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| Operating from the third-seed didn't faze the Bethel Royals as they clamped down on Concordia to claim the program's second MIAC Championship Game title in Moorhead on Saturday. |
Hard to believe that it was 50 degrees when I left my place in the Northwest Suburbs early yesterday afternoon but as my trek on US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub lengthened, a weather front passed through that brought sharper colder temperatures and some snow to boot. Thankfully no issues travel-wise and the BNSF cooperated with some train action as well. After getting a good supper and lodging on the Fargo-side of town, I had some extra spare time late this morning to get a little "foaming" in at Moorhead Jct before making the short trek over to cavernous Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Concordia College for today's long-awaited MIAC Championship game between visiting Bethel and host Concordia. The Royals, coming into the MIAC Playoffs as the number-three seed, had to get this juncture the hard way but that didn't seem to deter them one bit as they demolished St. Scholastica in the Quarterfinal round on Tuesday night before taking down GAC in St. Peter on Thursday night. The Cobbers as the number-one seed got here the hard way too but in a much different matter as they had to fight back from a 21-point deficit against SMU on Thursday night before rallying to win in wild fashion. These two teams had met twice in the regular season with Bethel taking both contests but when you get to this stage, you might as well throw past results out the window.
And Concordia certainly seemed to be of that mindset from the opening tip as senior point guard Taylor Safranski found a gap in the Royals defense and used a burst of speed to shoot through that gap for an easy lay-up at the 9:49 mark of the opening period and a short, turnaround jumper by strong sophomore forward Maya Metcalf at the 9:05 mark had the Cobbers up 4-2. Bethel would come right back and wipe that lead away on their subsequent possession as senior point guard Colette Duininck would bury a cold-hearted "3" from the left top area at the 8:41 mark but Concordia was able to steady the ship at this early point and launch a 9-2 push. Slender junior forward Genevieve Gruba would start this run when she slithered into the paint for a score at the 8:15 mark and a short time later at the 7:33 mark, senior guard Molly Musland would make a hard drive for a lay-up that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" got the Cobber lead to 9-5. Musland would again get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 7:04 mark and the former LaMoure, ND standout would cash in on both attempts and at the 5:50 mark, Musland would come through again as she was able to knock down a short, turnaround jumper in the lane that now had Concordia up 13-7 but that push that had the home crowd going failed to faze the Royals as they finished off this first period with a surprising 9-0 run. Slender junior forward Cally Peterson would connect on a lay-up to start this run with 4:51 left and a short time later the former St. Francis standout would come through again for her team as she would snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback with 4:11 left and two free throws by Duininck after she was fouled with 2:23 left had this game leveled at 13. Then Duininck; the former Central Minnesota Christian standout who helped slay the Gusties just two nights ago down in St. Peter with her three-point prowess, would again unleash terror from behind the arc as she buried a casually cruel bomb from the left corner area with 1:08 left that put Bethel out in front 16-13 that ended the scoring in this topsy-turvy first period.
The Cobbers started the second period determined to get momentum back in their favor. Senior guard Taya Jeffrey would get things going with a pretty jumper from the free throw line area at the 9:00 mark and a tough score in the paint by Metcalf at the 7:53 mark pushed Concordia back out in front 17-16. At the 6:18 mark, Jeffrey, the former Albert Lea standout, would strike again with a smart drive into traffic and tough finish that got the Cobbers a 19-16 lead but Bethel was continuing to be a very uncooperative guest and they quickly unleashed a 9-2 run in response. Peterson would quickly come to the forefront again as well with back-to-back three-point bombs - one from the top of the key at the 5:50 mark that tied the game and then again from the top of the key; this time off of an inbounds pass with 4:57 left - that now had the Royals up 22-19. With 4:09 left, surprising sophomore reserve guard Alaina Bonacquista would bang home a "3" of her own from the right corner that capped this latest bombardment of the city of Moorhead making it a 25-21 ballgame before Concordia could shore up its defenses. Musland would connect on a lay-up with 3:45 left that got the Cobbers back to within a single possession and a three-point bomb by lanky sophomore forward Kaia Gack from the left top area with 2:59 left cut the deficit down to one at 27-26. Bethel would get a bit more breathing room when sophomore reserve point guard Kenzie Lundeen used some deft touch to get a pretty one-handed floater in the lane to go down with 2:37 left but Concordia was quick to counterattack as speedy sophomore reserve point guard Kaitlyn Rohloff would make a quick dart into the lane for a finish with 2:13 left that again had the deficit down to one at 29-28 and with :13.4 left, Safranski in sly fashion stole the ball near midcourt from the Royals Duininck and tried to race in for a lay-up and although the attempt was foiled, the former Fargo Davies standout was fouled in the process and did get two charity stripe shots to go down out of the deal that allowed the Cobbers to take a slim 30-29 lead into the locker room at the halftime intermission in a game that was thus far marked by some unusual and wild momentum swings. A quick check of the halftime box score showed that Bethel did have an edge on the glass with 22 rebounds to Concordia's 17 but perhaps more importantly the Royals thus far had shot 5-12 from behind the arc at a 41.7% clip and 3-5 for 60% in the second period alone while the Cobbers so far were only 1-7 from downtown for 14.3%. That plus the fact that the tempo of the game seemed to slightly favor the Royals thus far made Concordia's one-point halftime lead look even more perilous.
