A closing 11-3 surge by the Concordia Cougars in the final 2:50 of this afternoon's game gave them a 64-56 win over Marian University in men's basketball action at Geiseman Gymnasium.
The teams were tied 7-7 when Charles Gordon (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) hit a pair of free throws to trigger a 7-0 run. Issa Avery (Evanston, IL/St. Benedict) followed with a jumper, and Cole Reindl (Germantown, WI/H.S.) came off the bench to sink a three for a 14-7 lead.
Concordia's lead held up until threes by Jake Coenen and Cody Veleke vaulted Marian into the lead at 20-19 with 4:09 remaining. However, Avery would score Concordia's final seven points of the half and send the Cougars to the locker room with a 26-24 lead.
The Cougars shot just 32 percent from the field on 9-28, but their aggressiveness on the attack earned them 10 free throws of which they hit seven. On the other end of the floor, the Cougars stayed out of foul trouble and did not send the Sabres to the line at all.
A seven-point run by Marian early in the second half gave the visitors their biggest lead of the game at six points, 35-29. But the Cougars' bench provided a needed spark as reserve guards Alphonso Dunbar (Bellwood, IL/Walther Lutheran), Joe Pearson (Chicago, IL/St. Francis de Sales) and Brandon Johnson (Chicago, IL/Gordon Tech) all played second-half minutes and provided some offensive flow. Later in the half, Al Kahlfeldt (New Berlin, WI/Eisenhower) made good on a long three from the right wing to put Concordia back into the lead at 46-43.
Marian battled back again to tie the game at 53-53, but Concordia put together one more run. Gordon slipped by a baseline defender for a layup to put the Cougars in front. Two of the freshmen then combined for the play of the game as Reindl chased down a loose ball headed out of bounds along the sideline. Reindl not only saved the ball but also got it to Dunbar who was ahead of the pack. Dunbar's layup made it a 57-53 game with 1:59 left.
The Sabres closed to within two on Mike Keller's two free throws, but the Cougars' free throw shooting would protect the team's advantage. Gordon and Justin Hineman (Hartland, WI/Arrowhead) combined for 5-6 free throws in the final 44 seconds to wrap up the Cougars' 2-1 week.
Gordon shot 7-14 from the field and 11-17 at the free throw line to lead all scorers with 25 points. Avery added 11 points and seven boards, and Hineman pulled down 14 rebounds to go with seven points.
Marian (6-12, 3-7 NAC), whose three-game winning streak was stopped, was led by Cody Veleke's 17 points. Jeff Harris scored 15 and Mike Keller 12.
Concordia (5-11, 5-5 NAC) will play at Dominican University on Wednesday night.
