Free Throws Down The Stretch Fell Cobbers

ST. PETER, Minn. (1/14/15)--- Normally Concordia's 78.3% free throw percentage would be god enough to beat most teams. Unfortunately the Cobbers ran into a red-hot Gustavus team and lost 64-57. The Gusties shot a blistering 94.4% (17-for-18) from the foul line on their way to the seven-point win.

Gustavus made their final eight free throws in the last three minutes of the game to seal the victory between the teams tied for second place in the MIAC standings.

The loss is the second straight for Concordia as they fall to 4-3 in the conference and 8-6 overall. The Cobbers are now in a five-way tie for third place in the conference standings. Gustavus wins for the seventh time in the last eight games and takes sole possession of second place. The Gusties are now 11-3 overall and 5-2 in the MIAC.

Concordia continued its recent trend of chasing the game from the opening tip. The Cobbers fell behind by five points in the first three minutes of play and trailed by as many as nine points in the first half. CC went on a 8-0 at the back end of the half to cut the lead to one point at 25-24 with 4:38 to play but then Gustavus scored the next four points and maintained that cushion heading into the second half.

The Cobbers took their second lead of the game by outscoring the Gusties 7-2 coming out of the locker room.  CC pusjed the lead to six points at the midway point of the second half but watched the lead falter when GAC went on an 11-2 run to take a 52-48 lead with just over three minutes left to play.

That's when the game turned into a free throw contest as the referees blew a foul on almost every trip down the floor. Concordia would close the gap to a single point when junior Olivia Johnson connected on a pair of free throws with 1:48 remaining but then a lay-up and six straight successful free throws earned the win for the Gusties.

Concordia shot under 40.0% from the floor and outside the arc for the game. The Cobbers made 37.2% (16-for-43) of their shots from the floor and 36.8% (7-for-19) of their attempts from 3-point range. Gustavus was 23-for-55 (41.8%) from the field but struggled from long range and finished by making only one of their six shots from outside the arc.

The biggest statistical advantage, other than from the free throw line, came around the basket. Concordia was outrebounded 38-26 and the Gusties held a 34-14 margin in points in the paint. Gustavus also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds which marks the fourth straight game that CC has allowed an opponent to come away with more than 10 offensive boards in a game.

Concordia had three players finish in double figures in scoring. Johnson went 8-for-8 from the free throw line and had a team-high 14 points. Sophomore guard Greta Walsh went 4-for-5 from outside the arc and added 12 points while Alley Fisher came away with 11 points to post her 13th straight 10-plus point game. Fisher also added a team-high five rebounds.

The Cobbers will play one more road game before returning to Moorhead to play four straight home games. CC will square off against Augsburg on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m.