Royal Flush In 2nd OT Helps Cobbers Down #6 Amherst

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (12/29/22)---Concordia drew to a royal flush on the river in their game with No.6-ranked Amherst at the D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas.

The Cobbers outscored the nationally-ranked Mammoths 13-2 in the second overtime to post a thrilling 79-68 victory. The game featured eight tie scores and eight lead changes with neither team holding more than a 6-point lead for the first 45 minutes of the game, before Concordia sprinted away from previously unbeaten Amherst in the second extra session.  

Concordia (6-2) led for the first 5-minutes of the opening quarter. CC stretched its lead to six points when Symone Beld knocked down a jumper in the paint.

Amherst (7-1) rallied to take a 6-point lead of their own in the first period of play when they made a 3-pointer in the final 30-seconds of the quarter.

The game would tighten up in the second quarter, and was tied at 29-29 with 2-minutes left in the half, before the Mammoths scored the final four points and took a 33-29 lead into the break.

The pivotal point of the game may have come directly after the halftime break. The Cobbers came out on fire and scored the first nine points of the period. They would hold the lead until the final 90-seconds of the third quarter when Amherst scored the final five points and led 49-46 with 10-minutes left in regulation.

Concordia turned the tables in the fourth quarter. They trailed for most of the period, and were facing a 59-56 deficit in the final minute of play, but then Makayla Anderson drained a 3-pointer to tie the game with 34-seconds left in regulation. The Cobbers survived a last-second flurry as the Mammoths got off a shot and then grabbed the offensive rebound. A second chance would also just miss, and then Carlee Sieben killed off regulation by hauling in the second rebound.

Amherst scored the first three points of the first OT session, but then a pair of free throws from Emily Beseman and a 3-ball from Sieben staked CC to a 64-62 lead. The Mammoths tied the game on their next possession, and then the first 5-minute OT period ended with each team only able to make a single basket in the final 3:30 of play.

The second overtime was all Concordia. The Cobbers got a free throw from Beseman, and then and "and 1" from Anderson to bolt to a 70-66 lead. After the Mammoths made their only field goal of the second OT session, CC went on a 9-0 run to seal the upset victory.

Concordia had four of its starters finish the game with at leas 10 points. CC was led by Anderson who posted career-high numbers in points and assists. She finished the game with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Anderson was 9-for-15 from the floor.

Beseman and Sieben both put up 18 points, and both had outstanding overall games. Beseman was 3-for-6 from distance and also had six rebounds and game highs in assists (5) and steals (4). Sieben started slowly as she didn't have a point in the first half of play. She caught fire in the third quarter and ended the game with 18 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Senior guard Autumn Thompson was 3-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the free throw line and added 10 points to go along with three assists.    

Beld posted her the first double-digit rebound total of her career. She hauled down a career-high 10 boards and also had six points, three assists and two steals.

UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off the D3hoops.com Classic when they play Salve Regina (R.I.) on Friday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. (cst). The Seahawks are 7-2 on the year, and also won their first game in Vegas.