ST. PAUL, Minn. - Come over to the Gangelhoff Center TONIGHT as Concordia basketball hosts St. Cloud State on Fan Appreciation night! The evening will feature contests and giveaways, as well as two basketball games that will prove to be important during this final week of regular season play. The women's game will tip off at 6:00 pm, with the Golden Bears needing a win to keep hopes alive for the postseason. The men's game follows at 8:00 pm and a win for the CU men can help them jostle for a higher position in the NSIC Tournament. Watch the games LIVE at www.northernsun.tv. - Follow along with LIVE STATS - View Weekly Releases: Women's - Men's.
WOMEN'S GAMEDAY
Tonight's game against St. Cloud State (19-6, 12-6 NSIC) carries heavy importance for the Concordia women (17-11, 9-9 NSIC), who are currently locked up with the University of Mary for eighth place in the NSIC standings. With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Golden Bears need to gain a game on the Marauders, who would take the tiebreak and advance to the NSIC Tournament if the league records remain knotted up. Concordia has won four of its last six games and brings to tonight's game a 17-11 overall record and a mark of 9-9 in the conference.
Defense will be key for the Golden Bears tonight as they face up with a good-shooting Husky squad. Concordia ranks third in the NSIC after holding opponents to 37.8% shooting this season, but the Huskies sit with the third best field goal average, hitting 45.6% of their shots this season. The Golden Bears aim to prey on a St. Cloud State squad that has lost four of their last six games.
The Golden Bears are led in scoring by senior Candace Olstad with 13.5 ppg this season. Another forward, junior Shandrell Duncan, has been coming on strong in the last stretch of games, coming up with double figure scoring performances and being one of the team's best rebounders, in addition to her shot-blocking abilities. The Golden Bears have a number of players that can threaten teams from beyond the arc, helping Concordia to the NSIC's second highest average of three-pointers made per game (7.32).
St. Cloud State is led by guard Katie Tacheny with 16.8 ppg, the second highest scoring average in the conference. Tacheny also comes in second in the league with 3.08 steals per game. Talisha Barlow has been one of the league's best shooters this season, hitting 51.8% of her field goal attempts. Barlow sunk 9-of-17 shots to lead SCSU with 24 points in a SCSU win over Concordia on January 3.
MEN'S GAMEDAY
With two games remaining on the regular slate, the Golden Bear men (12-13, 10-8 NSIC) can still jostle for seeding position in the NSIC Tournament. Concordia currently sit at eighth in the league standings, but are just two games behind the three teams tied for fourth place (including St. Cloud State) and a game back from Northern State at seventh. Concordia has won four of its last six games.
The Golden Bears have been shooting hot from the field over the last stretch of games, including a scorching 51.6% performance in their overtime win against MSU Moorhead. Matt Cadwell has helped the CU cause, averaging 13.7 points and 2.8 threes per game over the last nine games. He is shooting 48.1% from long range through 31.3 minutes of play per contest. Craig Heiman has netted 20+ points in three straight games, averaging 24.3 ppg through this stretch. Seeing 38.0 minutes of playing time per game down the stretch, Heiman has shot 50.0% from the field while pulling down an average 6.3 rebounds. Sammy Ricks has contributed to the CU defense, swiping an NSIC high 2.8 steals per game.
The Huskies of St. Cloud State (17-8, 12-6 NSIC) have the third highest scoring offense in the NSIC with 76.3 ppg. They are a team that works hard for rebounds, evidenced by their 46-24 rebound advantage the last time they battled Concordia. Taylor Witt has guided the SCSU offense with 14.6 ppg, shooting 47.2% from the field and ranking second in the NSIC with 5.6 assists per game. The team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder, Matt Schneck, has been hobbled by injury of late and is not expected to see court time tonight. Andrew Bernstetter is now the top big man for the Huskies. At 6-6, Bernstetter has put in 10.2 ppg and has 6.7 rebounds per game this season. Guard Spencer Bartz is coming off of a season high 21-point performance.
