Frigid First-Half Winds Blow Through Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y.  (11/16/13)—The cold winter winds of Buffalo showed up in the first half of the Cobbers' game with the Bengals. Concordia shot a frigid 15.2% (5-for-33) from the floor in the first 20 minutes of play and lost 69-63 in the championship game of the Betty Abgott Invitational.

Despite falling behind by as many as 25 points in the second half, Concordia staged a frantic late-game rally that almost an improbable win. The Cobbers trailed 54-29 with 12:41 left in the final period play. CC still trailed by 18 points with 8:00 left in the second half. Concordia then went on a 21-5 run over the next 5:16 to cut the lead to a single field goal at 60-58 with 2:44 left to play. Unfortunately for CC, the rally would never produce a lead and Buffalo State hung on by scoring nine of the final 14 points.

The Cobbers shot 45.0% (18-for-40) in the second half but were still just 1-for-7 from behind the arc in the final 20 minutes of play.

Concordia put up a remarkable 22 more field goal attempts in the game than Buffalo State. CC finished the game by shooting 31.5% (23-for-73) from the field and only 15.8% (3-for-19) from 3-point range. The Bengals shot 47.1% (24-for-51) from the field and 44.4% (4-for-9) from long range.    

A trio of Cobber players scored in double figures for the game. Senior Alexandra Lippert and freshman guard Greta Walsh had 14 points each. Both players did almost all of their damage in the second half. Lippert scored 11 of her 14 points in the final period while Wash scored 13 second-half points. Lippert also added nine rebounds and three blocks. Walsh had a game-high five steals.

Erika Jossart was three rebounds shy of the team's first double-double of the year. She had 10 points and seven rebounds and added three steals and two assists.   

Lippert and Walsh were named to the All-Tournament Team. Lippert had 25 points, 13 rebounds, seven blocks and shot 47.8% from the floor in the two games. Walsh finished the tournament with 23 points and seven steals.   

Concordia will hop on a plane and return to Moorhead to host the home opener against UM-Morris on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.  

Tournament MVP
Staci McElroy (Buffalo State)

All-Tournament Team
Ashley Wallace (Buffalo State)
Greta Walsh (Concordia)
Alexandra Lippert (Concordia)
Kiara Carter (Penn State)
Kristen Moose (Houghton)