The #23 Briar Cliff women’s basketball team cruised to a 69-43 victory over Hastings in the Newman Flanagan Center on Friday evening. Twelve different Chargers scored in the contest.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, the Chargers forced six Hastings turnovers and held the Broncos to 0-of-3 from deep. The Chargers shot an even 50%, going 10-of-20 from the field and 3-of-7 from 3-point range. Briar Cliff carried the lead for almost nine minutes of the first quarter and held advantages in points off turnovers (9-2) and second chance points (4-0).
The second quarter was a low-scoring defensive battle. Both teams shot less than 30% from the floor, but Briar Cliff knocked down two 3-pointers and three free throws. The Cliff opened up the scoring gap by outscoring the Broncos 15-8 in the second 10 minutes. Heading into halftime, the Chargers held a 15-point lead over the Broncos.
Briar Cliff carried their momentum into the second half of play as they outscored the Broncos 17-8 in the third. The Chargers held the advantage in rebounds (10-7) and shot 17.9% better than Hastings from the field. BC knocked down three more 3-point baskets in the quarter, and did not give up a 3-pointer to the Broncos. The Cliff expanded their lead to 55-31 heading into the final quarter.
The Chargers cruised through the fourth quarter to earn their 14th conference win of the season 69-43 over Hastings. As a team, the Chargers held the advantage in 3-pointers made (9-1), rebounds (39-33), assists (15-3), turnovers (13-21) and points off turnovers (20-8).
Konner Sudmann paced the way for the Chargers scoring 13 points, grabbing two rebounds and tallying six assists. Payton Slaughter nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds while Kennedy Benne added 12 points and four steals.
The Chargers will be back in action tomorrow in the Newman Flanagan Center as they host Jamestown for senior day with tip off scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
Fueled by 23 points from Conner Groves, and a shooting percentage of 66.7%, the Briar Cliff men’s basketball team earned a 97-70 win over Hastings Saturday in the Newman Flanagan Center.
“I thought we were pretty dialed in tonight. In the last 6-8 minutes of the first we forced some turnovers and were able to extend the lead,” said head coach Mark Svagera. “Then I really liked the intensity we played with to start the second half. Shooting the three like that obviously helps, but I thought we moved the ball well and worked to get great shots.”
Through the first 10 minutes of play, the Charger offense was nearly unstoppable as they connected on nine of their first 13 field goal attempts. Blake Sindelar knocked down a 3-pointer with 10:06 on the clock to give BC a 21-15 lead. The offensive stayed red-hot throughout the first half, posting a 73.1% field goal percentage. The Chargers knocked down 9-of-11 3-point attempts in the first, with four treys courtesy of Groves.
Briar Cliff held the lead throughout the contest, except for the first 30 seconds of the game, but the Broncos stayed within single digits for most of the first half. The Chargers ended the half in a flurry with a 17-3 run. Groves knocked down three 3-pointers during the run, assisted by Jaden Kleinhesselink on each one.
Groves led the way with 12 in the opening half, while Nathan Hall added six points, three rebounds and a pair of assists. BC held a 10-3 assist-to-turnover ratio and held Hastings to one offensive rebound.
Quinn Vesey pushed the lead to 30, 70-40, early in the second half with a 3-pointer. The Charger held a lead of 20 or more for the majority of the second half, never dipping lower than 19 points. A 13-2 run capped off by Groves’ seventh and final 3-pointer brought the advantage back to 30 with six minutes remaining, and they cruised to their seventh GPAC win.
Groves ended the night 7-for-11 for deep and had four rebounds and two assists. Vesey added 16 points on an efficient 6-of-8 with four 3-pointers.
Kleinhesselink added 15 points and five assists, while Boerhave added 13 points. Hall had 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting.
The Chargers scored 22 points off turnovers, received 39 from their bench unit and had 44 points in the paint.
The Chargers will be back in the NFC tomorrow evening for a matchup with #9 Jamestown at 3:45 p.m.
