ST. PAUL, Minn. - The No. 19 Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team (7-0, 1-0 NSIC) is preparing for its first conference doubleheader weekend against Sioux Falls (S.D.) (5-3, 1-0 NSIC) and Southwest Minnesota State (7-0, 1-0 NSIC).

The Golden Bears are on the road to face the Cougars in the Stewart Center on Friday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m. CSP will then face the Mustangs in R/A Facility at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. 

WBCA RANKINGS

The Golden Bears moved up to No. 19 in Wednesday's WBCA Coaches' Poll. CSP has risen each week in the poll from 25th to 21st to 19th. The Golden Bears received 157 points in this week's poll.

In the NSIC, Minnesota State (5-2, 1-0 NSIC) dropped seven spots to No. 16 after a loss to Colorado School of Mines on Friday, Nov. 29. Southwest Minnesota State got 26 points in the poll for the only other NSIC team to receive votes. 

LAST TIME OUT

Concordia-St. Paul picked up its conference-opening victory against Winona State (4-3, 0-1 NSIC) by a 78-48 score on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The Golden Bears came out firing on all cylinders in the first half outscoring the Warriors 54-20. CSP shot 29-63 (46%) from the field for their second-highest percentage of the season. 

Senior center Lindsey Becher led the team in scoring with 18 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Lydia Haack recorded her third double-double of the season and sixth of her career. Megan Gamble added eight points with 10 rebounds while Leah Dengerud and Mikayla Kanenwisher each scored 10 points.

CSP completed a nine-point fourth-quarter comeback to win 63-60 against Michigan Tech (2-5) on Saturday, Nov. 30. Haack scored 12 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter to help CSP outscore the Huskies 26-14 in the final period. 

Trailing 53-48 in the fourth quarter, Concordia went on a 10-0 run that started with Gamble basket followed by a steal and score by Dengerud. After that, Haack hit her lone 3-pointer of the game to take a 55-53 lead that CSP never relinquished.

Becher scored 16 points with a career-high 15 rebounds in the contest. This marked her second double-double of the season and 10th of her career. She also had three blocks, two assists and a season-high three steals. Dengerud scored 14 points, marking her fifth double-digit performance of the season.

NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Following her performances, Becher was awarded NSIC Player of the Week. This is the fourth time the senior has won a weekly conference award in her career. She became the second member of the team to earn the honor this season as Haack was awarded in week one. Haack also earned NSIC Shining Five this week for her performance.

SEASON LEADERS

Haack leads the Golden Bears in scoring averaging 17.4 points per game. This ranks fifth in the NSIC and 61st in Division II. She's also averaging 4.9 assists per game, which is second in the conference and 28th in the nation.

Becher upped her point total average to 13.3 per game, putting her at 17th in the NSIC. Her 8.4 rebounds per game is fifth in the conference and her 2.6 blocks per game is second in the conference. She ranks 11th in the nation in blocks per game and sixth in total blocks. 

Dengerud is averaging a career-best 11 points per game. She leads the team in steals per game averaging 1.9, which is fourth in the NSIC. Gamble leads the team in rebounding averaging nine per game, which is second in the conference and 53rd in the nation. 

Concordia-St. Paul is fourth in the NSIC in scoring averaging 74.9 points per game and third in the NSIC in defense giving up 62.1 points per game. This gives them the third-best margin of any team in the conference. 

CSP's 35.6% opposing field goal percentage leads the conference. Concordia leads the NSIC in rebounds per game averaging 45.4 and in blocked shots per game averaging 6.0. CSP is fifth in assists and fourth in steals in the conference. 

RECORD WATCH

Becher enters the weekend 19 blocks away from Kionda Nicks' school record for career blocks. She sits at 245 blocks after blocking six shots this past week. Her 2.7 career average remains in first place in school history ahead of Kionda Nicks in second place averaging 2.1. 

SIOUX FALLS SERIES HISTORY

Series Record: CSP 17, USF 8

The Golden Bears have won seven straight games dating back to 2021 against Sioux Falls. CSP lost three straight games before the win streak. CSP won the first six matchups vs. Sioux Falls from 2012-15. Concordia is 7-4 all-time on the road against USF. 

LAST MEETING WITH THE COUGARS

CSP went 2-0 last season against Sioux Falls with a 63-39 victory on Dec. 9, 2023, and a 68-54 win on Feb. 9, 2024. In the first matchup, Concordia outscored Sioux Falls 31-15 in the second half after an 11-0 run to end the first half. 

Ally Gietzel led the Golden Bears with 13 points and seven rebounds. Dengerud added 10 points while Mikayla Kanenwisher and Jalyn Shaw each added eight points. Becher scored seven points with six rebounds. 

Forward Kami Wadsworth scored 11 points while guard Brecli Honner scored 10 off the bench for Sioux Falls. The Cougars shot 15-51 (29.4%) from the field and 0-14 from behind the arc. 

In the second matchup, CSP used a dominant third quarter to get the win. The Golden Bears outscored Sioux Falls 18-4 in the third period of play to get the 14-point victory. 

Becher and Lauren Wilson each scored 17 points. Wilson grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists while Becher blocked five shots. Kanenwisher almost had a double-double with 11 points and a career-high nine rebounds. Ashley Schuelke added nine points and three assists off the bench. 

The Cougars were led by Wadsworth with 17 points and seven rebounds. Honner added 10 points. Sioux Falls shot 20-59 (33.9%) from the field and 5-21 (23.8%) on 3-pointers. 

