2002-2003 Concordia Moorhead Women's Basketball

| MIAC Women's Baketball Preview Page |
2002-2003 MIAC Women's Basketball Preview

2002-2003 Concordia Women's Basketball Preview Information
Concordia Women's Basketball Home Page for 2002-03 | see also | 2001-02 Season Stats | 2000-01 Box Scores |

College Information
School: Concordia-Moorhead
Founded : 1891
Location: Moorhead, MN
Enrollment : 2775
President : Rev. Thomas Thomsen
Athletic Director: Dr. Armin Pipho
Team Nickname: Cobbers
Colors: Maroon and Gold
Logo: The Chicago "C"
Faculty Athletic Rep: Jim Forde
Arena: Memorial Auditorium, Capacity 3,150

Concordia Women's Baketball
First year of basketball: 1974-75
All-time NCAA play-off record: 20-14
Years in NCAA post-season play: 14
Last NCAA post-season appearance: 1995-96/ Result: Lost in first round to Bethel 64-60
All-time record: 574-195

Women's Basketball Staff
Head Coach: Troy Odegaard
Alma Mater/Year: Dakota Wesleyan '86
Record at school (years): 0-0 (1st Season)
Career record: 0-0
Head Coach's office phone: 218-299-4162
Best time/day to reach coach: 10:00 - 2:00

Assistant Coaches:
Bob Kohler, Calley City St '69
Chris Ohm, Concordia '98

Sports Information
Sports Information Director: Jim Cella
Office Ph.: 218-299-3194
Fax: 218-299-4189
E-Mail Address: cella@cord.edu
WWW Address: http://www.cord.edu/dept/sports/

