MANKATO, Minn. — In another grind it out defensive effort the Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team advanced to the Central Region Final with a 59-53 win over No. 14-ranked Fort Hays State on Saturday night. Clutch buckets down the stretch secured the win for the Golden Bears including back-to-back Lydia Haack layups in the waning moments of the fourth.
The win marks CSP's first trip to the Central Region Final since the 2014 season, when they took down Emporia State to advance to the Elite Eight. The Golden Bears are now 12-11 all-time at the NCAA Tournament.
In addition to advancing to the region final, the Golden Bears have extended their winning streak to 18 games, tying the program record of 18 set during the 2007-08 season.
Emma Mommsen led the way for the Golden Bears in a low scoring affair, with 15 points on an efficient 7-of-10 from the floor while grabbing nine rebounds and coming up with one block on defense.
Lydia Haack finished with 13 points on the night, going 6-of-15 from the field and dishing out four assists.
A total of seven Golden Bears found the scoresheet, with Ashley Schuelke contributing nine points and six rebounds in the winning effort. Senior guard Leah Dengerud recorded seven points while grabbing six rebounds and Lauren Wilson provided eight points toward the win.
Avery Moeller and Ava Thompson scored four and three points off the bench for CSP.
In a game where defense was key the Golden Bears held the Tigers in check, limiting them to just 29.3% (17-58) shooting on the night and 18.5% (5-27) from beyond the arc. CSP held Central Region Player of the Year Talexa Weeter to a relatively quiet night as well, she put up 23 points with 10 of those coming on free throws.
Fort Hays grabbed a slim 7-6 lead six and half minutes into the opening quarter, before Ava Thompson nailed a three-pointer to open a 9-7 CSP lead. Ashley Schuelke knocked down another triple as the Golden Bears closed the quarter with a 14-9 advantage.
CSP opened up an eight point lead in the second on a Leah Dengerud three-point bucket. The Tigers battled back, using a 6-0 run to cut the CSP lead to just two. The Golden Bears responded by outsourcing Fort Hays 12-5 the rest of the way to hold a 31-22 lead at the half.
The largest lead of the night came early in the fourth as the Golden Bears grabbed a 15 point lead on a Ashley Schuelke layup, capping a 12-0 run to open a 37-22 advantage. The Tigers clawed their way back into it from there using a 11-2 run of their own to make it a 39-33 game.
Fort Hays continued to comeback, grabbing their first lead since the first quarter on a three-pointer early in the fourth. Talexa Weeter later tied the game at 50 with two minutes to play on a pair of free throws. A pair of Lydia Haack buckets capped a quick 6-0 run for CSP opening up a 56-50 advantage, sealing the win and a trip to the Central Region Championship.
The Golden Bears will take on the winner of the Central Missouri/Minnesota Duluth game in the Central Region Championship on Monday, March 16. With tip-off set for 7 p.m. at the Taylor Center in Mankato.
