The Charger women's basketball team got back into the win column, defeating the visiting Warriors of Midland Wednesday evening inside the Newman Flanagan Center. Rachel Langel went a perfect eight-for-eight from the field and scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Konnor Sudmann led the Cliff with 23 points and seven boards and shot 60% from the field.
 
In the first quarter, the Cliff got off to a hot start from beyond the arc, draining four threes to take a 14-5 lead early. During the stretch, Kennedy Benne knocked down two treys. The Chargers led by as many as 12 with 6:32 remaining, as Langel crashed the offensive board and scored on a second chance effort. The Warriors wouldn't shy away, as they closed the deficit to two before the break following a three from Kennedy Darner.
 
Opening up the second quarter, Makenna Kleinhesselink found Langel who finished through the foul to give BCU a 29-24 lead. Midland took a brief one-point lead late in the quarter after a layup from Sarah Shepard, but BCU responded with a 10-0 run to take a nine-point lead.
 
The Chargers led by as many as 15 in the third, as Kenna Mongan knocked down a pair of free throws alongside a triple from Grace Flanagan.
 
Early in the fourth, the Warriors made it a two-possession game as Aryannah Harrison sank two free throws midway through the quarter. A three from Flanagan and a layup from Sudmann pushed the Chargers to an eight-point lead with four minutes remaining. In the final minutes, Sudmann went six-for-six and the charity stripe to ice the game away.
 
Benne chipped in 18 points and recorded two steals in the contest. Flanagan finished with nine points and grabbed four boards. The Charger defense forced 24 turnovers in the contest.
 
Briar Cliff improves to 14-7 (9-6 GPAC) on the season, and will travel to Omaha, Nebraska to take on the Flames of College of Saint Mary. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
   
 
 
 
 
 
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