2001-02 Concordia Women's Basketball Schedule

Date Opponent/Box Score Site Time/Result

Nov. 17 MSU-Moorhead Home L 62-65

Nov. 21 Luther Home L 57-62

Dec. 1 Hamline Away W 87-53

Dec. 5 Augsburg Home W 69-62

Dec. 8 St. Olaf Away L 72-74

Dec. 9 St. Mary's Away L 58-69

Dec. 12 Gustavus Home L 73-76

Dec. 15 UW-Eau Claire Away L 67-82

Jan. 2 St. Catherine Away W 81-71

Jan. 5 Carleton Away L 69-84

Jan. 7 St. Thomas Away L 48-75

Jan. 9 Macalester Home W 77-66

Jan. 12 St. Mary's Home W 76-52

Jan. 14 St. Ben's Home L 62-88

Jan. 16 Bethel Home W 90-43

Jan. 19 Hamline Home W 85-63

Jan. 23 Augsburg Away L 55-56

Jan. 26 St. Olaf Home W 63-58

Jan. 28 St. Catherine Home W 91-56

Jan. 30 Carleton Home L 50-65

Feb. 2 Gustavus Away L 78-92

Feb. 6 St. Thomas Home L 64-77

Feb. 9 Macalester Away W 91-51

Feb. 13 St. Ben's Away L 78-97

Feb. 16 Bethel Away W 99-90

Final Record: 11-11-0 MIAC (T5th Place) , 11-14-0 Overall

2002-03 Concordia Women's Basketball Schedule

Date Opponent/Box Score Site Time/Result

Nov. 22-23 Capital Tournament Ohio TBA

Nov. 30 St. Olaf Away 1:00

Dec. 2 MSU-Moorhead Away 5:30

Dec. 7 Gustavus Away 1:00

Dec. 9 St. Ben's Home 5:30

Dec. 11 Macalester Away 5:30

Dec. 14 Carleton Home 1:00

Jan. 4 Bethel Home 1:00

Jan. 6 St. Thomas Away 5:30

Jan. 11 St. Catherine Home 3:00

Jan. 15 Hamline Home 5:30

Jan. 18 Augsburg Home 1:00

Jan. 20 St. Mary's Home 5:30

Jan. 22 St. Olaf Home 5:30

Jan. 25 Gustavus Home 1:00

Jan. 29 St. Ben's Away 7:30

Feb. 1 Macalester Home 1:00

Feb. 3 Bethel Away 5:30

Feb. 5 St. Thomas Home 5:30

Feb. 8 Carleton Away 1:00

Feb. 9 St. Mary's Away 1:00

Feb. 12 St. Catherine Away 5:30

Feb. 15 Hamline Away 1:00

Feb. 19 Augsburg Away 5:30

Feb. 24 - Mar. 1 MIAC Playoffs TBA TBA

Concordia Series Records Against MIAC Opponents:
Opponent      W L   Series Started
Augsburg      42 1   1978
Bethel        35 9   1980
Carleton      36 4   1981
Gustavus      39 8   1974
Hamline       40 1   1979
Macalester    38 1   1976
St. Ben's     17 23 1980
St. Kate's    25 3   1976
St. Mary’s    36 7   1981
St. Olaf      43 7   1975
St. Thomas    23 28 1979

Player & Team Information
Overall record last year: 11-14
Conference record/finish: 11-11, 4th Place

Letterwinners returning/lost:
Starters Returning/lost: 4/1

Key Returning Players
Name           Pos Yr Ht   Hometown/High School
Debbie Slack   F/C Jr. 5-10 Evansville MN Evansville
Becky Fitch    F/C Jr. 6-0 Sartell MN Sartell
Mandy Pearson G   So. 5-5 Watkins MN Eden Valley-Watkins
Kasey Bostow   F/C Sr. 5-8 Fargo ND South

Key Losses (grad/transfer/injury/misc.)
Name Pos Yr Ht Hometown/High School
Mandy Berggren G Sr. 5-8 Cokato MN Dassel-Cokato

Key Newcomers
Name             Pos Yr Ht   Hometown/High School
Jamie Stensgard      So.      Fargo ND Oak Grove
Natalie Vagts        So.      Breckenridge MN

Season Outlook and Notes:
Season Preview:
The 2002-03 Concordia women's basketball team will take on the characteristics of a classic car that just had the chassis refinished and painted. First-year head coach Troy Odegaard inherits a team that will look good from the outside, but he will have to wait for the season to start to see if there is any power left underneath.

The Cobbers have nine guards on the roster and will have depth in the backcourt beyond their wildest dreams. The key for the Cobbers will be to find the right combination around the basket. Concordia lost only one starter from last year's team that finished tied for fourth and narrowly missed out on the MIAC playoffs. Three of the returning four starters had terrific seasons in 2001-02, and hopefully they will be able to build off the success they had last season.

Offensively, Concordia will feature a strong point guard and experienced post player. Last year Mandy Pearson used her first year in the college ranks to showcase her ball handling skills and get accustomed to the high-pressure game of the MIAC. For her efforts she was named to the All-MIAC First-Year Team, All-MIAC Defensive Team and All-Conference Honorable Mention Team. Her ability to shoot and score consistently will have a direct effect on how far Concordia can go in 2002-03. The inside force for Concordia will be senior Kasey Bostow. Bostow is a returning all-conference player who last year was second in the league in scoring with an 18.4 points per game average. She will have to continue to thrive despite being the Cobbers' primary weapon underneath.

Last year Concordia was helped by the emergence of Debbie Slack as a legitimate rebounding force in the college game. Slack steadily improved throughout the season and eventually led the MIAC in rebounding with an 8.8 rebound per game average. Head Coach Odegaard will be looking for a more balanced game from Slack in 2002-03 to take some of the scoring burden off of frontcourt mate Bostow.

One of the keys for the Cobbers will be to find a way to offset the loss of all-conference guard Mandy Berggren. Berggren graduated in the spring and took with her a serious outside scoring threat, having finished sixth in the league in 2001-02 with a 16.0 ppg average. One of the leading candidates for that position is NCAA Division II transfer Jamie Stensgard. Stensgard transferred from cross-town powerhouse North Dakota State University. Before playing for the Bison she was a high school standout for Oak Grove in Fargo.

Other players who could fill the scoring vacancy left by Berggren include Jamie Visness who struggled in her first-year but continues to be one of the hottest shooters in the preseason. Junior Trisha Steinborn has shown the ability to shoot from beyond the 3-point arc in her first two seasons and will have to continue to stretch opposing defenses in order to open up space for the Cobber interior players.

