MITCHELL, S.D. – Ellie Braaten scored 13 points to lead four Vikings in double figures as the Valley City State women's basketball team fell to Concordia (Neb.), 112-69, Friday at the Corn Palace.
Cassidy Shute added 11 points, while Liz Lukken and Delaney Cotton each finished with 10. Tiyana Schwinghammer contributed nine points, a game-high 11 rebounds and four assists.
The Vikings found an early rhythm offensively, taking a 15-9 lead midway through the first quarter. Braaten and Schwinghammer each connected from beyond the arc before Lukken scored five straight points to give VCSU a six-point advantage.
Concordia responded and moved ahead late in the quarter, taking a 27-21 lead into the second. The Bulldogs continued to build their advantage with a 32-point second quarter and led 59-39 at halftime.
VCSU shot 46.6 percent from the field and held a 41-39 edge in rebounding, but Concordia's defensive pressure proved difficult to overcome. The Bulldogs forced 37 turnovers and converted those opportunities into 46 points.
Concordia extended its lead with another 32-point quarter in the third, carrying a 91-52 advantage into the final period.
Braaten finished 4-for-7 from the field, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range, and added four rebounds and four assists. Shute shot 5-for-8, while Cotton made all three of her field goal attempts and grabbed four rebounds. Lukken added five rebounds to her 10 points.
Olivia Backus totaled six points, five rebounds and two assists, and Avery Backus added six points and three rebounds. Dacota Potratz finished with four points, five rebounds, two steals and a block.
The Vikings went 27-for-58 overall, 6-for-20 from beyond the arc and 9-for-13 at the free throw line.
Ayla Roth led Concordia with 19 points. Makynna Robbins and Bree Bunting each added 16 as the Bulldogs shot 43.6 percent from the field and made 13 3-pointers.
