Dec. 16, 2012 - Fresh off a 75-69 win at Maranatha on Saturday, the Concordia Cougars looked to make it a two-game weekend sweep this afternoon with a game against NAIA opponent Roosevelt University. Concordia trailed from the very beginning but fought back from a 15-point deficit and came within a missed three of pulling off a complete comeback. Roosevelt hung on to win 64-62 at the Goodman Center in downtown Chicago.
Two threes by the Lakers made for a quick 6-0 lead but the Cougars soon got their feet under them and battled back
. Brandon Johnson (Chicago, IL/Gordon Tech) and
Brandon Stinson (Schiller Park, IL/East Leyden) drove the lane for layups, and
Khirey Floyd (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) scored back-to-back baskets. When
Tyler Oden (Chicago, IL/Marist) cashed in a jumper, the Cougars trailed by only 15-14.
However, Roosevelt turned up the pressure inside the paint, and the result was a 16-2 run. The Lakers had four layups during the run and also got to the free throw line eight times. Concordia finally righted itself as Floyd scored five points in the final minute, but Tyree York's reverse layup to beat the buzzer put the hosts up 36-25 at the break.
The Cougars' first few attempts at a second-half comeback were stymied by the Lakers. Concordia still trailed by 10 with 7:40 remaining when Oden's three-point play started the ball rolling. The Lakers' big men began to pile up fouls as
Marcus Elston (Chicago, IL/Benito Juarez) attacked the basket. Floyd scored on a fast-break and, following a technical foul on Roosevelt,
Joel Kosberg (Anthem, AZ/Valley Lutheran) hit a pair of free throws to bring the Cougars within 61-55 with 4:17 left.
Tyree York hit a jumper to put the lead back at eight, but Stinson hit the Cougars' only three of the game to make it a five-point game. Floyd then scored on a runout after a Lakers' miss to tighten the screws further. The Lakers then missed a pair of free throws, and that led to Floyd being fouled with 51.9 seconds remaining. The senior made good on both and, suddenly, it was Lakers 63, Cougars 62.
Roosevelt failed to score on their next possession, and Concordia moved downcourt for the go-ahead score. However, a turnover on a bad pass gave the ball back to the Lakers. The Cougars were forced to foul, and Floyd's fifth foul put York at the line. However, York made only one of the two, and the Cougars had 10 seconds left to salvage the victory.
Elston's screen set up Oden for a three from the left wing. The ball was off-target, and Elston's desperation tip was short as the buzzer sounded to end the Cougars' brave attempt.
Concordia shot 43 percent (23-53) to Roosevelt's 34 percent (22-65), but the Lakers made 6-20 from beyond the arc to the Cougars' 1-17. The Lakers edged the Cougars 46-43 on the boards while Concordia committed 16 turnovers to Roosevelt's nine.
Floyd led the Cougars with 17 points (7-12 FG, 3-4 FT) while also pulling down seven rebounds. Stinson added 12 points and four assists while Elston finished with 10 points and eight boards. York topped the Lakers (8-4) with 19 points and 12 rebounds while Joe Harks added 17 points and eight boards.
The Cougars (1-8) will play at Eureka College on Wednesday before a two-week break for the holidays.
