Coatney's Call: Concordia-St. Paul Preview

#16 Nebraska vs. #10 Concordia-St. Paul
Sunday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m. (central)
Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Radio: Husker Sports Network
(Matt Coatney-PBP; Jeff Griesch-Analyst)
Internet: Free live audio on Huskers.com

Huskers Close Exhibition Play with Golden Bears        
The 16th-ranked Nebraska women’s basketball team started off the 2014-15 season in style, rolling to an 84-43 win over Wayne State (Nebraska) College last Sunday in an exhibition game in Lincoln. The Huskers played in front of an NU exhibition game-record 4,948 fans and that large crowd was treated to an exceptional performance by 6-2 senior forward Emily Cady. The Seward native posted a double-double 20 points and 11 rebounds and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

Five Huskers scored in double figures, including a 14-point effort from senior guard Brandi Jeffery and 12 points from senior guard Tear’a Laudermill. Nebraska will close out its two-game exhibition slate with another ranked team from the Northern Sun Conference. The Huskers host the NCAA Division II No. 10 Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears Sunday at 2:05 p.m. at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.

The 2013-14 season was historic for Concordia. The Golden Bears finished the year ranked 12th in NCAA Division II with a 28-9 record and their first-ever trip to the Elite Eight. The 28 wins matched a program record and the team ranked second nationally in both assist-to turnover margin and turnovers. However, CSP loses two starters to graduation, including four-year point guard Rachel Hanson and two-guard Carissa Wolyniec, who finished as the school’s career and single-season leader in three-pointers.

The top returning player for the Golden Bears is 6-2 senior forward Anika Whiting. She was the 2012-13 Northern Sun Player of the Year as a sophomore and heads into 2014-15 as the league pre-season Player of the Year. Last year she was the team’s leading scorer (17.7 ppg) and set single-season school records for points, field goals made and rebounds (7.2 rpg). Whiting earned a spot on the conference all-tournament team and NCAA Central Region Tournament MVP honors as she helped the Golden Bears to an Elite Eight appearance.

Kionda Nicks, a 6-2 junior, finished eighth in the country in blocks per game and set the Concordia record for both single-season (104) and career blocks (157). She also is considered one of the best passing forwards in Division II, dishing out 72 assists last season.

Paul Fessler enters his 15th season as Concordia’s head coach. Under Fessler’s guidance, the program has captured five Northern Sun regular-season championships, four conference tournament titles, one NCAA regional championship and three NCAA Sweet Sixteen runs among 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.The three-time Northern Sun Coach of the Year is the seventh coach in the history of Concordia women’s basketball and is the program’s all-time wins leader with an overall record of 306-128 at the University.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women’s Basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Sunday afternoon begins with the pre-game show at 1:45 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 2:05 p.m. on the Husker Sports Network including select stations throughout Nebraska. All Husker women’s basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com. I hope you can join us.

There are a number of ways to get enhanced information about our broadcast and Husker women’s basketball via social media. You can learn more about the team on the Nebraska women’s basketball Facebook page or follow the team on their official Twitter page @huskerswbb. I also invite you to friend me on Facebook (Matt Coatney) or follow me on Twitter @coatman1.

Go Big Red!

Matt

 

Matt