Nov, 21, 2015 - Playing its 2015-16 season opener this afternoon. the Concordia-Chicago women's basketball team reminded everyone in attendance why they led the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in steals last season. The Cougars racked up 26 steals, including a school-record 11 by Courtney Lofink (Orange, CA/Orange Lutheran) in defeating the Beavers of Blackburn College by a 69-53 score at Geiseman Gymnasium.

This season introduced the new four-quarter format for the women's game, and the Cougars used the first 10-minute period to take control of the game. Baskets by Hannah Rummel (Fenton, MI/Lake Fenton) and Morgan Jahnke (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) staked the Cougars to a 4-0 lead. The lead soon shot up to 11-1 as CUC's defense forced a combination of Blackburn missed shots and turnovers, many of those winding up directly in CUC's hands. The Cougars nearly made it through the entire first quarter not allowing a field goal, but BC's Casey Fellin finally hit a two in the final 30 seconds to make the score Cougars 18, Beavers 6 after the first 10 minutes.

Blackburn shook off the ice-cold start to begin the second quarter with an 8-0 run fueled by center Angela Andrews who scored six of the eight. Jahnke halted the run briefly with a two and a three, but the visitors kept coming. Gariel Pierce capped a 6-0 run with two free throws to make the score 23-20, but threes by Lofink and Taylor Jacobsen (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) helped the Cougars close out the half with a 10-4 response and go into the half with a 33-24 lead.

The Beavers remained within range until late in the third quarter when the Cougars began to open up the lead. Erin Jacobsen (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) and Teaira Miller (Maywood, IL/Glenbard East) hit threes as CUC built a 49-35 lead at the end of three. The roll continued into the early minutes of the fourth as steals by Lauren Orr (O'Fallon, MO/Lutheran St. Charles) and Jahnke highlighted a 9-0 run that gave the Cougars their biggest lead of the day at 60-37.

Jahnke led all scorers with 15 points while adding five assists and seven steals. Orr finished with 11 points while Angelik Young (Crete, IL/Crete-Monee) amd Taylor Jacobsen scored 10 each. Lofink had five points and five assists to go with her 11 steals. 

Andrews led Blackburn (0-3) with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. The Beavers finished with a 60-36 edge on the boards. Both teams shot 32 percent for the game, although CUC had 18 more shots from the field.

Concordia-Chicago (1-0) returns to action next Saturday, Nov. 28 when they host Alverno College in the conference opener.