A Perfect Wisconsin Weekend

SUPERIOR, Wis. (11/11/23)---Concordia needed all 40 minutes to secure its third straight win of the season. The Cobbers led 53-52 with 1:10 left in their game with UW-La Crosse and went on an 8-2 run down the stretch to record a 61-54 victory in the final game of the Merrill Thompson Classic held at Wis.-Superior.

The Cobbers remain unbeaten on the year and move to 3-0. The last time a CC won its first three games of the year was the 2009-10 season when they opened with wins over Minn.-Morris, St. Scholastica and MSU Moorhead.

Concordia is now 4-0 in Merrill Thompson Classic games. The Cobbers went 2-0 in the tournament at Superior back in 2013-14.

Concordia didn't have a lead in the first half until the 1:02 mark when Jackson Loge hit a pair of free throws to give CC a 25-23 lead. Peyton Belka knocked down a 3-pointer in the final 15 seconds of the opening period of play to give the Cobbers a 28-23 lead at the break.

The Cobbers never trailed in the second half and built the lead to double-digits before La Crosse cut the margin to one point with a 17-7 run. CC refused to relinquish the lead, got critical points from Zach Jackson and Rowan Nelson when the Eagles cut the margin to a single point and then went 6-for-6 from the foul line in the final 42 seconds of play.

Matt Johnson led Concordia with 17 points and added three assists and three rebounds. Loge posted his second consecutive double-digit point total. He went 9-for-10 from the free throw line and came away with 15 points. He also tied for the team lead with nine rebounds.

Nelson also had nine boards and scored eight points.

UP NEXT: Concordia will head back into Wisconsin when they play at Wis.-Stout on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m.