ST. PAUL, Minn. - The No. 8 Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team (29-2) starts NCAA Tournament play in the Central Regional against No. 18 Southwest Minnesota State (26-4) on Friday, March 14 at 2:30 p.m. The NSIC Champion Golden Bears face the Mustangs for the second time this season after winning, 72-58, in Marshall on Dec. 7. 

With a win on Friday, Concordia-St. Paul will face the winner between No. 11 Fort Hays State (27-4) and Southern Nazarene (23-7) in the semifinals on Saturday, March 15 at 5 p.m. The NCAA Central Region Championship is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 17. 

No. 7 Pittsburg State (29-3) is the top seed in the region and the host site for the tournament. All of the games will be played on Whetzel Court at John Lance Arena in Pittsburg, Kansas. 

WBCA RANKINGS
The Golden Bears moved up to No. 8 in this week's WBCA Coaches' Poll. This is the highest CSP has been ranked since 2007-08 when the team was ranked No. 5. CSP received 387 points in the poll to jump up two spots. 

Pittsburg State remains the highest-ranked team in the region at No. 7 after winning the MIAA Championship. The Gorillas jumped up one spot after receiving 408 points in the poll. 

Fort Hays State dropped two spots and is tied for No. 11 with Lubbock Christian (Texas). The Tigers received 321 points in the poll after losing the MIAA Championship to Pittsburg State. 

Southwest Minnesota State is the last ranked team in the region, sitting at No. 18. The Mustangs moved down one spot after their NSIC semifinal loss to Minnesota State (24-7). The Mavericks remain unranked in the poll, but received 19 votes. 

Harding (25-6), the GAC Champion, received 22 votes in the poll. If the poll was extended past the top 25, the Bison would be No. 27 in the poll and Minnesota State would be No. 28. Southern Nazarene (23-7), who lost in the GAC semifinals, received 14 votes and would be No. 32. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Bears last competed in the NSIC Championship, beating Minnesota State, 92-73, to win both the NSIC Regular Season Championship and NSIC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2007-08. 

Concordia started the tournament with a 76-60 win over St. Cloud State (15-14). After trailing 7-2 early, the Golden Bears went on a 27-8 run to end the first quarter capped off by a step-back 3-pointer by Ashley Schuelke. 

Lindsey Becher scored 15 points with nine rebounds, six assists and five blocks. Her six assists marked a career-high. Lydia Haack added 15 points, scoring nine in the third quarter. 

After a day off, the Golden Bears picked up a 66-44 win over Northern State (19-11) in the semifinals. CSP held the Wolves to their second-lowest point total of the season and allowed only six points in the final quarter. 

The Golden Bears were down early, 13-5, but used a 16-2 first-quarter run to take a 21-15 lead after the opening quarter. CSP extended that lead to 35-26 at halftime, but NSU cut the lead to 42-38 with 3:18 left in the third quarter. The Golden Bears outscored NSU 24-6 the rest of the way.

Haack led CSP with 18 points and Becher added 16 points. Becher led the team in assists and blocks with four each. Haack had two assists and two steals. Lauren Wilson added nine points off the bench. 

Becher scored a season-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the NSIC Championship game, earning NSIC Tournament MVP. Haack and Wilson were named All-NSIC Tournament Team. Haack scored 15 points and dished out eight assists against the Mavericks while Wilson scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. 

The Golden Bears outscored Minnesota State 47-32 in the second half. After leading 51-49 in the third quarter, CSP ended the period on an 18-4 run that was capped off by a Mikayla Kanenwisher 3-pointer. 

This marked Concordia-St. Paul's fifth NSIC Tournament victory in program history. This was the third time the Golden Bears have won both the NSIC Regular Season and NSIC Tournament (2006-07 and 2007-08). 

SEASON LEADERS
Haack leads the Golden Bears averaging 16.6 points per game. Her 515 points this season ranks 38th in the nation and she is 71st in the nation in points per game. She's averaging 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Haack ranks 23rd in the nation in total assists (141), 26th in assist/turnover ratio (1.93) and 31st in assists per game. 

Becher is averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.03 blocks and 1.8 assists per game. She is fourth in the nation in total blocks with 94 and fourth in the nation in blocks per game. Her rebounds per game average ranks fourth in the conference. 

Leah Dengerud is averaging 9.5 points, two assists and 1.2 steals per game. Dengerud has made the fifth-most 3-pointers in the NSIC this season. Julia Bengtson is adding 9.2 points, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. 

Megan Gamble is scoring 5.2 points per game while grabbing 7.2 rebounds per game. Her rebounding average tied for sixth in the NSIC this season. Schuelke is adding 7.7 points per game while grabbing 2.4 rebounds and dishing out 1.1 assists per game. 

