MOORHEAD- The women’s basketball team won their first playoff match of the 2023-24 season against third ranked St. Kates, an intense semi-final matchup that handed the team their first postseason win 80-71.
The Cobbers ended their regular season with an overall record of 19 wins to four losses, a record that earned them their second playoff appearance in the last two years.
This game also marked the second straight year the Cobbers have hosted a home playoff game, packing Memorial Auditorium with an electric student section.
“It’s huge.” Concordia head coach, Kim Wagers said. “One of our goals at the beginning of the year is always to get a home playoff game. To earn a number two or one seed where you’re hosting and getting a bye is really outstanding, so we just want to make sure we’re always protecting home court.”
Previous matchups between Concordia and St. Kate’s witnessed a varying final score. Game one of the regular season ended 75-67 and game two saw a final score of 100-58. The only constant being the Cobbers won both games, establishing Concordia as the favorite in this third meeting.
Opening the game the Cobbers scored off their first possession by a 3-pointer by junior point guard Carlee Sieben. Sieben played a pivotal role in the game, creating shots outside the arc making four out of her five from outside.
Concordia quickly built a double-digit lead in the first quarter while out-rebounding St. Kates 12-8. However, St. Kates refused to let up, going on a 15-3 run ending the half 32-28.
St. Kates doubled Concordia’s rebounds in the second quarter while outscoring them seven to one. Closing out the first half the Cobbers struggled to handle the ball, causing multiple turnovers for the Wildcats to produce off of.
“They sped us up a little bit, especially in the first half, and the officials were letting them play a little bit more physically than some of our other games. So we needed to be tighter with the ball and take some deep breaths.” Wagers said.
Attempting to rebuild their lead the Cobbers came out of halftime with a clear mission: to limit turnovers and out rebound their opponent, according to Wagers. A goal that would come true by the end of the third quarter with the Cobbers out rebounding the Wildcats 10-4. The Wildcats struggled for most of the game to limit fouls letting Concordia run away with 30-40 free throws where St. Kates only shot 11-15.
“It’s awesome. You put in a lot of hard work throughout the whole year. It feels rewarding and we’re excited to get back to the championship again.” Sieben said.
