ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team (18-6, 14-5 NSIC) used another huge second half to defeat Wayne State (13-12, 8-11 NSIC) 84-58 Friday night at the Gangelhoff Center.
With the win, the Golden Bears moved to 12-1 at the Gangelhoff Center and maintained their one-game lead atop the NSIC South. CSP has won 14 of their last 17 games.
The Golden Bears shot 17-29 from the field in the second half (58.6%) and 9-14 from three (64.2%) to outscore the Wildcats 50-29 in the final 20 minutes. CSP used a huge 23-5 run from midway through the third quarter to early in the fourth to put the game away.
CSP's defense and three-point shooting were keys to victory for the Golden Bears. CSP swiped a season-high 17 steals, forcing 24 Wildcat turnovers and scoring 27 points off WSC miscues. After missing their first 10 three-point shots of the game, the Golden Bears hit their next 11 of 14 to power their second half run.
Anna Schmitt posted a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds, and also matched a game high with four assists. Schmitt shot 10-17 from the field, with a majority of her baskets coming on a plethora of finishes around the the basket. Schmitt has now scored 20+ points in each of her last three games.
Lexi Lee was also a big part of the Golden Bears' offensive attack, as the senior guard poured in 17 points. Lee made 5-9 from three and also collected five steals to set a new career high in swipes. Meghan DuBois also set a career high, as the freshman netted 10 points. She also added three steals and three assists for the Golden Bears, playing a career-high 19 minutes off of the bench.
Riley Wheatcraft, Danielle Schaub, and Lindsay Dorr also had notable games for the Golden Bears. Wheatcraft posted nine points and two steals while Schaub added eight points on a perfect 3-3 shooting, also collecting two steals. Dorr added eight points and five rebounds for CSP.
The game was tight in the early stages, as neither team led by more than four points in the first quarter. Even after shooting 33% and going 0-7 from three in the first quarter, Concordia trailed just 16-14 at the end of the first frame.
The Wildcats used a pressure defense in the first half to take the Golden Bears out of rhythm on offense, implementing some full court pressure and forcing seven CSP first half turnovers. However, the Golden Bears exhibited some tough defense of their own in the first half, swiping four steals and blocking four shots. With the Wildcats leading 29-27 with three minutes to play in the first, the Golden Bears ripped off a 7-0 run to close the half, leading 34-27 at the break. Schmitt provided much of the offense for the Golden Bears, scoring 14 points in the first 20 minutes.
CSP came out in the second half with the same defensive intensity and started clicking the offensive end as well. The Golden Bears held the Wildcats scoreless for 3:18 to start the third quarter, totaling 6:18 that Wayne State went without scoring (going back to the end of the first half). Meanwhile, CSP hit four of their first six shots from the floor and started the half on a 12-2 run to take a 46-31 lead with 5:01 left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats wouldn't go away easily, as they hit a couple of threes and free throws to go on a 8-0 run of their own. With the margin at just seven (46-39), the Golden Bears closed the quarter strong, finishing the frame on an 11-4 run to lead 57-43 going into the fourth. Lee was huge for the Golden Bears in the third, scoring 11 points in the quarter while hitting three three's.
Concordia would keep their foot on gas to start the fourth quarter, as they began the final frame on a 12-1 run to take a 69-44 lead just two and a half minutes into quarter. CSP's bench played nearly the entire quarter and impressed, hitting 9-15 from the floor and 6-9 from three.
The Golden Bears won the battle in the paint, scoring 38 points in the lane to the Wildcats' 22. CSP held Wayne State to 36.5% shooting after the first quarter, while shooting 55.3% themselves over the final three quarters. Concordia went 1-1 against the Wildcats this season, avenging an 71-49 loss to Wayne State Jan. 27th. Erin Norling led Wayne State with 16 points, and Kylie Hammer also pitched in 13 for the Wildcats in their fifth straight loss.
The Golden Bears will take on Augustana (20-8, 12-7) tomorrow afternoon at 3:30. Concordia will honor their four seniors, Kyrah Fredenburg, Anna Schmitt, Lindsay Dorr, and Lexi Lee at the conclusion of the game as part of CSP's Senior Day. Prior to the matchup against Augustana, Fredenburg will be recognized for becoming CSP's all-time leader in rebounds. The senior guard broke Dana Christopher's (1987-1991) previous record of 871 rebounds in Concordia's home game against MSU Moorhead on February 2nd.
