(Ann Arbor, MI) – The Concordia Women's Basketball program has been working hard to prepare for their 2020-21 season. The Cardinals will look to build off of a successful 2019-20 season while leaning on a group of five returning seniors. FInishing fourth in the conference last season and tied at third place in the WHAC preseason polls for this season, the Cardinals hope to cement their place as one of the top teams in the conference. Head coach Kiefer Haffey will be entering his third year with the program as the Cards begin their 2020-21 season against Grace College on Wednesday, October 28th.
2019-20 Season Review
Concordia finished with a winning record of 18-13 overall last year with a 12-8 mark in WHAC conference play. The Cardinals increased their win total by ten which was one of the most successful turnarounds within the NAIA. The team hit its stride with a 7-game winning streak throughout late November and December. CUAA earned a third-place finish at the Concordia Invitational Tournament with a win over Concordia-Chicago. FInishing at fourth in the WHAC, the Cardinals fell in the conference quarterfinals to Aquinas. The Cardinals concluded their season in the NCCAA Midwest Regional with a 77-58 loss to Grace College
2020-21 Schedule Outlook
Concordia will officially begin the 2020 season with their home opener against Grace College. The Cardinals split their season series last year taking the first game 74-64 on December 20th.
In November, the team will host Taylor University on November 3rd and head to Kentucky to take on Midway University on November 7th. After two road matches at Spring Arbor and Hillsdale College, CUAA will host Lawrence Tech to start their conference play. The Cardinals will conclude their November games by hosting St. Xavier on November 25th.
A rivalry game at Siena Heights opens the new month on December 2nd. The Cardinals will host another conference foe in Madonna on December 5th before traveling to Shawnee State and then hosting Goshen College on December 16th. Concordia then hosts Rio Grande leading into Christmas break. The final game before the new year will be a home contest against Great Lakes Christian on December 30th.
Concordia will play nine WHAC games in January, starting with a road match at Indiana Tech on January 6th. The team travels to Rochester and comes back home to host Aquinas and Lourdes. After an away game against Cornerstone, the Cardinals host UNOH. They will finish the month by traveling to Aquinas and Madonna.
The month of February begins with Concordia hosting rival Siena Heights on February 3rd. The Cardinals will remain at home with games against Rochester and Indiana Tech before traveling to the UNOH and Lourdes. The team's final regular season game will come on February 20th against Cornerstone.
If the Cardinals finish among the top eight teams in the WHAC, they will qualify for the postseason tournament.
WHAC Preseason Poll
The Cardinals received 67 votes in the preseason poll as voted on by WHAC head coaches. The 67 votes found the Cardinals tied with the Saints of Aquinas for third overall. This is the highest ranking for the Cardinals during Coach Haffey's time as the head coach. Indiana Tech and Siena Heights took the top two spots in the WHAC with Indiana Tech receiving 8 first place votes.
Concordia Personnel
Head coach Kiefer Haffey features a total of 18 players on the 2020-21 squad. All-WHAC honoree Katie Snow returns after scoring 11.8 points per game and 3.0 assists. Fellow senior Tris'styn Williams is back after recording 44 blocks and averaging 13.3 points per game last year. J'may Simmons will bring a percentage of 41.0 from the field last year along with 5.5 rebounds per game. Ashley Lupinski, Ally Hunt, and Paige Johnson will provide additional depth and leadership for the team.
Junior Ally Lenz will be another important part of the offense, shooting 39.2% from the beyond the arc last year. Averi Bebble will be another key returner, shooting 33% last year. Stephanie Abraham will provide additional interior depth for the Cardinals as a breakout junior campaign led to a field goal percentage of 48%. Asaria Truman contributed an average of 46.9% from the field and 3.5 rebounds per game. Lindsey Ferrington and Samantha Dorn saw quality minutes for the Cardinals during their freshman campaign and will provide depth in the talented backcourt. Katherine Schultz and Mackenzie Howe will continue their positive contributions to the program at their respective positions as a part of the talented sophomore class.
Four newcomers will be joining the Concordia roster in freshmen Izzy Vaiu, Alize Tripp, and Taylor Leatherman, and sophomore transfer Kierslynn Lawless.
