NCAA Tournament 2nd Round Game - Ripon vs Concordia 3-7-26

For the first time since 1993, Concordia is on their way to the Sweet 16 as they survived a thrilling second-round game again Ripon!

 So the grand finale of this weekend was the second round game that pitted the two winners from Friday night - Ripon and Concordia - in prime time on a Saturday night.  The Red Hawks had managed to outlast UW-River Falls in a thrilling overtime contest while the Cobbers withstood a strong third period challenge from UW-Superior and closed out with a double-digit victory - their first victory in the NCAA Tournament since the 1995 season.  But now the next test for Concordia was getting past this deep and experienced Ripon team and you knew this matchup had the potential to be a real battle and with a 24-hour window turnaround from the previous night, both teams had to get their rest, refuel and prepare for their opponent as best they could in a compressed time frame.  I had a relatively easy journey from my motel room over on the Fargo side of town to cavernous Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Concordia College in plenty of time to get myself situated and ready to go for this potential classic in an NCAA Tournament setting.

As they did the night before, the Cobbers would get off to a solid start in this game.  A lay-up in transition by senior guard Molly Musland after a steal at the 8:25 mark of the opening period helped spark a 7-2 push.  Strong sophomore guard Maya Metcalf would get two free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 6:45 mark to make it a 4-0 game and a bit later Metcalf would follow that up with a three-point bomb from the left corner area at the 5:07 mark that capped this early run before Ripon could find solid footing and get this contest leveled.  Speedy junior point guard Laney Havlovitz used her speed and quickness to dart in for a lay-up that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" with 4:26 left had the Red Hawks back to within a single possession down 7-5.  Backcourt mate sophomore guard Karsyn Nelson got this game tied at seven a piece when she connected on pretty reverse lay-up with 3:54 left and with 3:15 left, a tough score in the paint by Laney Havlovitz kept things even steven at nine a piece.  Concordia was able to find a second wind before this first period concluded, however, as they launched a 6-1 push down the stretch.  Lanky sophomore reserve forward Kaia Gack would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 3:07 left and then Metcalf would unleash her second three-point bomb of the night - this one from the top of the key with 2:21 left that had the Cobbers up 13-9.  Senior point guard Taylor Safranski would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 1:37 left that extended the lead to 15-9 before Ripon could add to their ledger on one free throw by senior reserve forward Molly Johannes after she was fouled with 1:08 left but Concordia certainly seemed to have the upper hand by this point.  

The Red Hawks would quickly get the gap closed once the second period got underway.  Strong junior forward Sophie Schlieve would connect on a short, turnaround jumper at the 9:41 mark and a lay-up in transition by Laney Havlovitz at the 8:48 mark had the deficit down to a scant point at 15-14.  Concordia would answer this intrusion by its opponent on back-to-back scores by Metcalf as the former Sheyenne HS standout would first knock down a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 8:32 mark and would follow that up less than a minute later with a lay-up that restored the earlier five-point advantage for the Cobbers at 19-14.  But this failed to faze Ripon as they were able to get back to within a single possession in one fell swoop as Laney Havlovitz would use her trademark speed to connect on a lay-up in transition at the 7:07 mark that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" quickly tightened this one up at 19-17.  A short time later at the 6:42 mark, slender sophomore guard Halle Van Horn would slither through traffic for a lay-up that got the Red Hawks back on even terms again at 19.  Concordia would try again to get some separation; this time relying on speedy freshman reserve guard Kaitlyn Rohloff to do her thing from the charity stripe and the former Hancock standout would first get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:24 mark and then would get both attempts to go down after getting fouled at the 5:07 mark to put the Cobbers up 22-19.  It took a bit but again, this would be wiped away by Ripon as Laney Havlovitz would wreak havoc behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the left top area with 2:37 left that tied this game at 22 a piece and a short time later with 2:11 left, Nelson would get a pair of free throws to go down that finally pushed the Red Hawks out in front by a 24-22 count.  Concordia would come right back on their subsequent possession as Metcalf would get a pair of freebies to go down after getting fouled with 2:04 left but this Red Hawks team had slyly snared away the momentum coming down the stretch before the halftime break as Laney Havlovitz continued to pose problems for the Cobbers.  The Wild Rose, WI standout would strike again with 1:29 left on a lay-up in transition that put Ripon back in front at 26--24 and then with :20.8 left, senior guard Natalie Rauwolf would connect on a jumper from the right elbow area that allowed the Red Hawks to take a 28-25 lead into the locker room.  A quick check of the halftime box score showed that whatever Ripon was doing thus far seemed to be working as they held a slight advantage on the boards by a 19-17 count and had fewer turnovers than Concordia did (10-8) and the Red Hawks also were enjoying a 13-11 edge in points off of turnovers.  Perhaps even more alarming for Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers and her staff was the fact that Ripon not only had a decided edge in points in the paint thus far at 18-8 but were shooting the ball better from FG range (11-29 for 37.9% for Ripon vs 6-21 for 28.6 for Concordia) so the Cobbers had some holes in their boat that they had to get fixed quickly.  