Things would still bounce back and forth between these two squads once the third period was underway. Bethel would manage to push out in front a 31-30 when Duininck got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 9:12 mark but the Cobbers would soon follow suit and take the lead right back on two free throws by Gruba after she was fouled at the 8:56 mark. The Royals would forge ahead again when junior forward Emily Erickson connected on a short, one-handed floater in the lane at the 8:41 mark but this game was put on even terms at 33 a piece when Concordia's Jeffrey got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 8:17 mark. But it was here where Bethel made its first significant move of the day that had the Cobbers on their heels with a key 9-2 run. Back-to-back three-point bombs - one by slender senior combo guard/forward Ali Born from the top of the key at the 8:01 mark and the other by Lundeen from the right top area at the 6:45 mark - suddenly had the Royals up by six at 39-33. Concordia's Jeffrey would get the deficit trimmed down a bit when she knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 5:47 mark but then Bethel's Lundeen would inflict additional pain with another three-point bomb - this one from the left top area at the 5:28 mark - that now pushed the Royals lead to seven at 42-35. The Cobbers would try and counter as Gack would first drain a "3" of her own from the left top area at the 5:07 mark and Gack's short jumper in the lane off the glass with 4:09 left brought Concordia back to within a single possession down 42-40 but Bethel was quick to respond. Erickson would come through with back-to-back scores as she would first get a routine score in the paint with 3:55 left and would then follow that up with a short, turnaround jumper that gave the Royals some extra breathing room with a 46-40 advantage. Undaunted, the Cobbers would try again. Junior reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would first knock down a jumper from the left wing area with 2:54 left and would follow that up with a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:28 left that again had Concordia back to within a single possession down 46-44 and presumably in good shape again. But unfortunately for the home crowd Bethel had more in store in the final stages of this third period. Peterson would maneuver into the paint for a score with 2:00 left and with 1:16 left Erickson would use a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up that restored the six-point lead at 50-44 and had the Cobber faithful in the stands grasping for hope.
Certainly a six-point deficit was far from insurmountable; especially considering what transpired just the other night against SMU and the fact that Concordia kept its opponent scoreless for nearly the first four minutes of the fourth period arguably left a significant window of opportunity available but unfortunately for the Cobbers, they not only missed out on three golden scoring opportunities but also had a key turnover plague their hopes as well. Concordia finally ended this drought when Gack got a jumper from the right wing area to go down at the 6:54 mark and the Royals efforts appeared to take a hit at the 6:02 mark when Erickson took an inadvertent shot to the head and had to retreat to the bench as she apparently had a contact lens that popped out. This allowed the Cobbers to get right back to within a single possession as Kaitlyn Rohloff used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up at the 5:40 mark that cut Bethel's lead to 50-48. The Royals got their lead to five when All-American fifth-year senior reserve forward Elly Schmitz snared an offensive rebound for a putback that drew a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" at the 5:15 mark made it a 53-48 game. But right back came Concordia on their subsequent possession as Safranski would bury a "3" from the right wing area with 4:50 left and had the Cobbers in prime position again down just 53-51 and a tough score in the paint by Metcalf with 3:19 left kept Concordia within a single possession down 55-53 and with a ton of time left to finally get the table turned in this game. But missed shots and turnovers would haunt the Cobbers at the most critical juncture of this game and this allowed Bethel to get just enough separation exactly when they needed it to seal the deal on this one. Erickson would get into the paint for a score with 3:03 left that grew the lead to 57-53 and also had the Royals in the bonus as well but with 1:49 left, Concordia had another gift presented to it when Gack was fouled but the former Sartell standout couldn't get either free throw attempt to cooperate that would've at least made it a one-possession game again. And the Royals made them pay dearly for that as Erickson would get fouled with 1:24 left and she would get both free throws to go down which made it a six-point game at 59-53. The Cobbers would get the deficit cut down to four when Metcalf again muscled into the paint for a score with 1:02 left but now they desperately needed to get a stop of some sort just to have a chance to get it back to a single possession again. That small window appeared briefly when Bethel's Duininck; who was fouled with :43.2 left, was unable to get either free throw attempt to go down. Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers would then call a thirty-second timeout in hopes of dialing up a sure-fire score but two shot attempts on the ensuing possession failed to find their intended mark. Royals Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer would then take a thirty-second timeout after his squad secured a steal and with :14.1 left in regulation, Erickson would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled that made it a five-point game at 60-55. There was still one last wisp of hope left for the Cobbers but the hope soon vaporized when Musland's three-point bomb attempt went awry with :09.8 left. Bethel's Duininck would get fouled with :08.1 left and there were no mistakes made this time by the seasoned veteran as she got both free throw attempts to go down and although the Cobbers' Wagers would burn another timeout, the damage had already been done as the Royals secured the MIAC Championship Game title with a 62-55 victory.
