Shooting Percentage Key In Loss To MSU Moorhead

MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/25/14)—Concordia made nine fewer field goals, five fewer 3-point field goals and shot 15.4% less than cross-town rival MSU Moorhead  and lost 87-59 on Tuesday. The Cobbers shot 37.1% (23-for-62) from the floor and 35.3% (6-for-17) from outside the arc as they lost for the first time this season.

Concordia scored the first basket of the game on a Brandon Giese 3-point field goal and then tied the game 7-7 with 17:04 left in the first half before the Dragons went on a 14-4 run over a span of 3:58 to take control of the game.

The Cobbers are now 1-1 in the early part of the 2014-15 season while MSU Moorhead remains unbeaten at 6-0.

Concordia knew it was going to have to have a hot shooting night and hope the Dragons felt the jet lag from having played in Alaska on Sunday in order to stay close to a team that was picked to win the North Division of the Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. That wasn't the case for the Cobbers as the Dragons continued their hot shooting ways. MSUM shot 52.5% (32-for-61) from the floor and 42.3% (11-for-26) from 3-point range. The Dragons have now shot better than 52.0% from the floor and 40.0% or better from outside the arc in the last four meetings between the two teams – all wins by MSU Moorhead.

The Cobbers would never get closer than 10 points after the midway point of the first half. MSUM built the lead to 17 points before a Brady Syverson jumper and a long-distance Giese 3-ball brought CC within 12 at 43-31 at the break.

The teams traded baskets for the first seven minutes of the second half before the Dragons' size and depth took over. Concordia stayed even with the Dragons at 15-15 to start the second half but then watched MSU Moorhead go on a 7-0 run to finish off any drama in the game.

Concordia only committed eight turnovers in the game, forced nine Dragon miscues and came away with seven steals.

The biggest statistical advantage came around the basket where MSUM used their height difference to come away with a 40-22 margin in points in the paint. The Dragons also held a 41-30 edge in rebounds.

The Cobbers had three players score in double figures. Giese went 4-for-8 from outside the arc and finished with a team-high 14 points. Jordan Bolger and Tom Fraase had 13 points each. Both players had nine of their 13 points in the first half. Fraase also had a team-high five rebounds while Bolger had three assists and a game-high four steals.

Brett Bergeson and Isaac Anderson came off the bench to score five points each in the second half and both finished with five points for the game.

Concordia will head west to play in the 26th annual Snyder Classic hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan on Nov. 28 and 29. The Cobbers will play Simpson on Friday, Nov. 28 at 5:30 and then square off against Crown on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m.