Concordia would quickly get this game tied up again at the 9:39 mark of the third period when senior guard Taya Jeffrey buried a "3" from the left top area but then the Cobbers would have to endure another push from its opponent as Ripon went on a 4-0 push.  Schlieve would connect on a short jumper off the glass at the 9:24 mark and then Van Horn would work her magic down low with a tough score in the paint at the 8:09 mark that had the Red Hawks out in front 32-28.  Concordia would find answers this time around as junior forward Genevieve Gruba would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 7:46 mark and then Metcalf would come through again a short time later at the 7:21 mark with a short jumper off the glass that again had this game knotted at 32-all.  And Metcalf would come through for the Cobbers at the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 5:51 mark with a pair of free throws that kept this game even at 34 a piece.  But Ripon wasn't content in being in a stalemate with its host and they launched another push.  Senior reserve guard McKenzie Bestor would drain a "3" from the left corner area at the 5:42 mark and a short time later Laney Havlovitz would strike like a thief in the night with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 5:12 mark that now had the Red Hawks up by five at 39-34 and at this particular point, the media timeout came at a very opportune time for Concordia as they now had a chance to catch their collective breaths and plot their revenge as well.  And the Cobbers found a measure of it with a 6-0 push.  Musland; quiet after her opening bucket in this contest, came alive from behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the right corner area with 4:05 left and one free throw by Gruba after she was fouled with 3:04 left had the deficit trimmed to just one at 39-38.  With 1:15 left, Kaitlyn Rohloff would again come through at the charity stripe with a pair of free throws that pushed the home team back out in front again at 40-39.  Ripon would take the lead right back at 41-40 with :55.1 left when Rauwolf made a hard drive into the lane for a finish but Concordia would level this contest at 41 a piece when junior reserve post Maci Wheeldon got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with :29.4 left.  Still, the Red Hawks would have the last laugh of this third period when Laney Havlovitz used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up with just :04.1 left on the clock and the Cobber faithful inside cavernous Memorial Auditorium were now sitting on pins and needles with their team down 43-41.

Ripon would grow its lead to four at 45-41 when Laney Havlovitz took an inbounds pass and sneaked into the paint for a score at the 9:05 mark of the fourth period and a score in the paint by Van Horn at the 8:34 mark maintained the four-point edge at 47-43.  The Cobbers would close to within a single possession when Metcalf snared an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback at the 8:03 mark but the Red Hawks would be quick to counter as a Rauwolf "3" from the left top area grew Ripon's lead to five at 50-45 and it was here that Red Hawks Head Coach Lauren Busalacchi called a thirty-second timeout to quickly discuss strategy with her team now that they had a lead.  But it also gave Concordia a chance to regroup and revitalize as well and this stoppage in play ultimately paid more dividends for the Cobbers than it ever would for the Red Hawks because Concordia now started to show the vital urgency that was so desperately needed with their season on the line.  Jeffrey; the former Albert Lea standout, got things going with a lay-up at the 7:38 mark and although Ripon re-established the five-point lead on two free throws by Van Horn after she was fouled at the 7:13 mark, the Cobbers would come right back on a big three-point bomb by Safranski from the right top area at the 6:56 mark that got Concordia back to within a single possession down 52-50.  The Red Hawks would try again; getting their lead to four on a lay-up by Van Horn at the 6:33 mark but then the Cobbers would get more three-point artillery on a bomb from the left corner area by Musland at the 6:02 mark that cut the deficit to one at 54-53 and then with 4:46 left in regulation, Metcalf would put Concordia back out in front at 55-54.  With Ripon's normally potent offense suddenly in neutral, the Cobbers were able to capitalize with 3:20 left as Safranski was able to knock down a jumper from the free throw line area that now made it a 57-54 ballgame and the Red Hawks' Busalacchi wasted little time in taking a thirty-second timeout now that the tables had been turned on her team.  Ripon would soon get the deficit cut to one at 57-56 when Schlieve got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 2:53 left but then they would have to absorb another dagger thrown at them as Concordia junior reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would bury a cold-hearted "3" from the left corner area with 2:24 left that now had the Cobbers up by four at 60-56.  The Red Hawks would waste little time in clawing back to within a single possession as Laney Havlovitz would sink a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 2:17 left but then Concordia would come right back with 1:43 left as Snesrud; fresh off of that big three-pointer a bit ago, knocked down a pair of free throws that restored the four-point lead at 62-58.  Ripon would again close to two points when Rauwolf connected on a lay-up in transition with 1:38 left but the Cobbers' Snesrud would come through once again as she fearlessly drove into some heavy traffic for a finish with 1:13 left that restored the four-point lead at 64-60.  The Red Hawks would still not be so easily denied and they again got back into within a single possession when Van Horn slithered through traffic for a lay-up with 1:00 left that cut Concordia's lead to 64-62.  On the Cobbers ensuing possession, Jeffrey's lay-up attempt with :34.2 left in regulation would go awry but Musland would come through with :26.5 left on a short, turnaround jumper that again gave Concordia a bit more breathing room with that four-point advantage at 66-62.  Ripon's Busalacchi would take another thirty-second timeout at this juncture in hopes of dialing up a miracle and with :20.8 left, the Red Hawks got the closest thing to it as Laney Havlovitz came through yet again for this team by banging home a "3" from the left top area that now had the deficit down to one at 66-65.  With fouls still to give, Laney Havlovitz would foul once right after the three-point bomb and then Rauwolf would foul a short time later with :13.8 left.  The Cobbers' Wagers would then use a full timeout knowing that Ripon was now out of fouls to give and with :11.4 left, Kaitlyn Rohloff would get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled with Concordia now in the bonus the rest of the way.  With the Cobbers' hopes and dreams hanging in the balance, the former Hancock standout calmly stood at the charity stripe line and delivered two absolute clutch free throws that now made it a 68-65 game.  Still time for Ripon, however, and with :03.4 left, Laney Havlovitz would attempt a three-point bomb from the right wing area but that attempt missed its mark but the Red Hawks would get one last gasp attempt as Van Horn made a heave-ho attempt from Caitlin Clark-range at the left wing area that fell short and Concordia celebrated at the buzzer with an absolutely thrilling 68-65 victory that advanced the Cobbers to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1993.  

