ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team (14-5, 10-4 NSIC) will face off against Northern State (8-12, 5-9 NSIC) on Friday, February 1st at 5:30 p.m. before matching up against Minnesota State Moorhead (17-3, 13-1 NSIC) on Saturday, February 2nd at 3:30 p.m.
KEY STATS
Kyrah Fredenburg is just 17 rebounds away from breaking the Concordia-St. Paul all-time record for career rebounds. The senior guard is currently third on the list with 855 rebounds, trailing Anika Whiting (863 rebounds, 2011-15) and Dana Christopher (871, 1987-1991). Fredenburg is third in the conference with an average of 10.0 rebounds in NSIC play and has grabbed an average of 12.2 rebounds in her last five games.
Concordia has played their best basketball at the Gangelhoff Center this year, going 10-0 on their home court. CSP has held all but one of their opponents to under 40% shooting at home.
Shooting percentage has been a big factor for CSP. The Golden Bears are 12-0 when shooting a higher percentage than their opponents, and they are 13-2 when their opponent shoots under 40%.
Lindsay Dorr has been a consistent force for the Golden Bears as one of the best post players in the NSIC. The Otsego, Minnesota native has scored 14 or more points in 18 of 19 games for the Golden Bears and is averaging a double-double at 17.5 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game, both marks that lead the team. Dorr has also collected 2.2 blocks per game in NSIC play.
Anna Schmitt had one of her best weekends of the season in the Golden Bears' last two games. They senior averaged 18 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals, including a 23 point, seven assist performance in the win over Augustana. Schmitt has been a top distributor lately, averaging six assists over the last six games.
LAST TIME OUT
Concordia hit the road last weekend, claiming one big victory before falling in their second game of the weekend. With the 1-1 weekend, CSP is tied atop the NSIC South standings at 10-4, though they did beat the team that they are tied with for first place (Augustana).
Concordia traveled to Sioux Falls S.D. last Saturday to take on the Vikings, coming away with a huge 75-55 win over Augie. The Golden Bears shot a season best 54.7% from the field while holding Augustana's high powered offense to just 32.8% shooting. CSP used a big 21-5 run the second half to take control of the game, including hitting 12 straight shots from the field.
Anna Schmitt led all scorers with 23 points (9-15 from the floor, 3-6 from three), also dishing out seven assists. Lexi Lee scored a career-high 18 points, and Lindsay Dorr posted 15 points and seven rebounds. Kyrah Fredenburg had a big game on the glass, scoring eight points and grabbing 14 boards
The script flipped on CSP in their next contest, as they fell 71-49 to Wayne State. A night after shooting their highest percentage of the season, the Golden Bears shot 25.4% from the field and 1-22 from three.
The Golden Bears were led by Dorr, as she posted 18 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Schmitt was the only other scorer in double figures for CSP with 13 points.
NORTHERN STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Golden Bears have a 15-21 all-time record against the Wolves. The matchups have been a bit back-and-forth between the two teams in recent years, as neither team has won three games in a row since the 2008 season. However, the Wolves have been more successful lately, winning six of the last nine games between the two teams. CSP is 10-7 all-time against NSU at the Gangelhoff Center.
LAST TIME AGAINST NSU
Northern State came into the Gangelhoff Center last year to play the Golden Bears, with their squad ranked 19th in the country at the time. CSP fell 86-71 against the Wolves, as Northern State shot 50.0% from the field compared to CSP's 40.7%.
Anna Schmitt led CSP in scoring in that contest, posting 21 points and eight assists. Brianna Miller (15) and Hadyn Becker (14) had career-high's in scoring in the loss. Becker also led the team with five rebounds.
Northern State also shot 50% from three in that matchup and outrebounded the Golden Bears by a significant 46-22 margin. The Wolves' senior center Miranda Ristau found a way to be effective all game on both sides of the court, scoring a game-high 29 points, while also compiling seven boards, six assists, and five blocks.
SCOUTING THE WOLVES
The Wolves come to St. Paul on a four-game losing streak, as they have faced four teams with winning records in the NSIC. Northern State has yet to beat any teams in the NSIC with a winning record, but a majority of those losses were within ten points or less at the final buzzer.
NSU is led by junior guard Brianna Kussler, who averages 11.6 points per game. Kussler also averages 10.2 rebounds per game, and has posted eight double-double's this season. She also is tied for the team lead in assists with 41 on the season.
Lexi Wadsworth has been another top producer for the Wolves, as she averages 10.5 points per game and has scored in double figures in four of her last six contests. Wadworth has also grabbed seven or more rebounds in five of her last six games.
Northern State leads in the NSIC in rebounding margin in conference play with a mark of +8.5. On the flip side, they rank 16th in blocks (1.4 per game) and 15th in steals (4.9 per contest).
The Wolves have had some struggles scoring the basketball this season, shooting just 37.9% in conference play (15th NSIC) and scoring just 55.9 points per game (15th NSIC).
MINNESOTA STATE MOORHEAD SERIES HISTORY
CSP holds a 23-15 all-time mark against the Dragons, though MSUM has had more success in the matchup lately. The Dragons have won the last five games between the two teams after a string of five wins in six games for CSP. Concordia is 12-7 against Minnesota State Moorhead at home.
LAST TIME AGAINST MSUM
The Golden Bears and Dragons last battled at the Gangelhoff Center in a tight game, with MSU Moorhead coming away with a 66-60 win. CSP was ahead for most of the fourth quarter, but MSUM ended the game on a 13-6 run to claim the victory.
Concordia gained the lead early in the third quarter, and maintained it until there was 1:33 left in the game. MSU Moorhead hit three of their last four from the field and six straight from the free throw line to seal the win down the stretch.
Anna Schmitt led the Golden Bears with 15 points, while Brianna Miller pitched in 14 points and Lindsay Dorr added 13. Miller chipped in eight rebounds and four assists while Dorr corralled seven rebounds.
SCOUTING THE DRAGONS
Minnesota State Moorhead has compiled 20-win seasons in their last three years and have the best record in the NSIC (17-3, 13-1 NSIC) this year. The Dragons lost their first NSIC contest last weekend after winning their first 12, falling 69-53 at Minnesota Duluth.
The Dragons are led in the scoring department by sophomore guard Kiley Borowicz, who ranks seventh in the NSIC with 14.9 points per game. Junior forward Megan Hintz is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per contest. Hintz is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.8 rebounds per game.
Senior guard Jacky Volkert has been one of the best facilitators in the NSIC, while also averaging 11.9 points per game. Volkert leads the NSIC in both assists (4.4) and assist to turnover ratio (2.5) by a significant margin.
Efficient offense has been a staple for MSU Moorhead this season, as they ranks second in the conference in NSIC play with a team shooting percentage of 42.6%. The Dragons lead the conference in scoring margin (+11.6) and are second in the league in rebounding margin (+8.1).
Both games this weekend feature special promotions, as Friday's contest is CSP's It's a Slam Dunk – Don't Drivie Drunk night, to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, and Saturday the team will recognize their professors for Teacher Appreciation Night. If you can't make it to the games you can watch them live at
www.cspbears.com/watch or follow live updates on twitter
@CSPBears.
