First-Half Hole Too Big To Climb Out Of

MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/20/24)---Concordia fell behind Bethel by 20 points in the first half, continued to crawl its way back in the game but couldn't dig all the way out of the hole and lost 76-61.

The Cobbers cut the lead to single digits with 2:14 left in the second half, but then Bethel scored six straight points in the next minute of play to put the game away.

The loss ends Concordia's 2-game win streak. CC is now 10-6 overall and 6-5 in the MIAC. The Royals move into sole possession of seventh place in the league standings and are 5-7 in the conference and 8-9 in all contests.

Bethel opened up the game with a 22-6 run midway through the first half of play. Concordia trailed 12-8 but then went 3-for-9 from the floor and committed seven turnovers in a span of 9:10 to fall behind by 20 points.

The Cobbers trailed by 19 at the break and tried to cut the lead to single digits in the first 9 minutes of the second half. Every time that CC would make a run, Bethel came up with a key basket to keep the Cobbers from getting close.

Concordia shot 45.8% (22-for-48) from the floor and 44.4% (8-for-18) from outside the arc. CC was 9-for-10 from the free throw line.

The Cobbers finished the game with a season-high 17 turnovers, and Bethel turned that stat into a 24-6 advantage in points off of turnovers.          

Jacob Cook led Concordia with 18 points and nine rebounds. He was 8-for-11 from the floor.

Matt Johnson was 3-for-5 from distance and finished with 17 points. He also had a team-high four assists.

Rowan Nelson was the other Cobber with a double-digit point total. He was 4-for-5 from the field and finished with 10 points.   
   
UP NEXT: Concordia will complete its 3-game home stand when they host Macalester on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7:15 p.m.

CONCORDIA vs. BETHEL HIGHLIGHTS