Goodbye Memorial Auditorium, Hello Sweet 16

MOORHEAD, Minn. (3/07/26)--- Call it Memorial Magic, Cobber Determination or Concordia Resiliency just be sure to add Sweet 16 to the end of the name.

Playing in front of the largest crowd of the season in Memorial Auditorium, Concordia used a dominant fourth quarter and a pair of clutch late-game plays to outlast Ripon 68–65 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Cobbers outscored the Red Hawks 27–22 in the final period and closed the game on an 8–3 run to secure their first appearance in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1993.

Concordia is now 25-4 on the season. The 25 overall wins are the most in program history since the team won the NCAA National Championship in 1988.

"I think we've worked all season for these moments," senior Taylor Safranski said. "To be able to come up on the winning end of that is really rewarding and it shows that your offseason work is paying off."

The Cobbers trailed the Red Hawks 43-42 entering the fourth quarter but used defensive pressure and clutch perimeter scoring to turn the game in their favor.

Molly Musland and Safranski buried back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Cobbers within one, and Alexa Snesrud delivered the game's pivotal shot – a right‑wing three-ball with 2:25 remaining that gave CC a 60–56 lead – a lead they would not relinquish.

Kaitlyn Rohloff then hit four free throws in the final 11 seconds, including a pair with :11 on the clock that pushed the margin to three and sealed the victory.

The Cobbers' defensive execution changed the game in the closing minutes. CC forced seven Ripon turnovers in the fourth quarter and converted them into nine points. Concordia also held the Red Hawks to one field goal over a span of nearly three minutes as the Cobbers climbed from a five‑point deficit to a 57–54 lead with 3:20 remaining.

"Our crew has been resilient all year," head coach Kim Wagers commented. "We've been a second half team and have come back from different things. It's no surprise to me that we were able to stick with it and just keep playing hard."    

Maya Metcalf led the Cobbers with 24 points on 10‑for‑19 shooting and added eight rebounds while scoring 14 of her points after halftime. Musland added 12 points, including several momentum‑swinging baskets in the fourth, and Snesrud provided a crucial seven‑point burst off the bench in the final period.

Safranski finished with eight points, and Taya Jeffrey chipped in seven, including a pair of key layups as Concordia surged ahead late.

Concordia shot 52.0% (13-for-25) from the field in the second half and went 12‑for‑14 at the line after halftime. CC also owned a 9–5 edge in second‑chance points and got 12 points from its bench in the final two quarters.

The Cobbers' ability to get to the line was also one of the keys in the game. CC went 23-for-28 (82.1%) from the foul line as opposed to 11-for-13 for Ripon.

Concordia will now face John Hopkins in the Sweet 16 on Friday, Mar. 13 at the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pa.

Cobber Advancing Celebration


Concordia Postgame Press Conference