ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team heads to Sioux Falls, South Dakota this weekend for the NSIC Tournament. The Golden Bears start the tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 1:30 p.m. in the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. against MSU Moorhead in the quarterfinals.
CSP finished the regular season with a 21-6 overall record and a 17-5 record in conference play, capping the season with a pair of wins over St. Cloud State and No.1-ranked Minnesota State to finish second in the NSIC. The Golden Bears are seeking their second consecutive NSIC tournament Championship, after claiming last season's conference title.
How to Watch
All rounds of the NSIC Tournament played at the Sanford Pentagon will air exclusively on Midco Sports and Midco Sports Plus. Midco Subscribers can view games either on Midco Sports channel 622 or stream via Midco Sports Plus. Fans that do not have Midco Sports must subscribe to Midco Sports Plus to view contests (available via web browser, via Android or IOS app or on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku). A monthly subscription will give fans full access to all 14 NSIC tournament games played at the Sanford Pentagon. Fans would also have access to all Midco Sports Plus content during the duration of their subscription. Subscriptions are for 30 days from the date of registration and can be cancelled at any time. Midco Sports Plus is a standalone product and fans do not need to have any other Midco services.
Tickets
Fans can purchase tickets by visiting www.northernsun.org/BasketballTickets or by stopping by the Sanford Pentagon Box Office. Tickets can be purchased for each of the seven sessions, general admission is $30.90 for a standard ticket or $16.05 for a student ticket.
All-Conference Contributors
Lydia Haack and Lauren Wilson were named All-NSIC First Team selections this week. For Haack it is her third career All-NSIC First Team selection, this is Wilson's first All-NSIC First Team Selection.
NSIC Spotlight
Senior guard Lydia Haack was featured on this week's episode of NSIC Spotlight after being named NSIC South Player of the Week for the fourth time this season and notching her 2,000th career point.
Central Region Outlook
The first ranked edition of the NCAA Central Region Rankings came out earlier this week. The Golden Bears slotted in fourth in the region, with N0. 3-ranked Minnesota State claiming the top spot. No. 8-ranked Fort Hays State was ranked second and No. 14-ranked Harding slotted in third. Minnesota Duluth and UMary were the two other NSIC squads listed, coming in ninth and tenth in the ranking.
Milestones and Record Watch
Lydia Haack crossed the 2,000 career point mark and became the 30th member of the CSP 1,000 point club. With the conclusion of the regular season Haack also finishes fourth on the NSIC Women's Basketball Career Scoring List, with 1,521 points in NSIC games across her time with Upper Iowa and CSP.
Haack's 17.4 points per game place her in a tie for fifth place all-time for career scoring average leaders in program history (minimum 40 games) with Anna Schmitt. Her 5.3 career assists per game rank sixth all-time and her 313 total assists rank 14th in program history. Haack also ranks fifth in program history in free throw percentage at 82.8%
Lauren Wilson became the 31st member of the CSP 1,000 point club as part of the Golden Bears win over Minnesota State on Saturday.
With 18 points against the Mavericks, Leah Dengerud is now seven points away from joining the 1,000 point club. With 160 career three-point field goals Dengerud now ranks sixth in program history in three-point buckets.
Last Time Out
The Golden Bears closed out the regular season with a pair of wins last week, extending their win streak to 13 games. CSP took down St. Cloud State, 76-56 on the road in St. Cloud, before knocking off the then No.1-ranked Minnesota State Mavericks, 96-75 at the Gangelhoff Center.
CSP took control of Wednesday night's game early, using a 12-2 run to go up by 12 at the end of the first quarter. The Huskies got back into it in the second, as the Golden Bears led by six points at the break.
St. Cloud eventually tied things up at 36 early on in the third quarter, but CSP continued to hit clutch buckets, closing the period with a 12-3 run and a 58-45 lead. Avery Moeller opened the fourth with a three ball to put CSP up 12 with the Golden Bears going on to win by 20.
Lydia Haack led the way with 23 points, shooting an efficient 11-of-16 from the floor and notching her 2,000th career point in the fourth quarter. Lauren Wilson recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds and Avery Moeller put up 15 points off the bench going 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Saturday's regular season finale saw the Golden Bears use a 14-2 run to grab a five point lead at the end of the opening quarter. The Mavericks clawed back in the second, cutting the CSP lead to just one at the half.
CSP took control in the third putting together a 14-0 run to take a 59-43 lead. Concordia led the rest of the way, thwarting any chance of a Maverick comeback by closing the game with a 10-2 run to knock off the undefeated Mavericks, 96-75.
Lauren Wilson led the way with 27 points and 13 boards to notch her eighth double-double of the season, Wilson also became the 31st member of the CSP 1,000 point club. Lydia Haack contributed 23 points in the win, going 7-of-16 from the floor and 8-of-8 at the free throw line.
Leah Dengerud contributed 18 points in the win, going 4-of-6 at the charity stripe to secure the win.
Golden Bears by the Numbers
CSP ranks second in the NSIC and 15th nationally in scoring offense this season, averaging 76.9 points per game. On defense the Golden Bears rank fourth in the conference in scoring, allowing an average of 65.7 ppg.
On the glass, the Golden Bears lead the NSIC in combined team rebounds, averaging 39.7 rebounds per game. Opponents are averaging 36.4 rebounds per game against CSP, placing them ninth in combined opponent rebounds.
The Golden Bears rank fifth in the NSIC and 30th in Division II in field goal percentage, shooting 43.7% from the field this season. CSP is holding opponents to 38.6% shooting, the lowest mark in the conference.