ABOUT THE COUGARS

Sioux Falls is entering the contest on a three-game win streak. They defeated Augustana (S.D.) (1-5, 0-1 NSIC) before going down to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and picking up wins against Puerto Rico-Rio Pedras and the Catholic University of Puerto Rico. 

Wadsworth is back for her sophomore campaign averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game. She's also averaging 3.8 rebounds, two assists and a steal. She scored a season-high 21 points against South Dakota Mines. 

Sophomore guard Ayla Brown is averaging 8.4 points, a team-high 2.8 assists and a team-high 1.9 steals during her second season at Sioux Falls. Freshman guard Anna Vaaler is averaging 7.9 points and five rebounds per game.

Senior forward Abby Phipps is averaging seven points and a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game. Megan Fannin returns for her senior season and is averaging 7.3 points per game. Freshman guard Alexis Rose has entered the mix averaging 6.4 points per game. 

Sioux Falls allows the least amount of points in the NSIC giving up 56.3 per game. They are sixth in the conference in points per game averaging 71.6, and their 15.4 point differential is the second-best in the conference. 

The Cougars are the second-best team in opposing field goal percentage in the NSIC allowing only 36.6% of shots to go in. They allow a conference-leading 25% 3-point percentage. Sioux Falls also gives up the least amount of rebounds per game in the conference at 30.8. 

Head coach Travis Traphagen enters his 17th season coaching the Cougars. He's led the team to two NCAA Central Regional berths and a conference tournament championship in 2016. He has a 289-176 career record at USF entering this weekend.

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE SERIES HISTORY

Series Record: CSP 45, SMSU 21

Concordia-St. Paul has lost three straight games to the Mustangs and is 5-5 in the last 10 games. Southwest Minnesota State won 12 straight games against CSP from 1987-2002. After that, Concordia won 38 out of 40 games from 2003-20 which included a 15-game and 17-game win streak. 

The Golden Bears are 18-8 all-time on the road vs. the Mustangs. CSP has lost its last three games in Marshall. CSP is 37-13 all-time in conference play vs. SMSU. 

LAST MEETING WITH THE MUSTANGS

Concordia-St. Paul went 0-2 last season losing both games by a combined total of three points. The Golden Bears picked up their first NSIC loss of the season to the Mustangs on Dec. 8, 2023, by a score of 64-62. 

Gietzel led CSP with 27 points, seven rebounds and three steals shooting 11-18 from the field. As a team, CSP left points on the board shooting 2-8 from behind the arc and 10-16 from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, SMSU made six 3-pointers and went a perfect 16-16 from the free-throw line.

Bri Stoltzman led Southwest Minnesota State with 26 points and six rebounds. She shot 10-19 from the field and 6-6 from the free-throw line. Madison Gehloff scored 12 points with a team-high seven rebounds. 

CSP lost the second matchup, 76-75, after leading by five points with 4:18 left. An SMSU run allowed them to take the one-point lead with 43 seconds left. Concordia got two final possessions to attempt to reclaim the lead, but could not convert. 

Becher scored a season-high 28 points in the game and became the 29th CSP player to reach 1,000 career points in the contest. She shot 11-19 from the field and 6-6 from the free-throw line. Wilson added 18 points and six rebounds. Kanenwisher scored eight points with a career-high 13 assists. 

Stoltzman led the Mustangs with 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Sam Wall added 18 points while Hannah Parsley and Gehloff each scored 12 points. The Mustangs shot 8-22 from behind the arc and 24-28 from the charity stripe. Concordia shot 30-57 (52.6%) from the field while SMSU shot 22-58 (37.9%). 

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS

Southwest Minnesota State is the only other undefeated NSIC team remaining besides CSP. The 7-0 start is the team's best since the 2004-05 season and is one win short of the best start in school history by the 1974-75 team. 

The Mustangs defeated Wayne State (3-2, 0-1 NSIC) in the conference opener, 75-71, before picking up a 111-58 victory over Bethany Lutheran (1-5) this past weekend. SMSU made 11 3-pointers in the blowout win.

Stoltzman is the fourth-leading scorer in the conference averaging 18.4 points per game during her senior season. The guard also averages 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Stoltzman played in the first six games this season, but did not participate in the most recent game vs. Bethany Lutheran. 

Senior guard Peyton Blandin is the second-leading scorer averaging 16.3 points per game, which ranks eighth in the conference. She's shooting a team-leading 91.3% from the free-throw line and leads the team in minutes per game at 27.3.

Forward Audrey Swanson is averaging 15.7 points during her junior campaign. She also leads the team in rebounds per game averaging 7.9. Swanson is the 10th-leading scorer in the conference and tied for the sixth-leading rebounder. 

Freshman guard Nicole Maenke is averaging 9.1 points per game while sophomore forward Natalie Nielsen is averaging 8.6 and senior forward Kenzie Jones is averaging seven with an impressive 2.4 assists per game. 

The Mustangs lead the NSIC in scoring averaging 88.1 points per game. They have the fifth-best defense giving up 63.7 points per game. Their 24.4-point margin is the best in the conference. 

Southwest Minnesota State shoots an NSIC-leading 50.7% from the field while allowing opponents to shoot 36.9%, which is the third-best in the conference. SMSU is the second-best rebounding team in the league averaging 43.3 per game. 

Head coach Tom Webb is in his ninth season leading the Mustangs. Under his leadership, SMSU has had a .500 or better record each of the past five years. Webb picked up his 100th win at SMSU this season against Chadron State (Neb.) (1-5) and has a career record of 103-114 entering this weekend.