Cold Shooting Clips Cobbers' Playoff Hopes
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Concordia-M'head (15-11 (11-9 MIAC) | 23 | 30 | 53 |
|
Bethel (Minn.) (18-8 (13-7 MIAC)) | 31 | 40 | 71 |
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (2/25/15)—Concordia shot below 35.0% from the field for only the second time all season and under 25.0% from 3-point range for just the third time all year in their 71-53 loss to Bethel in the opening game of the MIAC playoffs.
The Cobbers finished the game by shooting 34.6% (18-for-52) from the floor and 21.1% (4-for-19) from outside the arc as they fell in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Concordia finishes the 2015 season with a 15-11 overall record marking the second time in the past three seasons they have won at least 15 games.
Concordia held the lead for the first seven minutes of play but then the play of potential MIAC MVP Kyle Zimmerman took over the game as he was able to score consistently for the Royals from around the basket and finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
The Cobbers continued to stay close for the first half and the early stages of the second half until Bethel went on a 13-4 run and turned a single-digit advantage into an 18-point lead at 53-35 with 9:52 to play in the final period.
Bethel shot 53.3% (16-for-30) and made seven more field goals than Concordia in the second half. BU also held a 20-12 advantage in the second period which included a 7-2 edge in offensive rebounds.
In the end, it was the play of Bethel under the basket that caused problems for the Cobbers. The Royals outrebounded CC 41-29 and held a 42-26 advantage in points in the paint. BU also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and turned those extra opportunities into an 18-6 margin in second chance points.
Senior Brandon Giese and Jordan Bolger had 10 points each to lead the Cobber offense. Bolger added a team-high nine rebounds and was 4-for-6 from the free throw line. Junior Isaac Anderson had a big first half as he had a team-high seven points in the opening 20 minutes of play. Anderson finished with seven points to go along with four rebounds and two assists. Tom Fraase went 2-for-6 from behind the arc and had eight points and three assists.