Feb. 8, 2011 - With the Concordia Cougar women's basketball team in position to record an important victory in Northern Athletics Conference play, the visiting Benedictine Eagles scored the final 13 points of the game to wrest away a 72-63 win. Concordia's loss kept them in a tie for fourth place with the Milwaukee School of Engineering in the NAC South Division.
Both teams had the three ball working for them early. The Eagles tallied 15 of their first 20 points from behind the arc. On the other end, Krystyna Rickett (Sandusky, MI/H.S.) and April Broska (New Boston, MI/Lutheran South) found the range from downtown. The visitors had a slight edge in play, going up by as many as six points at 25-19. However, the Cougars fought back behind threes by Broska and Marche Smith (Oak Park, IL/Trinity) to tie the game 29-29 and again at 34-34 in the closing minute of the half. Benedictine got a late basket by Jenn Bren to take a two-point lead into the break.
Benedictine built an eight-point lead early in the second half, but Smith heated up again with eight points in a 9-0 run to give the Cougars a 47-46 lead. The lead then exchanged hands nine times over the next seven minutes, but it appeared that Concordia grabbed the upper hand on threes by Rickett and Smith to take a 63-59 lead with 3:41.
As it turned out, Smith's three would be Concordia's final points of the night. Tracey Walsh scored Benedictine's next eight points, and the Eagles' defensive press took the Cougars out of their rhythm down the stretch. Benedictine would wrap up the game with a couple of late free throws and a layup off a steal to put the lid on their victory.
Smith, who was recognized before the game for her becoming the all-time leading scorer in the conference, led the Cougars with 27 points on 10-26 shooting (5-10 threes) and 2-3 from the line. Broska scored a season-high 12 points, and Rickett added 11. Smith led the Cougars in rebounds with 11, and Claire Mackey (Shelton, NE/Heartland Lutheran) pulled down nine as the Cougars and Eagles tied 42-42 on the boards.
Walsh shot 7-11 from the field and 8-9 from the line to lead the Eagles with 22 points. Colleen Forkin tallied 14 points on 5-7 shooting (3-3 on threes), and Karyn Conerty added 11.
The Cougars (8-13, 4-10 NAC) will host Dominican University on Thursday at 7:00. This game is the make-up of the snowed-out Feb. 2 contest.
