(2) Concordia NE 74 (10) Jamestown 59
Sioux City, IA (CSi) The Jimmies, end the 2016-17 season with a 27-6 record.
UJ guard, McKayla Orr, added a game-high 21 points, in the tournament’s quarterfinals Elite 8.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (UJ) — A combination of Concordia points in the paint and an off-day shooting performance were too much for the Jimmie women’s basketball team to overcome as the No.1 Bulldogs knocked off third-seeded Jamestown 74-59 Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship.
UJ shot a respectable 12-of-34 from three-point range, but made only seven of their 29 attempts inside the arc to finish the game at 30.2% from the floor. Meanwhile, Concordia held a 34-12 edge in points in the paint and made 50% (20-of-40) of their two-point shots.
The Bulldogs, who are the No. 2 team in the Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, took a 21-12 first quarter lead on 10-of-18 shooting and forced seven Jimmie turnovers. Jamestown had a 9-8 rebounding edge in the opening 10 minutes, but the swarming full-court press of Concordia made things difficult for the UJ offense.
Back-to-back Paige Emmel (JR/Bismarck, ND) three-pointers brought the Jimmies within five points, 23-18, with 7:29 left in the half. The Bulldogs then went on a 7-0 run and pushed the lead back to 12 at the 4:52 mark.
Despite trailing by 16 at the break, Jamestown started the second half with no signs of worry. McKayla Orr (JR/Ypsilanti, ND) scored seven of the Jimmies’ first nine second half points, and UJ was down by only 10.
In a quarter of runs, Concordia withstood the mini-Jamestown rally and put together a 6-0 run of their own to lead by 16, and it started to look like they would pull away.
Kyra Dewald (SR/Jamestown, ND)’s free throws with 1:46 left in the quarter finished a 10-2 Jamestown run and the Jimmies were down just eight. The Bulldogs ended the quarter with six straight points and led by 14 going into the final stanza.
The Jimmies would get no closer than eight points after a Dewald three made it 66-58 with 3:06 left. Jamestown was just 5-of-20 shooting in the fourth quarter, but four of their five makes were from three.
Orr scored a career-high 21 points to lead Jamestown, making five three-pointers, also a career-high. Dewald was the only other Jimmie in double figures with 11. Taylor Hammer (SR/Grand Forks, ND), who scored 36 against Davenport on Friday, was held to two points but grabbed 11 rebounds before fouling out early in the fourth quarter.
Concordia was led by Quinn Wragge’s 16 points and nine rebounds. Shelby Quinn had 12 and Mary Janovich 11. Philly Lammers also had nine points and 11 rebounds.
Jamestown finishes the season at 27-6 while Concordia improves to 34-2 and advances to the semifinals on Monday at 8 p.m.
