(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia women's basketball concluded their regular season with a rematch at home against Lourdes. The Cardinals looked to sweep the season series after defeating Lourdes 71-66 on the road yesterday. CUAA overcame a slow start and pulled away in the second half to clinch a home WHAC playoff game with a 75-62 victory.
Tris'styn Williams led Concordia with 17 points. J'may Simmons finished second with 15 points and tied Katie Snow with a team-high 7 rebounds. Samantha Dorn finished in double figures with 12 points, going 4-4 behind the arc.
Allyson Hunt opened scoring with a pair of free throws. Lourdes answered with a 14-0 run and jumped out to a 19-3 lead at the 4:31 mark. A layup from Taylor Leatherman started an 8-0 run to lead the Cardinals back into the game, but CUAA trailed 24-13 after the first period.
Tris'styn Williams scored in the paint to start the second quarter, beginning a 12-0 run. Samantha Dorn banked in a triple and Allyson Hunt capped the run with a go-ahead triple for a 25-24 lead. Hunt added another 3-pointer and Tris'styn Williams chipped in a free throw and a basket. Samantha Dorn knocked down a late triple and Concordia led 34-28 heading to halftime.
Lourdes started the third quarter on a 6-0 run to tie the game. J'may Simmons tied the game with a jumper from the free throw line and later used a spin move to score. While Lourdes led for much of the third quarter, the Cardinals pulled ahead later with a basket from Tris'styn Williams and free throws from Katie Snow. Alize Tripp knocked down a triple and 2 free throws and CUAA led 49-42 after the 3rd.
Samantha Dorn extended Concordia's lead with a 3-pointer and Katie Snow added a deep triple. J'may Simmons converted from behind the arc and added a pair of baskets as the Cardinals kept pulling away. Paige Johnson and Samantha Dorn drilled triples and Katherine Schultz and Brinna Melling drained two free throws each. CUAA claimed a 75-62 win as time expired.
Concordia clinched the #4 seed in the WHAC and will host #5 Lawrence Tech on Thursday, February 25 at 7pm.