MANKATO, Minn. — In a heartbreaking double overtime loss the Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball season came to a close in the Central Region Championship, falling to Minnesota Duluth 94-87. Three Golden Bears scored 20 or more points in the losing effort but it wasn't enough as the Bulldogs advanced to the Elite Eight.
CSP ends the season with a 26-7 record, tying a program record 18 game winning streak and advancing to the region championship for the fourth time in team history. The Golden Bears also won the NSIC Tournament Championship for the sixth time in program history.
Lydia Haack scored 21 points in her final game as a Golden Bear, going 7-of-15 from the field and dishing out four assists, with two steals on defense. The senior finishes her career having accumulated 1,113 points as a Golden Bear and 2,113 across all five of her collegiate seasons.
Sophomore Avery Moeller scored a career high 20 points off the bench, going 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, coming up with a block and a steal on defense. Lauren Wilson scored 21 points, with eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Senior Leah Dengerud wrapped up her four-year career at CSP with 12 points in the loss and grabbing 13 rebounds to tally a double-double. Closing her career with 1,086 points and 171 three-point field goals to finish fifth in program history.
CSP opened the game with a 7-2 lead, before UMD put together an 8-2 run to lead 16-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Avery Moeller knocked down a three to cap a 5-0 run and give CSP a 20-15 lead. Moeller nailed another to make it a 23-17 lead, a 10-0 Bulldog run put them back in the driver's seat with a three-point advantage. UMD held a 39-35 lead at the halftime break.
The third quarter belonged to the Golden Bears, Avery Moeller got CSP back in front on a triple to take a 45-43 lead. Concordia later used a 9-0 run to open up a 54-46 lead as the Golden Bears closed the third with a 62-54 lead, shooting 66.7% from the field in the quarter.
A Lauren Wilson layup gave CSP a 12 point lead early in the fourth. UMD continued to chip away however, tying the game at 73 with a minute to go in the fourth, sending the game to overtime on a jumper to tie it at 75.
A Schuelke three and a pair of Emma Mommsen free throws opened up a three-point lead in the overtime period, with the lead later growing to five on a Lydia Haack layup. The Bulldogs came up with five quick points to tie it at 82, sending the game to double overtime.
UMD grabbed a three-point lead in the second overtime period, Lauren Wilson later tied it at 87 with a pair of free throws with two minutes to play. But the Bulldogs responded once more going 7-0 the rest of the way to claim the region championship.
The Golden Bears season comes to a close after making the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and advancing to the championship for the fourth time in program history, CSP is now 12-12 all-time at the tournament.
