MIAC Semifinal Preview - Another Whiteout Warning

MIAC SEMIFINAL PREVIEW
#3 AUGSBURG COLLEGE (20-6)
at
#2 CONCORDIA COLLEGE (18-7)

February 22, 2013
Memorial Auditorium - Moorhead, Minn.

GAME TIME: 7:30 p.m.


Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats

EARLIER THIS YEAR: The teams split their regular-season series with each team holding serve at home. In the first game in Minneapolis, the Cobbers tried several late rallies in the second half but each time Augsburg made a key basket or free throw and came away with an 81-76 win. The two key points in the game turned out to be the final two minutes at the end of the first half and a three-minute stretch at the midway point of the second half. During that combined stretch of five minutes, CC was outscored 11-1, did not connect on a field goal and missed three free throws. Concordia cut the lead to just three points with 2:00 to play in the opening period but then watched Augsburg score the final four points and trailed 37-30 at the break. Midway through the second half, CC was trading baskets and poised to make a run before a 7-1 streak by the Auggies turned a nine-point lead into a 15-point cushion. The second game was all Concordia as they shot 62.7% from the field and 45.5% from 3-point range and cruised to an 88-68 win. Concordia led for all but the first 2:21 of the first half. The Cobbers made eight straight shots in a five-minute period in the opening period to turn a tie game at 2-2 into the beginning of a double-digit victory. The Cobbers set the tone for the game by shooting 65.6% (21-for-32) from the floor in the opening half. Concordia had four players who were perfect from the field in the first half and had two others miss just one shot. The six CC sharpshooters went a combined 16-for-18 in the first 20 minutes of play. In addition to their near-perfect shooting start, the Cobbers held a decided 19-9 edge in rebounding in the first half.  

SERIES: Augsburg leads 78-69-1

SERIES STARTED: 1925-26

SERIES HISTORY: The teams traded series sweeps before this season with the Auggies claiming two in 2011-12 and Concordia winning twice in 2010-11. That came after the teams traded series splits in the previous three seasons. Overall, since the 2000-01 season, Concordia has a 13-12 record against Augsburg...the Cobbers are 15-8 at home against the Auggies in the past 23 games played in Memorial Auditorium.   

PLAYOFF HISTORY: This is the very first meeting between the two teams in the postseason.

CONCORDIA PROBABLE STARTERS
G – 12 – Dewon McKenzie, Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.
F – 21 – Ebo Nana-Kweson, Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.
G – 30 – Aaron Lindahl, Sr., Benson, Minn.
F – 33 – Brandon Fisher, Sr., Fargo, N.D.
C – 50 – Jason Huus, Sr., Frazee, Minn.

AUGSBURG PROBABLE STARTERS
G – 04– Tyler Schmidt, Sr., Le Sueur, Minn.
G – 11 – Parker Hines, Jr., Lakeville, Minn.
G – 23 – Andy Seidlitz, Jr., New Hope, Minn.
C – 42 – Dan Kornbaum, Jr., Little Falls, Minn.
F – 55 – Brett Rasmussen, Fr., Lakeville, Minn.

COBBER NOTES

CONCORDIA MIAC PLAYOFF NOTES
Concordia is making its ninth overall MIAC playoff appearance and first since the 2010-11 season. The Cobbers are 4-7 in their previous eight trips to the league postseason. CC won their only MIAC Tournament title in 1995-96 when they beat Carleton at home in the semifinals and then edged Gustavus in St. Peter in the championship game. The Cobbers are hosting their first conference playoff tilt since the quarterfinals of the 2007-08 tournament when they lost to Bethel 75-64. Overall, this only the fifth home conference playoff game since the league went to a postseason tournament in 1984-85. CC is 2-2 in their previous four home games. Concordia is 1-4 in their five previous semifinal games and were last in the semi's in 2003-04 when they lost at Macalester 79-65.      

COBBER 2012-13 NOTES
Concordia enters tonight's game having won seven straight games – a streak that started when the Cobbers beat the Auggies on Jan. 26 in Moorhead. During that stretch CC has scored at least 74 points in all but one game and has held its opponent to under 70 points four of the last five games...the biggest win streak for Concordia occurs at home where CC has won 10 straight – all against MIAC opponents. The Cobbers are shooting 49.2% from the floor at home against conference foes. CC is also connecting on 38.7% of their shots from 3-point range. In that 10-game home winning streak, Concordia is outscoring its opponents by an average of 78.4 to 67.1. Senior reserve guard Andrew Martinson is leading the team in scoring at home with a 14.5 ppg average. He is shooting a solid 49.2% from outside the arc...fellow senior Ebo Nana-Kweson needs only 36 more points to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He currently has 964 career points...senior center Jason Huus was third in the MIAC in field goal percentage (59.5%) in conference games...the Cobbers were second in the MIAC in points scored in league games (76.7 ppg) and sixth in points against (70.8 ppg).

AUGGIE NOTES

AUGSBURG MIAC PLAYOFF NOTES
Augsburg is making its 11^th overall MIAC tournament appearance and fourth in the past five seasons. The Auggies are 5-9 in their previous 10 trips to the MIAC postseason plus their quarterfinal win over St. John's on Wednesday. Augsburg has never won the MIAC playoff tournament. Their only appearance in the conference postseason title game came in 1998-99 when they lost 66-64 to Gustavus. The Auggies have never won a road playoff game. They are 0-5 in their previous attempts away from Si Melby Hall. Augsburg is 1-7 in its previous eight trips to the MIAC semifinals. Their only win came back in the trip to the championship game in 1998-99. One of the strangest playoff facts for Augsburg is that of their 14 conference playoff games, six are against St. John's including their previous three tourney games.                 

AUGGIE 2012-13 NOTES
Augsburg is on a four-game win streak as they head into tonight's game. They have also won eight of their last 11 contests. The Auggies are 9-3 on the road this season with all three losses away from home coming against MIAC opponents...the Auggies finished the regular season fourth in the MIAC in points per game (71.8) and fifth in points against (69.2) in conference games...one of the areas that Augsburg excelled in league play this season was defending the 3-point line. The Auggies were third in the MIAC in opponents 3-point percentage (31.4%)...Augsburg is led by junior Dan Kornbaum who finished second in the league in scoring in MIAC play with an 18.5 ppg average. He scored in double figures in all but two games this year and had at least 20 points on 11 occasions including a 20-point performance vs. SJU on Wednesday. His season high was 29 point s vs. Carleton...junior guard Parker Hines was second in the MIAC in assists. He averaged 4.0 helpers per game in the team's 20 conference contests. He was also eighth in steals.