Feb. 12, 2011 - The Concordia Cougars looked to improve their position in the South Division of the Northern Athletics Conference with this afternoon's game against the Milwaukee School of Engineering at the Kern Center. The Cougars rallied to take a brief lead in the second half, but some key baskets and steady free-throw shooting by MSOE enabled them to pull out a 68-60 win.
The two teams engaged in a defensive tussle for the first 10 minutes of the game. Concordia took a 13-12 lead on a layup by Jeff Weberg (Rockford, IL/Lutheran) who entered the game needing 16 points for 1,000 in his career. However, the Raiders went on a 7-0 run fueled by Oren Bloom's three to take a lead they would hold for the rest of the half. Austin Meier kept MSOE in the lead with eight points late in the half, and Bennett Deacon's jumper just before the buzzer gave the Raiders a 33-24 lead.
Larrell Gary (Chicago/Whitney Young) scored eight first-half points on 4-5 shooting. The Cougars shot 10-19 from the field but hurt themselves at the line by missing four of seven. Meier was perfect on four shots from the field and four from the line for 12 points. The Raiders shot 11-24 from the field but were a solid 5-10 from three-point range and a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe.
Trailing by 12 early in the second half, the Cougars started a comeback on Weberg's three-point play. The home team began to accumulate fouls (reaching six in just over five minutes), and Concordia's rally picked up steam as Meier missed a pair of free throws. Charles Gordon (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech), Justin Hineman (Hartland, WI/Arrowhead) and Gary all scored over the next few minutes as Concordia came within 38-35.
The Couagrs kept coming and caught the Raiders on Mike Lichtenheld's (Woodstock, IL/H.S.) three at the 9:29. One minute later, Hineman hit two free throws to give Concordia a 46-44 lead. However, the Raiders took advantage of Cougars' foul trouble and scored their next six points at the foul line to regain the lead. Weberg scored to get Concordia back within two at 50-48, but MSOE continued to draw fouls and convert from the line.
With the score 54-50, Bennett Deacon hit on a three-point play and followed with a flip from close in. Deacon then set up Meier on a three-point play for a 62-54 lead, and the Cougars could get no closer than six points in the final minutes.
In the final seconds with the Cougars in need of quick points, Weberg caught a lob underneath, took one dribble and laid the ball in with 9.2 seconds left. The basket was career point 1,000 for Weberg who became the third player this season to reach that plateau.
Weberg's last basket gave him 16 points for the game to lead the Cougars. Gary followed with 12 while Gordon and Hineman added nine each.
Deacon finished with 19 points and five assists to lead the Raiders. Meier added 17 points and nine rebounds, and Oren Bloom scored 12.
Concordia shot 21-48 (44 percent) for the game but just 2-15 from three-point range. The Cougars were 16-21 from the free-throw line for 76 percent. MSOE shot 19-41 (46 percent), 5-15 from three-point range and made 25 of 32 free throws (78 percent).
The Cougars (13-9, 6-8 NAC) remain in fourth place in the NAC South Division, a half-game ahead of Rockford College who lost to Benedictine this afternoon. Concordia will host Rockford this Wednesday at 7:00 with the Cougars honoring their 10 seniors in a post-game ceremony.