Wilson is averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Kanenwisher is scoring 4.3 points and dishing out 1.8 assists per game. Emma Mommsen is averaging 3.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. 

CSP is averaging 75.3 points per game while giving up an NSIC-best 59 points per game. That 16.3 margin ranks first in the conference. CSP finishes the NSIC season leading in opposing field goal percentage (36%), blocked shots (5.65) and assists (16.61). 

MILESTONES
At the NSIC Tournament, Haack surpassed 500 season points and 1,500 career points. Bengtson grabbed the 100th steal of her career. Wilson surpassed 100 rebounds this season with 104. Schuelke surpassed 200 points with 215. 

RECORD WATCH
Becher's 1,454 career points rank seventh in program history. She is 15 points away from tying Lisa Harfield in 1999-2003 for sixth. 32 points would tie Jessie Kruger in fifth place from 1995-98. 41 points would tie Angie Jacox in fourth place from 1990-94. 

Becher also ranks 11th in total minutes and fourth in games started in a career. Her 721 career rebounds rank sixth in program history. She is five rebounds away from tying head coach Amanda Johnson for fifth in program history. 

Gamble is 15th in program history with 180 offensive rebounds in her career. Her 77 starts are tied for 16th. 

Haack's 84% free-throw percentage ranks sixth in a single season in team history. She's scored the 10th-most points in a season with 515. Her 16.6 ppg scoring average is 16th in a season in program history. 

The Golden Bears have won 16 straight games, marking the third-longest streak in program history. With two more wins, the Golden Bears can tie 2007-08 and 1976-77 for the longest win streaks at 18 games. If the Golden Bears win the Central Region Championship, it will mark the longest win streak in program history.  

With their 29th win in the NSIC Championship, the Golden Bears surpassed the most wins in a single season in program history. They surpassed 2003-04, 2007-08 and 2013-14 all with 28 wins. A win on Friday would mark the first 30-win season in program history. 

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Golden Bears have appeared 10 times in the NCAA Tournament posting a 10-10 record. CSP has made the Regional Championship three times, with one win in its last appearance in 2013-14. 

The Golden Bears entered as the No. 7 seed during that 2013-14 run. Concordia defeated No. 2 Harding, No. 3 Central Missouri and No. 1 Emporia State. CSP lost in the Elite Eight to Nova Southeastern to end the run. 

This year's No. 2 seed is the second-highest the Golden Bears have received entering the tournament. CSP received the No. 1 seed and hosted in 2003-04 before losing to South Dakota State in the regional semifinals. View the full CSP NCAA Tournament history here. 

CENTRAL REGION TOURNAMENT RUNDOWN
Quarterfinals - Friday, March 14

No. 6 Southern Nazarene (23-7) vs. No. 3 Fort Hays State (27-4) - 12 p.m.
Fort Hays State enters the tournament after falling, 81-73, to Pittsburg State in the MIAA Championship. The Tigers picked up a win in the semifinals over Missouri Western. FHSU won the first matchup against Pittsburg State at home, 76-60. 

Katie Wagner DeGarmo and Olivia Hollenbeck are the dynamic duo that leads the Tigers. DeGarmo was named the MIAA Player of the Year averaging 16 points, 8.3 rebounds and three assists per game. Hollenbeck was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year averaging 16 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. 

Southern Nazarene enters the tournament after being upset, 71-70, by Southeastern Oklahoma State in the GAC semifinals. SNU won the regular season GAC title. The Crimson Storm went 1-1 against Harding this season and lost in nonconference play to Pittsburg State and No. 1 Texas Women's University. 

Senior Hannah Giddey earned both GAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Australia native is the first GAC player to win both since 2013. Giddey is averaging 16.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. 

No. 7 Southwest Minnesota State (26-4) vs. No. 2 Concordia St. Paul (29-2) - 2:30 p.m.
See SMSU Preview Below

No. 8 Harding (25-6) vs. No. 1 Pittsburg State (29-3) - 5 p.m.
Pittsburg State enters as the top seed after winning the MIAA Tournament and the MIAA Regular Season Championship. The Gorillas defeated Southern Nazarene in nonconference play. PSU also defeated NSIC competition in Northern State and Minnesota Crookston, each by double digits. 

Karenna Gerber and Grace Pyle lead the Gorillas as First Team All-MIAA selections. Both women are averaging 16 points per game. Gerber grabs 8.1 rebounds per game and Pyle dishes out 3.2 assists per game. 

Harding received the last seed in the tournament earning an automatic bid by defeating Southeastern Oklahoma State in the GAC Tournament Championship. The Bison went 1-1 against Southern Nazarene in regular season play. 

