was ranked 10th in the D2SIDA Central Region Poll while Harding was the top team outside of the top ten, receiving the most votes among teams not ranked.
Reflecting on the team's goals for the start of the season, Johnson stated, "They know that, especially coming into the Kansas City Tournament [Central Region Challenge], that we want to be great, and not just good."
Live stats for the tournament will be available here: https://pittstategorillas.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary as the Golden Bears tip off at 7:30 on Friday the 9th and at 5:30 on Saturday the 10th. A radio broadcast for the game against Washburn on the 10th will be available here: https://prod-54-184-37-160.wostreaming.net/alphacorporate-ktpkfmmp3-ibc4?session-id=c7e85fd4d0ff857bc7dcf5af88762e58&source=wu.
Concordia will then host Wisconsin-Superior on November 13th for their first home game of the regular season. The Golden Bears will also host the Radisson Hotel Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, playing Northern Michigan on November 23rd and Jamestown (N.D.) on November 25th.
With five seniors all able to make an impact (including getting Fredenburg back from injury) and newcomers that have potential to become top contributors, the Golden Bears are primed to make a run at a conference championship. "The end of the year was a great finish for us, but with that class [last year as] juniors, I think they just want more this year being seniors," Johnson said. "That will be a huge push for them in conference play, they want to get further than they have in the past. They want to win it all."
