Quick Start + Pressure Defense = 3rd Straight MIAC Win

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (12/02/23)---Concordia used a 25-point first quarter to sprint away from Bethel and record its third straight win to start the conference season.

The Cobbers led from opening tap to final buzzer in posting its second straight win over the Royals. CC scored six of the first eight points in the game, opened up a 15-4 lead and finished the opening quarter of play with a 12-point lead.

The win is the third straight for Concordia and keeps them unbeaten in MIAC play. CC is 4-2 in all competitions and 3-0 in the conference. Bethel falls to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in league play.

Concordia outscored the Royals in each of the quarters in the first half on their way to a 40-26 lead at the break.

One of the key factors in the game was the Cobbers' pressure defense. CC was able to force 10 turnovers in the first quarter alone and used those miscues to score 14 of their 25 points off of turnovers.

Concordia finished the first half by pressuring Bethel into 20 turnovers and holding the Royals to only 2-for-8 (25.0%) from outside the arc.

In the end, the Cobbers forced a total of 27 turnovers – second most for the year (31 vs. UW-Whitewater).

The Cobbers were outscored in the third and fourth quarters, but the work they put in during the first half proved to be too much of a hole for BU to climb out of.

The other key contributor to the Cobbers' win was their ability to get to the free throw line and be successful in their foul shots. CC made almost twice as many free throws as Bethel attempted. Concordia went 23-for-32 (71.9%) from the foul line as compared to 8-for-14 (57.1%) for BU.

The 23 made free throws, and 32 attempts are both season-highs for Concordia. Those numbers are also the most since Feb. 12, 2020 vs. St. Olaf when CC was 25-for-38 from the free throw line.

Concordia finished the game by shooting 31.6% (18-for-57) from the field and 26.3% (5-for-19) from distance. Bethel connected on 40.0% (22-for-55) of their shots from the floor, but only 15.8% (3-for-19) of their shots from 3-point range.   

The Cobbers had four starters finish with a double-digit point total for the third consecutive game. Emily Beseman, Carlee Sieben, Makayla Anderson and Greta Tollefson combined for 49 of the team's 64 points.

Beseman was 6-for-11 from the floor and finished with a game-high 16 points. She also added five rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Sieben added 13 points, while Anderson and Tollefson had 10 points each.

Genevieve Gruba led all players with eight rebounds. That total is also a season-high for the first-year forward.     

UP NEXT: Concordia will stay on the road and travel to Winona to face St. Mary's on Monday, Dec. 4 at 3:30 p.m.