Cold And Blustery

MOORHEAD, Minn. (12/9/23)---The weather outside Memorial Auditorium turned cold and blustery, and so did the Cobbers' shooting touch and offensive handles as Concordia lost 66-56 to Hamline.

The Cobbers shot less than 40.0% from the floor for only the third time in 2023 and committed a season-high 17 turnovers in the 10-point loss to the Pipers.

Even with their cold shooting touch, the Cobbers' hard-nosed defense kept them in the game for the full 40 minutes. The score was tied at 48-48 with 5:40 left in the second half and CC trailed by only one possession until the final 2 minutes of play.

The loss is the second straight for Concordia after opening the season with seven straight wins. CC is 7-2 in all games and 3-2 in conference play. Hamline improves to 4-3 in all competitions and a similar 3-2 in the MIAC.

Another critical factor in the game was Hamline's ability to score around the basket. The Pipers held a 38-20 advantage in points in the paint for the game. The majority of those were put up by junior post player Austin Holt, who went for a season-high 24 points, with 21 coming from around the hoop. He also entered the game shooting 63.0% from the free throw line and proceeded to go 9-for-10 from the foul stripe.

The second significant point of the game was the number of fouls whistled. The teams combined for 42 fouls, which led to a lack of flow in the frontcourt for both teams.      

The first half was a defensive showcase, with the teams not allowing any open shots. Neither team had more than a 5-point lead in the first 20 minutes, which featured four lead changes and four tie scores.

The Cobbers trailed 26-23 at the half, gave up the first two points of the second period, but then cut the margin to a single point on a pair of occasions in the 4 minutes of play. Each time CC pushed, the Pipers were able to push back and forced Concordia to chase the game for most of the final half of play.

Concordia made a final run in the last 8 minutes of the game. A 3-pointer from Sophomore Jacob Cook tied the game at 45-45 with 7:38 to play. HU scored the next three points before an "and 1" by Jackson Loge tied the game for the sixth time at 48-48 with 6:20 to play.

That's when the game turned for the Pipers. They were able to score the following six points and used timely scoring to keep Concordia from getting within three points for the remainder of the contest.

Concordia shot 39.1% (18-for-46) from the floor, 29.4% (5-for-17) from outside the arc and 78.9% (15-for-19) from the free throw line. Hamline countered by making 47.9% (23-for-48) of their shots from the floor, 20.0% (3-for-15) from distance and 63.0% (17-for-27) at the foul line.      

Rowan Nelson led the Cobbers in scoring for the second time in the last three games. He finished with 19 points. Nelson also had six rebounds and two assists.

Matt Johnson scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. He was 7-for-8 from the free throw line.

Loge gave CC three players with at least 10 points. He was 4-for-8 from the floor and had 11 points and four boards.

Cook led the team in rebounds for the third straight game. He grabbed seven boards and posted six points.
   
UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off the 2023 portion of its schedule by playing at Crown on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 5 p.m.

CONCORDIA vs. HAMLINE HIGHLIGHTS