Second-Half Spurt Sends Cobbers To Championship

MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/21/13)—Alexandra Lippert capped Concordia's 64-48 victory over St. Ben's by making her first career 3-point basket. It was only fitting that Lippert's long-range shot with 5-seconds left in the final half finished off the semifinal game as the team's combined to make 12 3-point shots in the first 12 minutes of the opening half.

Lippert, the Cobbers' 6-4 center, was the key figure in Concordia's 21-3 run in the second half run that sealed the victory that sends CC to their second MIAC playoff championship in the past three seasons. Lippert scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half and added four rebounds in the final period of play.



Postgame audio interview with head coach Jessica Rahman



Concordia will now host St. Thomas in the conference tournament title game on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. The Tommies beat St. Mary's in the other semifinal contest. The Cobbers and St. Thomas met in the MIAC championship game in 2011 with CC earning a 71-61 win.  

The Cobbers have now four straight and 12 of the last 13 as they upped their overall record to 21-5. It's the second time in the last three years that Concordia has posted 21-win seasons.      

The win marked the second of the season over the Blazers with all three games between the two teams being won by the home team and all three being decided with key second-half runs. St. Ben's took a two-point lead with 14:22 to play in the second period before the Cobbers scored 21 of the next 24 points to grab a 57-41 lead with 4:14 to play.

St. Ben's (20-7) would never get closer than 13 points the rest of the way before Lippert finished off the game with her improbable 3-point basket.

Both times shot right around 35.0% from the floor for the game. Concordia shot 36.2% (25-for-69) from the floor and 37.5% (9-for-24) from outside the arc. The Cobbers were 7-for-14 from 3-point range in the first half. The Blazers shot 34.0% (18-for-53) from the field and 38.1% (8-for-21). The biggest statistical advantage came from around the basket where CC outscored CSB 22-12 in points in the paint and held a 45-36 edge in rebounds.

Concordia had three starting players in double figures in scoring. Besides the 17 from Lippert, senior Tricia Sorensen had a game-high 19 points while Emily Thesing came away with 13 points including eight big points in the second half.

Junior guard Erika Jossart played the pick-and-roll game with Lippert in the second half and finished with a season-high 10 assists. Lippert also had a game-high nine rebounds while Sorensen, the team's leading rebounder, chipped in eight rebounds.