Dec. 30, 2011 - While moral victories will never replace the real kind, the Concordia Cougars could take some measure of pride in today's game against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Less than 24 hours after a 35-point loss to Concordia University Austin in the host school's Christmas Classic, the Cougars gave a gutsy effort against the #11th-ranked and unbeaten UMHB. However, the Crusaders' explosive second half enabled them to break away from the slim one-point lead they held at halftime and run out to an 82-61 win.
Khirey Floyd's (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) jumper on a second-chance opportunity gave Concordia an early 10-8 lead. Issa Avery (Evanston, IL/St. Benedict) followed with a pair of free throws, and Marlin Vilius (Eustis, FL/H.S.) got free inside for a layup to extend Concordia's lead to 14-8. Marlon Miller scored for UMHB, but that was just a brief interruption as Concordia continued to roll. Keegan Johnson (Sycamore, IL/H.S.) and Avery hit jumpers, and Avery and Vilius combined for the next three points at the foul line as the Cougars found themselves with an 11-point lead at the 8:49 mark.
The Cougars' lead was still at 11 points with six minutes remaining before the Crusaders closed the half with a 17-5 run. Sterling Phillips hit a clutch three-pointer, and Dorian Purnell's jumper gave UMHB a 33-32 lead going into the break.
First-half shooting percentages favored the Crusaders slightly, 42 to 39 percent. However, the Cougars enjoyed a 10-5 advantage in free throws with the Cougars knocking down 10 of 12 for 83 percent. Avery and Justin Hineman (Hartland, WI/Arrowhead) led the Cougars with nine points each with Hineman a perfect 4-4 from the field including a three-pointer.
Two key stretches in the second half enabled the Crusaders to pull away to the win. The first came about five minutes in after Charles Gordon's (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) layup had brought the Cougars to within 45-40. The Crusaders reeled off 11 straight points, Brian Todd scored the final six points of the run, capping it off with a slam dunk on the run-out. Moments later, Gordon's three-point play brought Concordia back witin 11, but the Crusaders then scored 10 unanswered points to end any thoughts of a comeback. UMHB shot 21 of 33 (64 percent) for the second half while Concordia fell off to 8 of 29 for 28 percent.
Avery finished with 18 points, five assists and three blocks. Gordon contributed 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Hineman finished with 11 points on 5-6 shooting.
Purnell led the Crusaders with 14 points on the strength of 7-10 shooting. He was joined in double figures by Phillips and Todd with 13 each, and Miller with 10.
In Thursday's loss to host Concordia University Austin, the first four-plus minutes of the game gave no indication of what was to come. Hineman scored the opening two points of the contest. A layup by Johnson, three by Floyd and layup by Gordon staked the Cougars to a 9-0 lead before a three by Terence Sims put the home team on the board at the 15:26 mark.
Sims' basket began an answering run of 13 points by Austin which included two more three-pointers. The Cougars were unable to recover, owing to a combination of 18 first-half turnovers and a minus-eight differential on the boards. The Tornados did get into foul trouble, but the Cougars missed 10 free throws, and all contributed to a 50-34 deficit at the half.
The second half saw more of the same as Austin shot 51 percent (20-39) from the field. The Cougars continued to struggle with turnovers and free-throw shooting and were unable to narrow the gap to less than 18 points in the early minutes of the half.
Floyd led the Cougars with 18 points (5-12 FG, 3-7 3FG, 5-7 FT) while Avery added 14 points and seven rebounds. Concordia Austin (6-3) had four players in double figures, led by Darius Anderson's 18.
The Cougars (2-9) will return home and get ready to face Wisconsin Lutheran College next Thursday night in Milwaukee.
