Dec. 4, 2010 - The Concordia Cougars and Edgewood Eagles have played a handful of thrillers in their brief nine-game history, but today's game at the Todd Wehr Edgedome in Madison may have been the most dramatic and exciting yet. Unfortunately for Concordia, it was Edgewood that provided all of the excitement in the second overtime as they outlasted the Cougars by a score of 80-68.
The first part of the game was played close to the vest by both teams. James Morgan (Cedar Rapids, IA/Kennedy) had a strong start with four points and four rebounds, and Devin Pankey (Inkster, MI/Romulus) contributed four points in his first few minutes off the bench. Mike Lichtenheld (Woodstock, IL/H.S.), who had a memorable game at Edgewood last year, hit a three-pointer from the left wing for his first shot to give Concordia a 17-14 lead with 8:21 left before halftime.
The game was tied at 17-17 when Deontay Young (Chicago, IL/Lincoln Park) began to heat up. The senior hit a long two followed by a three. Young then fed Jeff Weberg (Rockford, IL/Lutheran) for a baseline jumper, followed by Morgan setting up Weberg for a short jumper in the lane as Concordia took a 26-20 lead with 1:55 remaining. Justin Hineman (Hartland, WI/Arrowhead) answered an Edgewood basket with a jumper from the key as Concordia held a 28-22 lead after 20 minutes.
Balance was the key for the Cougars as seven different players scored in the half. Concordia shot 12-24 for 50 percent to Edgewood's 9-27 (33 percent) and controlled the boards 18-14, led by Morgan's six.
Weberg scored the Cougars' first five points of the second half as Concordia went on a 9-4 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 11 points. However, Edgewood tightened things up with a six-point run over the next few minutes. Lichtenheld's three stifled the Eagles' momentum momentarily, but a Ben Wisniewski three and a putback by Justin Williams cut CUC's lead to 42-39.
Lichtenheld nailed his third three of the game, and Young hit a jumper in the lane as the Cougars continued to hold off the Eagles, but a pair of three-point plays by Kent Faurote and Derek Nkemnji made it a one-point game, but sophomore Al Kahlfeldt (New Berlin, WI/Eisenhower) hit an apparent dagger three with the shot clock running down for a 53-49 lead at the 1:01 mark.
Winsiewski's layup with 41 ticks left brought it back to a two-point game.The Cougars then worked the clock down, but Young's 10-foot jumper was off, and the rebound was batted around before it was ruled to have been last touched by a Cougar player. The Eagles called timeout with 11.9 left to plan their strategy.
Edgewood worked the ball along the right side. Concordia disrupted the play briefly, tipping the ball out of bounds with 1.9 left. However, Nkemnji inbounded to Faurote along the baseline, and Faurote spun around his defender and laid the ball in at the buzzer to tie the game 53-53 and send the Cougars to their third overtime game of the year.
Weberg gave Concordia the lead with a three from the left corner 1:20 into the extra session. Cashton Craig then missed a three, and Hineman was fouled while collecting the rebound. Hineman made both ends of the bonus for a 58-53 lead.
Faurote brought the hosts back with a short banker. Weberg then missed a jumper, and the Eagles' Nkemnji was fouled going to the hole. He missed the first but made the second to make it a two-point game.
Weberg then missed a three, and Edgewood got the rebound. Tony Cates was fouled while shooting with Morgan picking up his fifth foul. Cates made one of two, and Hineman was quickly fouled on the inbounds with 18.8 on the clock. Hineman made the first but was short on the second.
The Eagles moved the ball downcourt quickly and, with 8.2 seconds left, Craig drove to the basket. His layup was good as he was fouled, and Craig sank the free throw for Edgewood's first lead of the second half.
The inbounds pass was intercepted, and Concordia fouled immediately. Jake Guziewski split the free throws, and the Cougars called timeout with 4.4 left and a chance to tie or win the game. The inbounds came to Hineman at midcourt who headmanned the ball to Lichtenheld on the left side. Lichtenheld stopped just inside the three-point arc and rippled the net as time ran out to send the game into a second overtime at 61-61.
Edgewood took command with seven points in the first two minutes of the second overtime. Hineman split a pair of free throws to end the streak, but Craig hit a three to beat the shot clock and give the Eagles a 71-62 lead. That lead would hold up as the Cougars made just one field goal in the final extra session.
Concordia shot 44 percent for the game but just 25 percent (3-12) in the two overtimes. Edgewood shot 48 percent on 28-58 but went 5-7 in the overtimes. Free-throw advantage went to the Eagles with 20-33, but 16-23 in the overtimes. Concordia shot 14-20, but all six misses came in the second half or overtimes.
Young and Weberg led the Cougars with 15 points each while Lichtenheld scored a season-high 11. Craig led the Eagles with 19 points, followed by Wisniewski with 18. Edgewood claimed a small advantage on the boards, 35 to 33, and in turnovers with 11 to the Cougars' 15.
Concordia is now 2-1 in overtime games for the season, but they fell to 4-3 overall and 1-3 in Northern Athletics Conference play. They return home to host Eureka College on Wednesday night.
