MOORHEAD, Minn. – Junior Ziling Zhen matched her career high with 19 points as the St. Olaf College women's basketball team hung with Concordia-Moorhead for nearly three quarters in a 75-57 loss on Wednesday night at Memorial Auditorium.

Zhen was 8-for-11 from the field for St. Olaf (4-19, 3-16 MIAC) on her way to the 19-point performance, which tied her 19-point effort earlier this season at Macalester College on Dec. 12, 2023. Concordia (18-4, 17-2 MIAC), which sat just two points outside the D3hoops.com Top 25 this week and had already locked up a top-two seed in the MIAC Playoffs, led by just five inside the final two minutes of the third quarter before going on an 18-2 run to pull away.

In addition to Zhen's big night, junior Sarah Tangen was in double figures with 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists while shooting 6-for-11 from the field. Junior Sophia Kormann came off the bench to provide eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists on an efficient 4-for-6 shooting. St. Olaf shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) from the field, compared to 39.7 percent (27-for-68) for Concordia, but could not overcome 21 turnovers that led to a 21-2 edge for the Cobbers in points off turnovers.

Emily Beseman led four Cobbers in double figures with 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, going 5-for-9 from the field and 6-for-7 at the free-throw line. Carlee Sieben, Makayla Anderson, and Greta Tollefson all added 12 points, with Sieben handing out a game-high six assists. The victory improved Concordia to 10-0 at home this season and stretched the Cobbers' home winning streak to 18 games dating back to the middle of last season.

Beseman scored eight points in the opening quarter to help Concordia to a 21-11 lead after 10 minutes. The Cobbers raced out to a 7-0 lead over the first 2:04 and held leads of 10-2 and 15-4 before the Oles scored seven consecutive points to get within 15-11 following a three-pointer by senior Cayden Botten with 1:53 to go. Concordia scored six points in the final 1:08 of the quarter to carry a 10-point lead into the second.

After the Cobbers pushed their lead to 26-14 three minutes into the second quarter, St. Olaf responded with a 9-0 run that included seven points from Zhen to cut its deficit to three. The Oles closed the gap to within two points three times in the final 2:28 of the half and went into the locker room down 34-29 after a late three-pointer by Sieben. St. Olaf shot 13-for-24 (54.2 percent) from the field in the opening half but had 12 turnovers that led to 13 Concordia points.

St. Olaf scored the first three points of the third quarter to close to within two points again but was never able to tie the game. The Oles trailed by just three at 47-44 with 3:37 remaining in the third quarter after a layup by Kormann but scored just two points in the next nine-plus minutes as the Cobbers opened up a 65-46 lead inside the final five minutes. First year Emily Courchaine connected on a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the game for her first collegiate points.

St. Olaf closes out its season by hosting Bethel University on Saturday, Feb. 17 in a 1 p.m. Senior Day tip-off. The Oles will recognize Botten – the lone senior on this year's roster – prior to the game.