With the Memorial Auditorium's PA announcer urging fans to take it easy after the final buzzer and The Eagles hit tune playing on the loudspeakers with Glenn Frey urging fans to do just that, the message seemed lost on Concordia players afterward just as it had been last year after they were bounced in the Quarterfinal round. But at this particular juncture, the pain of coming so close to achieving their goal of winning a MIAC Championship Game title on their home floor and coming up just short made the pain even more acute - especially when you consider that the seniors on this team had to endure MIAC Championship Game losses to GAC in both 2023 and in 2024. Fortunately, some of that initial pain ebbed with the knowledge that they're not only firmly in the NCAA Tournament but with a high NPI ranking as well, they're in excellent position to host a 1st/2nd round NCAA Pod at Memorial Auditorium starting next Friday evening. Meanwhile, with all the hoopla going on the floor with the Bethel team and coaches celebrating their latest conquest and preparing to cut down the nets, I was finally able to catch up first with the Royals Erickson who was understandably jubilant after this win. I asked Erickson what the mindset was for her and her teammates coming into this game today. "We knew this was going to be a tough game today because we've played them two times before and both of those games went down to the wire just like this one did and I think we came into this game knowing that we had nothing to lose because they were seeded higher than us; they're ranked higher than us.....We can just go out and play our hearts out and this was going to be a great opportunity. Props to them (Concordia) because they're a really good team......We just knew it was going to be a long four quarters of basketball; it wasn't going to be decided in two quarters or three quarters like previous games like it was against St. Scholastica.....And I think we came in knowing that this is playoff basketball and that anything can happen. And I think that this was just a great testament to our resilience and to the depth of our bench.....We had some really key shots from some of our bench players and we've just been practicing all year for this moment and it's just amazing." I then mentioned to Erickson about the physicality aspect of this game because that was going to come to the forefront at some point in this game and that I thought that the Royals weathered the storm reasonably well on this front today. "Yeah....They (Concordia) have two of the best post players in the nation (Metcalf and Gack); they're both very good and we knew that from having gone up against them two other times this season. I think that's why in the first half we kind of shied away from the physicality - especially inside because you knew they were going to shot block and Metcalf did but we were able to make the adjustment of doing double moves like "open under" to get them moving because standing still is going in favor of the defense especially with Metcalf." I also mentioned to Erickson that it's got to be a good feeling knowing that your spot in the NCAA Tournament is assured and now they have a chance to rest up a bit, refuel and get ready for Selection Monday. "Yeah, it was a really long week (this last week)....We had three really good games where we gave it all every single day. I mean, we had to go to practice the next day (after a game on the previous night) and that's not we usually have because normally after hard games we get a day off where we get to stretch, we get to rehab, stuff like that. But each game this week is not guaranteed and I'm just so proud of my teammates so thankful for our coaching and just how we've been able to move together as a group of girls and this very moment is what we've practiced all year for.....It's a long time from October and November and it's just so amazing to see all that hard work come to fruition."
