SEWARD, NEB. – Concordia (Neb.) University started the second half with a 14-2 run and the Iowa Wesleyan College women’s basketball team couldn’t recover in a 72-59 loss to the Bulldogs Saturday afternoon in Concordia’s Cattle Classic tourney.
Concordia, ranked seventh in the NAIA Division II preseason coaches’ poll, took a big lead in the first half before the Tigers climbed back into the game, but IWC couldn’t fight back from another large deficit in the second half. Wesleyan dropped to 1-2 on the season and lost its second straight game against a ranked team in the Cattle Classic.
The Bulldogs had a 17-2 run in the first half to take an early 22-6 lead, but the Tigers got back within three points late in the half on two free throws by Ali DeVries (Jr.-Bellevue, Iowa) that made it 28-25 with 3:01 left.
Concordia (4-1) led 34-27 at halftime and then raced out to a 48-29 lead with 14:10 left after two free throws by Whitney Stichka. The Bulldogs eventually led by as many as 25 points before IWC ended the game on a 16-4 run.
Heather Larson (Jr.-Canton, Ill.) and Rachel Mitchell (Sr.-Des Moines, Iowa) led Wesleyan with 12 points each. Mitchell added seven rebounds and five steals and was IWC’s representative on the all-tournament team.
The Tigers shot just 29.3% in the game (17-for-58) and were out-rebounded (48-39) for the third straight game. Stichka led Concordia with 17 points and was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
IWC returns to the court Tuesday night to face Culver-Stockton (Mo.) College. The Tiger women will play at 5:30 p.m. in the first game of a women’s/men’s doubleheader against Culver-Stockton.
For more information regarding the IWC women’s basketball program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