Lydia Haack leads CSP in scoring this season, averaging 18.0 points per game, which ranks fifth in the NSIC and 40th in Division II. Lauren Wilson is averaging 17.6 points per game, good for eighth in the conference and 48th nationally.
Leah Dengerud is averaging 10.9 points per game, Ashley Schuelke is averaging 8.4 and Avery Moeller is averaging 7.1 off the bench.
Wilson ranks third in the NSIC in rebounding, averaging 8.6 rebounds per game. Haack is averaging 5.4 rpg and Emma Mommsen is averaging 5.4 boards as well.
Haack leads the NSIC and ranks fourth nationally in assists, averaging 6.2 per game. Lauren Wilson is ninth in the conference, averaging 3.1 assists per game.
Lauren Wilson leads the team and ranks fourth in the NSIC in field goal percentage, shooting 49.9% (168-337) from the field. Haack is second on the team and ninth in the conference shooting 46.9% (173-369) this season. Emma Mommsen is 48.4% (77-159) shooting, Ashley Schuelke is 41.2% (93-226) and Avery Moeller is 41.2% (63-153) shooting as well.
From beyond the arc, Lydia Haack leads the way shooting 40.9% (47-115) from outside. Avery Moeller is shooting 38.2% (42-110) from three-point range and Leah Dengerud is 33.3% (47-141) from three this season.
On defense, Haack is averaging 2.3 steals per game this season, good for fourth in the NSIC. Laure Wilson is fourth in the NSIC in blocked shots averaging 1.3 per game and Emma Mommsen is sixth averaging 1.1.
NSIC Tournament First Round Fallout
Minnesota State, CSP, UMD and UMary claimed the top four spots in the conference, earning first round byes. The remaining eight teams battled it out on Wednesday night to see who advanced to Sioux Falls and the NSIC Quarterfinals.
MSU Moorhead prevailed with a one point win, 68-67 in overtime over Northern State in Aberdeen and will now face the Golden Bears on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Winona State handled Minot State, defeating the Beavers 70-46. The Warriors will now face Minnesota Duluth on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
St. Cloud State grabbed an 11 point win over Sioux Falls and will face No.3-ranked Minnesota State on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Southwest Minnesota State took down Minnesota Crookston at home to advance to the quarterfinals where they will face UMary on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Series History: MSU Moorhead
Series Record: CSP 28, MSUM 19
The Golden Bears and Dragons met one time earlier this season, with Moorhead grabbing a 72-70 win in overtime handing CSP their last loss of the regular season, before ripping off a 13 game win streak to close it out.
All-time Concordia is 28-19 against MSUM, the two teams have met five times in the NSIC Tournament with CSP taking all of those matchups. The last time they met in the NSIC Tournament was in 2023, with the Golden Bears coming away with the win 62-50 in Moorhead.
Last Meeting with the Dragons
The Golden Bears and Dragons met on Jan. 9 at the Gangelhoff Center, CSP opened up the game with a 7-3 lead and a one point advantage at the end of the first quarter.
CSP used an 8-1 run in the second to take an eight point lead, taking a 37-32 lead into the halftime break. In the third the Golden Bears shot at a 64% clip from the field, opening up a 12 point advantage to take a 56-46 lead into the final quarter.
CSP led by as many as nine in the fourth before the Dragons stormed back, using a 9-0 run to tie the game at 60 near the midway point of the period. Leah Dengerud nailed a three-point bucket late in the quarter to take a two-point lead but Moorhead nailed their final shot of regulation to send it to overtime.
Lauren Wilson drove the lane and scored in the paint to give CSP a 68-66 lead. Moorhead tied it up on a pair of free throws, closing out the OT period with a 6-2 run to win 72-70.
Junior forward Lauren Wilson led the way scoring 27 points in the loss, shooting 13-of-19 from the floor and setting a new career-high for made field goals in a game. Lydia Haack recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 assists.
About the Dragons
The Dragons finished the regular season with a 14-13 overall record and a 10-12 record in NSIC finishing in eighth place.
MSUM ranks 10th in the NSIC in scoring offense this season, averaging 68.3 points per game. On defense the Dragons are allowing an average of 66.9 ppg, placing them seventh in the conference in scoring defense.
Moorhead is second in the NSIC in rebounding, averaging 39.1 rebounds per game this season. Opponents are averaging 33.9 boards per game against Moorhead this season, placing them fourth in combined opponent rebounds.
In terms of team field goal percentage the Dragons rank 13th in the NSIC, shooting 40% from the floor as a team. Opponents are shooting 41.8% against Moorhead this season, which ranks ninth in the conference in opponent field goal percentage.
Terryn Johnson leads the Dragons in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game this season. Abby john is averaging 11.3 ppg, Ashton Safranski is averaging 10.8 and Abby Berge is averaging 9.9 ppg.
Johnson also leads the Dragons in rebounding, averaging 7.4 boards per contest this season, good for seventh in the NSIC. Abby Berge is averaging 5.5 rebounds per game this season, Ashton Safranski is averaging 5.4 rpg and Abby John is averaging 4.3.
Terryn Johnson leads the Dragons in field goal percentage, shooting 54% (127-235) from the field this season. Caylin Kelly is shooting 40.6% (95-234) this season and Grace Massaquoi is shooting 39.7% (75-189).
Karla Nelson is the head coach of the MSU Moorhead women's basketball team, she is in her 26th season at the helm of the Dragons.
