Second-Half Statement In Playoff Opener

MOORHEAD, Minn. (02/19/22)---When the MIAC first-round playoff game with St. Catherine was on the line, the Cobbers were at their best. Concordia outscored the Wildcats 41-20 in the second half to erase a 4-point halftime deficit and claim a 61-44 victory.

The win is the first in the playoffs for the Cobbers since 2016. Concordia will now advance to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament where they will face Gustavus in St. Peter on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 5:45 p.m.

Concordia (8-15) shot 44.0% (11-for-25) from the field, 50.0% (5-for-10) from outside the arc and 87.5% (14-for-16) from the free throw line in the final 20-minutes of play to outscore the Wildcats by 21 points.      

The Cobbers' big push started at the 5:21 mark of the third quarter when sophomore point guard Maddie Guler knocked down a 3-pointer to give CC a 2-point lead at 32-30.  Concordia would outscore SCU 13-5 for the final 5-minutes of the period to grab a 10-point lead at the break.

St. Catherine (7-16) was able to trim the lead to six points before the Cobbers put the game out of reach with a 16-4 run down the stretch. CC was helped by their shooting from the foul striped as they went 7-for-7 in the final 2:30 of play.        

Concordia was led by the trio of Emily Beseman, Jordyn Kahler and Mary Sem who all finished with a double-digit point total. Beseman went 3-for-4 from distance and finished with 13 points – with all 13 coming in the second half. Kahler also finished with 13 points and was 6-for-8 from the free throw line. Sem was 5-for-11 from the floor and had 12 points in the game.

Beseman and Vanessa Kedl both grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Kedl also had eight points.

UP NEXT: Concordia will head to St. Peter to take on No.2-seed Gustavus on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 5:45 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the MIAC tournament.