The Women's Basketball Team is set to play their first game of the 2017-2018 season on Friday in CU Arena. Along with a plethora of new faces, the Eagles are led by Head Coach Christine Collins-Kiernan in her first season with Concordia.
Collins-Kiernan spent seven years coaching Divison I basketball and 15 years at the high school level, and not only brings experience, but a fresh energy and leadership to the Eagle squad.
Last year, Concordia concluded with a 10-16 overall and 8-12 conference record. The Eagles took down Dixie State, Chaminade and BYU-Hawaii twice and defeated Biola, who joined the PacWest conference this year, once.
In the PacWest Preseason Poll for 2017-2018, Concordia was predicted to finish ninth and received 82 points. Biola had 94 points at eighth and Notre Dame de Namur was selected seventh. Azusa Pacific University and Point Loma were chosen as co-favorites with 180 points. Reigning conference champions, Cal Baptist, received two first place votes, but was chosen third. Hawai'i Pacific follows at fourth and Dominican, led by PacWest Preseason Player of the Year, landed in fifth.
The Eagles are returning 10 players to the roster, including 2016-2017 All-PacWest selection Montana Walters. The senior guard tallied 262 points and averaged 10.1 points per game to snag herself Third Team Honors. She sunk 59 three-pointers, 135 assists, 30 steals and was fifth in the conference in three-pointers per game.
Joining Walters on the court are returning players Sopavy Seng and Zoe Scott-Goss. Seng averaged 9.1 points per game with 181 total points while Scott-Goss tallied 220 points, 46 steals and seven blocks. Portia Neale , who averaged 7.9 points per game and totaled 55 rebounds with 20 steals, will also be playing her final season for the Concordia.Â
In addition to the veterans, the Eagles added seven new players to the squad. Freshman Riley Friauf, Taylor Rarick, Kennedy Fulcher, Reilly Walsh, Francesca Wade-Sanchez and Michaela Vanderklugt will play in CU Arena for the first time on Friday against Westminister University. Junior Kara Ito, a Second-Team All-Conference selection for Saddleback College, is also suiting up on the home court for her first time.
The matchup against the Griffins is scheduled for 2 p.m. on November 10th in Irvine, Calif. Last season, the Griffins finished ninth in the RMAC conference with a 9-13 and 11-15 overall record and have seven returning players.
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