Women's Basketball runs past Rockford and into NAC Tournament Semifinals

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin women's basketball team had three players finish in double-figures as they ran past Rockford College, 72-54, in the opening round of the Northern Athletics Conference Tournament Saturday night at the R. John Buuck Field House.

CUW (18-8) will return to the court Thursday when they battle Maranatha Baptist Bible College in a Northern Athletics Conference Tournament Semifinal game. MBBC advanced by defeating Concordia University Chicago, 67-50. Tip-off between the Falcons and Crusaders is set for 7 p.m. inside the R. John Buuck Field House.

The Falcons came out rolling right away Saturday night as junior Katie Luethe (Oshkosh, Wis.) scored the game's first eight points, giving CUW an 8-0 lead just 3:30 into play. RC would cut that lead to three points but CUW had an answer, going up 21-9 with 7:01 remaining in the half.

The score would remain in favor of the Falcons for the remainder of the half as they took a 35-26 lead into halftime. Luethe tied for a first half best 11 points as RC's Lindsay Lengjak also scored 11 in the first 20 minutes.

CUW shot 48 percent (12-for-25) in the first half, including a blistering 70 percent (7-for-10) from 3-point range. The Regents countered with 36.4 percent (8-for-22) first half shooting.

The first 11 minutes of the second half saw the two teams play evenly as the CUW lead would hover around the 8-12 point mark. RC had the CUW lead at 53-45 with 9:04 remaining in the game before the Falcons rattled off a 12-2 run, taking a commanding 65-45 lead with 5:37 remaining in the game. CUW would have little trouble as they cruised to the 72-54 victory.

CUW finished the game shooting 49.1 percent (28-for-57) from the floor, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. The Falcons dished out 21 assists in the win, while turning the ball over 11 times. CUW forced 22 RC turnovers and held the Regents to 43.9 percent (18-for-41) shooting.

Junior Camille Parsons (Urbana, Ill.) scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds as she was tied for a game-high in both categories. Luethe added 15 points, four rebounds and four assists, while senior Brittany Zietlow (Oak Creek, Wis.) added 10 points and a game-high nine assists for the Falcons.

RC (8-18) was led by Lindsay Lengjak as she scored 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting. Erin Ryczek added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Regents.