Season And Scony Wins Streaks Intact

MENOMONIE, Wis. (11/18/23)---Concordia fought off a solid Wis.-Stout squad down the stretch to keep their season and Wisconsin win streaks intact.

The Cobbers held an 8-point lead with 1:23 left in the second half and had to make six clutch free throws in the final mute of play to post a 75-71 win over the Blue Devils.

The victory ups Concordia's season win streak to four games, and the Cobbers are now 3-0 against teams from Wisconsin. The 4-0 start to the year is the best in 27 years since they started the season 4-0 with wins over Jamestown, Minn.-Crookston, Hamline and St. Thomas.

The Cobbers were able to beat Stout thanks to their play on the offensive glass and the final 7:30 of the first half. Concordia held a 16-6 advantage in offensive rebounds, which translated into a 16-2 edge in second-chance points. CC also turned a 2-point lead at 21-19 into a 13-point margin by outscoring the Blue Devils 13-2 in the final stretch before the halftime break.              

Concordia never trailed in the second half, but Stout made several runs at CC and tied the score at 60-60 with 4:17 remaining in the game. Each time the Blue Devils pressed, the Cobbers had the answer. Jacob Cook got free for a layup, and then Matt Johnson hit a 3-pointer to give Concordia a 65-60 lead at the 3:14 mark and the Cobbers would never let UWS get to within three points after that.

Johnson led all players with 27 points. He was 7-for-14 from the floor, 5-for-9 from distance and 8-for-9 at the foul line. The 27 points is a season-high and marks the fourth time in his Cobber career that he has put up at least 25 points in a game. Johnson also added four rebounds and three assists.   

Concordia finished the game by shooting 38.1% (24-for-63) from the field and 36.7% (11-for-30) from outside the arc. CC was also 16-for-22 (72.7%) from the free throw line.

Wis.-Stout (2-3) shot 44.1% (26-for-59) from the floor, 33.3% (7-for-21) from 3-point range and 85.7% (12-for-14) from the foul line.

The Cobbers enjoyed a 43-31 advantage in rebounding. The 43 boards are a season high, as is the +12 rebounding differential. The 43 total team rebounds are as many as CC had in a single game in all of last season (43 vs. Macalester – Feb. 1).  

Junior Rowan Nelson led all players with nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, which tied a career high.

Zach Jackson was the third member of the Cobbers to score in double figures. He went 3-for-6 from distance, finished with 10 points and hit the game-clinching free throw in the final seconds of play.

UP NEXT: Concordia will open conference play when they take on Macalester on Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7:15 p.m. in St. Paul.