The Concordia portion of the post-game press conference was attended by Wagers along with Metcalf, Musland and Safranski while the Ripon portion was attended by Busalacchi along with Rauwolf, Bestor, Laney Havlovitz and senior reserve forward Maggie Glaus.  Here's the URL for that press conference:  https://miacsportsnetwork.com/concordia/?B=3799066

One could look at the final box score on this one, I suppose, and conclude that Ripon could've and perhaps should've won this game.  And there's three main areas where I think one could draw from that to come away with that impression.  While Ripon's final advantage on the boards wasn't that big at 34-30, they had a whopping advantage in points in the paint at 40-20 (!) and a sizable advantage in fast-break points at 21-8 which to me meant that they were able to use their speed and quickness to their advantage.  And there's many times where winning those three elements will enable you to take home the dub at the end of the day.  And, to be sure, both teams did very well from the charity stripe on this night as the Red Hawks were 11-13 for 84.6% and the Cobbers were 23-28 for 82.1% so no real complaints there.  In fact, Wagers said during the press conference that her squad's free throw shooting helped in part offset the big numbers that Ripon put up with points in the paint.  But I also think there were some smaller items that ultimately helped Concordia prevail on this night.  For instance, you'll see that both the Cobbers and the Red Hawks evened out on the turnover front but the Cobbers got more at the bank than the Red Hawks did off of those turnovers at 20-15.  The Cobbers also had a decisive edge in bench points at 16-4 which meant it wasn't the primary chain gang of Metcalf, Musland, Safranski, Jeffrey and Gruba having to carry the load for the full 40 minutes.  You saw bench players like Gack, Kaitlyn Rohloff, Wheeldon and Snesrud come in and contribute with points in big-time situations and that's just huge in a setting such as this.  And while both teams shot comparably from FG range on this night, the Cobbers had the edge from downtown going 7-16 for 43.8% while the Red Hawks struggled a bit from behind the arc going 4-11 for 36.4%.  But more than anything, what really stood out to me on this night was how Concordia showed that sense of urgency when they got down by five at the 7:51 mark of the fourth period and kept coming up with big shots and big plays that helped them get the lead back and keep the lead while Ripon was doing its darndest in trying to usurp control of this game away from Concordia.  The Cobbers in my mind really showed the heart of a champion on this night and this was not only the biggest win in the program's history in a long time but the signature victory that Wagers and her staff have been looking for.  And now they get a chance to do even more damage in the Sweet 16.

What can you say about Concordia's Metcalf as once again she demonstrated her takeover ability as her 24 points led all scorers and she just missed out on a "double double" with her eight rebounds.  Musland capped off her final game at Memorial Auditorium in style as she finished with 12 points.  You certainly can't fault Ripon's Laney Havlovitz for her effort on this night as time and time again she put her team on her shoulders and almost willed them to victory and she easily paced the Red Hawk attack on this night with her 22 points.  Van Horn had a very solid night on this night with her 14 points and Nelson poured in 10 points.