Momentum Builder Heading Into The Break

Recap courtesy of Cal Lafave

MOORHEAD, Minn. (12/10/22)---Alex Huber's put-basket in the dying second of the first half gave Concordia the halftime lead and the momentum which helped the Cobbers post an 82-77 win over St. Mary's.     

The victory gives Concordia a 2-game win streak headed into the holiday break. The victory also brings the Cobbers' conference record to the .500 mark. CC is now 3-3 in the MIAC and 4-5 overall. The Cardinals drop to 2-5 in all games and 1-4 in conference play.  

The Cobbers' season leading scorer, junior guard Matthew Johnson, turned in another stellar outing with 27 points. He was 8-for-10 from the field and 3-for-5 on three pointers.

Rowan Nelson had one of his best overall games of the season. He scored 19 points and grabbed 11 boards to record his first double-double of the season.

Senior guard Jackson Jangula had 10 points as he went 4-for-9 from the floor, and shined in terms of effort throughout. He also had success on the defensive end when he was forced to switch on the conference's leading scorer Raheem Anthony. At one point, on a play in which he was dubiously called for a defensive foul, Jangula took an elbow to the face, coming away with a bloody nose which had to be plugged for the remainder of the game.

Perhaps the most important single play came with approximately 40-seconds left in the game and the Cobbers ahead by three at 78-75. Jangula put his body on the line one more time and successfully took a charge on a would-be St. Mary's fast break. That led to free throws which effectively put the game away.

St. Mary's was led by Anthony, whose athleticism was on display from start to finish. Anthony's strength and explosiveness were unmatched by any player, and he was able to get free to the tune of 28 points, six rebounds and five assists. He nearly doubled his 3-point attempts on the season in just the one game, He came into the game eight shots from distance and went 4-for-7 on Saturday.

As a team, Concordia shot an impressive 54.5% (30-for-55) from the field and 46.7% (7-for-15) from three. They struggled early from the free throw line but made their foul shots down the stretch when it mattered most, finishing 15-for-20 (78.9%).

The defensive effort by the Cobbers was impressive. While they surrendered many three pointers (13-for-25 from deep for St. Mary's), they fought through screens and made smart rotations throughout, never allowing the Cardinals to go on a prolonged run.

UP NEXT: This was the last game for Concordia before the holiday break. Next up for the Cobber is a trip to Las Vegas, Nev. for games against Wis.-Platteville and Rhodes College (Tenn.) on December 29th and 30th.