Sage Hawley, Aubrey Isbell and Rory Greer all earned All-GAC First Team selections for the Bison. Hawley averages 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Isbell scores 13.3 points per game and Greer adds 12.2 points per game. 

No. 5 Minnesota State (24-7) vs. No. 4 Missouri Western (20-9) - 7:30 p.m.
Missouri Western enters the matchup after falling to Fort Hays State in the MIAA quarterfinals. The Griffons faced CSP in nonconference play, with the Golden Bears emerging victorious 77-60 in the Gangelhoff Center. 

The Griffons are led by First Team All-MIAA selection Alyssa Bonilla. She averages 17.7 points per game and 5.6 assists per game. All-MIAA Honorable Selection Marie Sepp averages 11.7 points and 3.6 assists per game. 

Minnesota State enters after falling to CSP in the NSIC Championship game. The Mavericks were 1-1 against MIAA opponents in nonconference play, beating Emporia State but losing to Northwest Missouri State. 

The Mavericks are led by First Team All-NSIC selections Natalie Bremer and Destinee Bursch. Bremer is averaging 19.9 points per game and five rebounds per game. Bursch is averaging 17 points, four assists and four rebounds per game. 

Semifinals - Saturday, March 15

SNU/FHSU vs. SMSU/CSP - 5:30 p.m.
HU/PSU vs. MSU/MWSU - 7:30 p.m.

Championship - Monday, March 17 at 7 p.m.

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE SERIES HISTORY
Series Record: CSP 46, SMSU 21

The regional matchup marks the 68th matchup between the schools. This is the first time the programs have met in the NCAA Tournament. 

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. 

CSP's win earlier this season broke a three-game win streak by the Mustangs. The Golden Bears are 5-5 in the last 10 matchups with Southwest Minnesota State. CSP is 4-8 all-time in neutral venues against SMSU. 

LAST MEETING WITH THE MUSTANGS
Concordia-St. Paul defeated Southwest Minnesota State, 72-58, on Dec. 7, 2024. Dengerud scored 18 points and the Golden Bears stole the ball 14 times to outscore the Mustangs 22-10 off of turnovers. 

Concordia trailed 34-30 at halftime after SMSU made four 3-pointers in the final 3:18 of the first half. The Golden Bears responded and came out firing in the second half going on a 15-2 run aided by seven Mustang turnovers. CSP went on to outscore SMSU 24-15 in the third quarter and 42-24 in the second half. 

Dengerud added six rebounds and three assists to go along with her 18 points. Becher scored 15 points with nine rebounds and three blocks. Bengtson scored 13 points and Haack added 10 points. 

Peyton Blandin and Audrey Swanson led SMSU with 13 points each. Swanson grabbed 11 rebounds to tally a double-double. Maddie Thorfinnson added 12 points shooting 3-5 (60%) from behind the arc. 

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Southwest Minnesota State is led by NSIC Player of the Year Bri Stoltzman. The senior is averaging 21.6 points per game this season while adding 6.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Stoltzman is the third player in SMSU history to win the award. In the previous matchup this season, CSP held her in check with four points and she shot 2-9 (22.2%) from the field.  

The Mustangs and Golden Bears were tied for the NSIC lead from Jan. 30 to the last day of the NSIC regular season on Feb. 22. SMSU lost on the road to Northern State in the last regular season game, giving the Golden Bears the outright regular season title. The Mustangs fell in the NSIC Semifinals to Minnesota State, 87-74. 

SMSU's other two losses came to the Mavericks and Golden Bears in back-to-back games during the regular season. After those losses, the Mustangs won 17 straight games. SMSU's 26 wins this season and 2,407 points are the most in a single season in program history. 

Swanson, a First Team All-NSIC selection, is adding 15.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She led the NSIC this season in rebounds per game. Blandin is adding 14.8 points per game and Natalie Nielsen is adding 10.9 points per game. Swanson is eighth in scoring in the NSIC and Blandin is 10th.

The Mustangs are averaging 82.7 points per game this season, the second most in the conference. SMSU has the fourth-best defense in the NSIC giving up 66.6 points per game. The 16.1 scoring margin is second behind the Golden Bears in the NSIC. 

SMSU leads the NSIC in team field goal percentage shooting 46.9%. The Mustangs allow the second-lowest opposing percentage in the conference at 38.8%. Southwest Minnesota State shoots 35.2% from behind the arc. 

They lead the NSIC in free throw percentage at 78.9%. SMSU's 42.2 combined team rebounds also leads the conference. The Mustangs are fourth in turnover margin in the NSIC. 

Tom Webb is the head coach of Southwest Minnesota State in his ninth season with the program. He is 122-118 with the Mustangs and 213-241 overall in his 17-year coaching career.