Dubuque Sneaks Past Women’s Basketball

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Concordia University Wisconsin women's basketball team opened the 2025 portion of their schedule with a tough road contest against the University of Dubuque. Despite a strong effort from the Falcons, the Spartans rallied in the final minutes to secure a 50-45 win, leaving CUW with a 2-8 record on the season.

The game got off to a fast start as junior Ava Booth (Plymouth, Wis.) drained a three-pointer off a pass from senior Deidre Lassiter (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), giving the Falcons an early lead. On the very next possession, sophomore Jayden Ross (Baraboo, Wis.) sank a pull-up jumper from the elbow as the shot clock wound down, putting Concordia up 5-4.

The Falcons would hold that narrow lead for the remainder of the first quarter, with senior Aubrey DeBauch (Gillet, Wis.) providing a spark after forcing a Spartan timeout with a tough left-handed layup. After the break, Ross capped the quarter with a smooth drive and finish to extend the CUW lead to 11-6. Sophomore Andrea Butterbrodt (Green Bay, Wis.) added a mid-range jumper from the right baseline to make it 13-8 at the end of the period.

CUW came out strong in the second quarter, outscoring Dubuque 11-6 to take a 24-14 lead into halftime. Lassiter kicked off the scoring with a layup and a free throw, followed by a bucket from McNabb, and a mid-range jumper from DeBauch. Butterbrodt's second score of the night made it 22-12, and DeBauch's final layup of the half gave the Falcons a 10-point advantage.

On the defensive side, CUW held Dubuque to a season-low 14 points in the first half, limiting the Spartans to just 6-of-21 shooting and keeping them scoreless from beyond the arc.

The Falcons seemed poised to maintain control in the third quarter. Near the midpoint of the frame, Ross and McNabb made critical plays as Ross got to the free-throw line for two points, and McNabb drilled a three-pointer off a feed from Booth to push the lead to 30-17.

Moments later, sharp passing by the Falcons broke through Dubuque's zone trap and led to another three-pointer by McNabb. Booth also added a triple to keep the Falcons' distance. However, the Spartans closed the gap with a late run and trailed by just seven, 40-33, heading into the final quarter.

Dubuque came out determined in the fourth, chipping away at the lead and eventually taking a 44-40 advantage.

But CUW responded. DeBauch powered her way to a basket in the paint and followed up with a key steal on the defensive end. McNabb found a loose ball and sank another three-pointer to trim the deficit to 45-48.

However, despite the Falcons' best efforts in the closing minutes, Dubuque managed to hold on, escaping with a 50-45 win.

DeBauch and McNabb led the way for Concordia in the loss. DeBauch finished with a double-double, posting 12 points and a team-high 14 rebounds, while McNabb added 11 points. DeBauch's performance marks her second double-double of the season and the third of her career. As a team, CUW played solid defense, limiting Dubuque to just 36 percent shooting from the field (18-of-50) and won the turnover battle, while also recording more assists.

The Falcons will look to bounce back when they travel to Marian University on Wednesday for their next contest.