The Cobbers do possess a trio of inside players who can give quality minutes whenever they are called upon. Juniors Becky Fitch and Beth Drager along with sophomore Gretta Stritesky can add much-needed size to the Concordia line-up. In the end, Odegaard will be hoping that one of the three can step up and prove to be an offensive and defensive inside force.

If Odegaard can get all the gears to mesh in the Cobber engine, then come March he could be driving a vintage Cobber classic that drives as good as it looks.

Cobber Basketball Notes:

2001-02 was the first season the Cobbers finished at .500 or below in the MIAC (11-11), the next closest was 15-7 in 98-99.
Troy Odegaard is the 8th head coach in Cobber women's basketball history. First-year coaches have a .725 winning percentage (111-42) compared to the Cobbers' .746 all-time winning percentage (574-195).
Assistant coach Bob Kohler was the head coach of the Cobber Women from 1992-1995, compiling a 58-22 record (49-11 in the MIAC).

2002-2003 Preseason Roster:
See current roster on 2002-2003 roster page |

No A Name               Pos Gr Ht   H'town St HS
      Karie Visness          Fr.      Hallock MN
      Breanne Gottenborg     Fr.      Hawley MN Hawley
      Tori Ehlert            Fr.      Battle Lake MN
      Natalie Vagts          So.      Breckenridge MN
      Jamie Stensgard        So.      Fargo ND Oak Grove
15 15 Kayla Sumption     G   So. 5-6 Kindred ND Kindred
20 20 Trisha Steinborn   G   Jr. 5-6 Jamestown ND Jamestown
21 21 Rachel Burgau      G   So. 5-3 Moorhead MN Moorhead
23 23 Debbie Slack       F/C Jr. 5-10 Evansville MN Evansville
24 24 Nicole Plante      G   So. 5-4 Fort Benton MT Fort Benton
33 33 Jamie Visness      G/F So. 5-8 Hallock MN Kittson Central
35 35 Becky Fitch        F/C Jr. 6-0 Sartell MN Sartell
42 42 Mandy Pearson      G   So. 5-5 Watkins MN Eden Valley-Watkins
44 44 Gretta Stritesky   F/C So. 6-0 Ogilvie MN Ogilvie
50 50 Kasey Bostow       F/C Sr. 5-8 Fargo ND South
54 54 Beth Drager        C   Jr. 6-3 Wood Lake MN Lakeview

This page is maintained by the Concordia Sports Information Office | sid@cord.edu |

Date	Opponent/Box Score	Site	Time/Result
Nov. 17	MSU-Moorhead	Home	L 62-65
Nov. 21	Luther	Home	L 57-62
Dec. 1	Hamline	Away	W 87-53
Dec. 5	Augsburg	Home	W 69-62
Dec. 8	St. Olaf	Away	L 72-74
Dec. 9	St. Mary's	Away	L 58-69
Dec. 12	Gustavus	Home	L 73-76
Dec. 15	UW-Eau Claire	Away	L 67-82
Jan. 2	St. Catherine	Away	W 81-71
Jan. 5	Carleton	Away	L 69-84
Jan. 7	St. Thomas	Away	L 48-75
Jan. 9	Macalester	Home	W 77-66
Jan. 12	St. Mary's	Home	W 76-52
Jan. 14	St. Ben's	Home	L 62-88
Jan. 16	Bethel	Home	W 90-43
Jan. 19	Hamline	Home	W 85-63
Jan. 23	Augsburg	Away	L 55-56
Jan. 26	St. Olaf	Home	W 63-58
Jan. 28	St. Catherine	Home	W 91-56
Jan. 30	Carleton	Home	L 50-65
Feb. 2	Gustavus	Away	L 78-92
Feb. 6	St. Thomas	Home	L 64-77
Feb. 9	Macalester	Away	W 91-51
Feb. 13	St. Ben's	Away	L 78-97
Feb. 16	Bethel	Away	W 99-90