Second-Half Surge Can't Overcome First-Half Frustration

WAVERLY, IOWA (3/01/24)---Concordia outscored No.20-ranked Illinois Wesleyan 35-31 in the second half of its NCAA Tournament First Round game at Wartburg, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 17-point halftime deficit and the Cobbers lost 75-62. 

The loss puts a cover on Concordia's season, who finishes with a 20-6 overall record. It's the second straight season that CC has posted a 20-win campaign. Illinois Wesleyan ups its season mark and improves to 23-5.   

While the overall team outcome didn't go in Concordia's favor, the Cobbers had another athlete cross the threshold of a program milestone. Senior Emily Beseman grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds to eclipse the 500-rebound mark for her career. Coupled with her career total of 1,395 points, she becomes only the 11th player in program history to score 1,000 points and collect 500 rebounds.  

Beseman's program milestone moment came in the third quarter when Concordia started cutting into the Titan's double-digit lead. CC trimmed the deficit down to 13 points on a pair of occasions, only to have IWU get key baskets on following possessions.  

The Cobbers trailed by 22 points after three quarters of play and then held the Titans to only two points over the first 7:30 of the fourth quarter.  

Concordia scored the first nine points of the final period to get to within 13 points. After the teams traded baskets, CC rattled off four straight and suddenly the deficit was down to single digits for the first time since the opening quarter of play. 

A layup by Greta Tollefson kept the Cobbers within nine points at 67-58 with 4:09 left in regulation. CC was able to get a stop on the defensive end but then a turnover gave the ball back to the Titans, who connected on a jumper to up the lead back to 11 points.  

Concordia's final push under the 10-point margin came when Makayla Anderson made two free throws to move the score to 69-60 with 2:22 remaining.  

Unfortunately for the Cobbers they would come up short on jumpers in the next two possessions, and IWU was able to put the game away by scoring six of the final eight points.  

The three significant factors in the game came from outside the arc, the handling of the ball and on the offensive glass. Concordia shot 16.7% (3-for-18) from distance. It's only the fourth time all year that the Cobbers have shot under 20.0% from 3-point range.  

On the other end of the court, IWU made 11 shots from distance and was 11-for-35 (35.5%) from 3-point range.   

Concordia entered the game with a goal to turn over the ball 15 or fewer times against the highly touted Illinois Wesleyan pressure defense. The Titans entered the postseason ranked 14th in Division III in steals and 12th in turnover margin. CC wasn't able to achieve that goal as they committed 20 miscues. The Titan's turned those turnovers into a 28-14 advantage in points off of turnovers.  

Concordia was outrebounded 41-34 in the game, but the key factor in those totals came on the offensive end of the court where IWU held a 19-7 advantage in offensive boards. That 19-7 edge on the offensive glass led to a 16-5 margin in second-chance points.  

The 19 offensive rebounds are the most allowed by the Cobbers this season.     

Anderson led a trio of Concordia players who finished with at least 10 points in the game. She went 7-for-10 from the floor and finished with 18 points. Anderson also tied her season-high in rebounds with 13 to record her second straight double-double and fifth in the season. 

Tollefson was 5-for-10 from the floor and added 12 points and three rebounds.

Beseman was two points shy of her first double-double of the year. She came away with eight points to go with her milestone rebound total. 

Illinois Wesleyan had four players score in double figures and was led by the outside shooting of Ava Bardic, who was 4-for-10 from 3-point land and had 24 points.   

CONCORDIA POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE



CONCORDIA vs. ILLINOIS WESLEYAN HIGHLIGHTS