Defense Keys Win At Bethel

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (1/16/13)—Concordia relied on their defense – and cold shooting night from Bethel – to post a 63-39 win against the Royals in Arden Hills on Wednesday. The Cobbers limited Bethel to just 21.7% shooting from the floor and 27.8% from 3-point range.

The win is the seventh in the last eight games for the Cobbers and ups their overall record to 10-4. CC is now 9-2 in MIAC play and in third place in the league standings.

The 39 points allowed is the fewest this season for Concordia and fewest since they beat St. kate's 64-35 on Jan. 25 of last season. The 21.7% shooting percentage from Bethel represents a season low for an opponent against the Cobbers. The last time Concordia held a team to under 25.0% shooting from the floor was the second game of last year against Salem College.

Concordia trailed for the first five minutes of the game but then went on a 9-0 run and never looked back. Bethel scored seven points in the first five minutes of play but then the Cobber defense limited the Royals to only nine more points in the final 15 minutes of play. CC slowly increased their lead throughout the remainder of the first period and took a 13-point lead into the break.

The Cobbers extended the lead to 19 points in the first three minutes of the second half and were able to cruise to the 24-point win.

Concordia made a trio of 3-pointers in each half, shot 54.5% (6-for-11) from the arc and had a 32-16 edge in points in the paint. The combination of outside shooting and inside dominance helped Concordia end their one-game losing skid.

The Cobbers had 13 players play in the game but only two had more than nine points. Alley Fisher was 2-for-2 from behind the arc and finished with a game-high 17 points. She had four fewer points than the entire starting five of Bethel. Fisher also grabbed seven rebounds. Alex Lippert went 7-for-14 from the floor, had three blocks and had 14 points. It marks the third time in the last four games she has scored in double figures. Hannah Jeske added nine points and eight rebounds. She had a combined four points and 11 rebounds the entire season heading into the game.

The Cobbers will now face a back-to-back fixture against the two top teams in the conference. Concordia plays at Gustavus on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. and then hosts St. Thomas on Monday, Jan. 21 at 5:45 p.m. both teams are currently tied atop the MIAC standings with a 10-1 league record.