I was also able to catch up with Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer afterward who was quite happy and proud with his team's effort on this day. I mentioned first that I thought that his team's defense on this day really carried the day and paved the way for ultimate victory. "Well, it always does......We talked at the start of the fourth quarter.....We had wrested the lead away from them and we always talk about defense and toughness are going to carry the day. And I'll be honest, they're really, really good. Maya Metcalf is a load.....The freshman guard (Kaitlyn Rohloff) is really good. They're a really good basketball team and maybe a second weekend NCAA Tournament team. We just happen to match up to them really well. Our size can give Metcalf more trouble than any other team in the league and frankly more trouble than most other Division IIIs and that's why, in spite of the losses that they've suffered this year; three of them to us, it's our defensive ability to guard the rim that carried the day." I also brought up the idea that I thought that Bethel shot the ball really well on this day (a carryover from the previous games with St. Scholastica and GAC perhaps?) - especially from downtown and I wasn't necessarily counting on them to do that on this day but players like Duininck and Peterson really stepped up and delivered some daggers in this game. " 'Coco' and 'Cal' did but we had a number of players shooting well.....Kenz Lundeen; the scouting report says you can let her shoot and she makes two threes tonight......We're peaking at the right time and our struggles in November were largely because our guards weren't necessarily understanding when and where their three-point shots should come. We're in month five of the season now. Everybody understands what a good shot is from a bad shot. And when you're supposed to take a shot and what shots are the 'good' ones for them. That leads to high-percentage. I guess high-scoring at 62 compared to the 52 the first time we played them here." I then touched on the road ahead with Herbrechtsmeyer - specifically Selection Monday and the upcoming NCAA Tournament and where they might be heading. "We plan to host" he deadpanned. "We were number seventeen in the NPI rankings this morning and we just beat a team in front of us and with our bonus, we have a chance to move into the top sixteen. The NCAA had better reward that with hosting. We put in a bid. We're planning to play at home."
I also was able to catch up with Concordia's Wagers who was obviously disappointed with the outcome but was also managing to keep a stiff upper lip with Selection Monday and the NCAA Tournament along with a likely hosting of a 1st/2nd round pod as well. But Wagers was in agreement with my assessment that Bethel's defense on this day was the difference-maker - particularly in the second half. "Yeah, we couldn't get anything from an execution standpoint offensively and that's what they do - they're a defensive team and they really disrupt timing and they kind of took us out of what we do." I mentioned to Wagers as well that her team simply seemed unable to find that one "big" bucket or big "3" that might've somehow turned the tide for them when they needed it most. "Yeah, they made a couple of big shots - especially late in the second half and we just couldn't get them to fall which happens when the ball just doesn't bounce your way and it's frustrating.......But I'm super-proud of our group and our regular season and it's really fun to see this big crowd here and it's disappointing that we didn't play better but we're excited because we still have basketball to play." I also asked Wagers about the road ahead - Selection Monday and the upcoming NCAA Tournament where Concordia should still be in an excellent position to host a 1st/2nd round pod at home in Memorial Auditorium. "Yeah, we're exited either way.....The kids kind of love the travel part of it too" she added with a smile. More than anything, Wagers and her staff along with the team are just excited at the prospect of playing whether it's at home or somewhere else and, just as important for Wagers, she gets to enjoy at least another week with her team.
The thing for me when I look back on this game (and trust me, I had plenty of time to ponder things on the long drive back down US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline) is that even though it was Bethel's defense that carried the day for them, there were still windows of opportunity left for Concordia that might've somehow propelled them over the top. Down by six at 50-44 to start the fourth period, the fact that the Cobbers held the Royals scoreless for nearly four minutes was big but they HAD to find a way to narrow the gap in this particular time period to at least a single possession that would've at the very least expanded their options down the home stretch. And the fact that the Cobbers did finally crawl back to within a single possession right around the midway point was another window of opportunity that was there again for them and once again, they never could find that one big bucket - specifically a three-point shot - that could've turned this game on a dime. And the last thing I want to do on here is pile on any one specific player (and I'm not doing that here either, btw) but those two missed free throw attempts by Gack with 1:49 left were a killer as Concordia was unable to close within a single possession again. What I'm trying to point out here is that Bethel and the way they play defense can just make your margin for error so small when everything's on the line late in the game and that's precisely what happened to Concordia here and you simply have to tip your cap to the Royals and their defense. And, as Herbrechtsmeyer said, they may indeed be peaking at precisely the right time.
And it's even more painful from a Concordia standpoint when you look at the final box score on this one. Beyond the fact that the Cobbers had the edge in bench points at 20-16 (and even that edge was more or less negated as time wore on) there isn't a whole helluva lot to cheer about. Bethel owned the boards by a 39-33 count and the Royals also had a whopping 13-4 edge in those all-important "second chance" points. The Cobbers were also guilty of 14 boo-boos on this day which isn't necessarily a lot but in this type of a bloodbath, those turnovers took their toll. Inevitably, you also have to point to the three-point shooting aspect and it just wasn't happening for Concordia on this day as they finished going 3-11 from downtown for 27.3%. And not that Bethel was shooting at a torrid pace from downtown either as they went 8-23 for 34.8% - they didn't have to. And it wasn't so much the three-point shots that they did make either. Rather, it's WHEN they made them.
Balanced scoring also had a big role in Bethel's success on this day as Erickson - once again - always finds a way to show up in the biggest moments and her 15 points paced the Royals on this day but she had plenty of help too as Peterson was right behind with her 14 points and Duininck was spectacular at times on this Saturday as she finished with 12 points. Gack paced the Cobber attack with her 10 points.
