Cougar Women Top MSOE, Prepare for Second-Place Showdown

Feb. 9, 2013 - During his five years as head coach of Concordia University Chicago women's basketball, Joshua Steffen has preached the concept of not looking past the next game on the schedule. That idea was put to the test today as the Cougars hosted the Milwaukee School of Engineering even while an important game at Benedictine University next Wednesday loomed ahead. However, Concordia took care of business with a 61-40 victory, improving to 10-6 in Northern Athletics Conference play (10-14 overall) and setting up Wednesday's showdown with the Eagles with a first-round home game in the NAC tournament hanging in the balance.

Angelik Young (Crete, IL/Crete-Monee) led the Cougars out of the starting gate as she scored six points to give the hosts an 8-2 lead. The Raiders fought back behind threes by Bre'Ana Strong and Courtney Leaf and eventually tied the game 13-13 on Courtney Samuels' free throw.

Concordia regained the lead as Jessica Genke (Kiel, WI/H.S.) scored the next three points, but it wasn't until the final minutes of the half that the Cougars opened up some breathing room. Jumpers by Dazmine Chaney (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) and April Broska (New Boston, MI/Lutheran South) gave Concordia a 25-16 lead. The lead soon cracked double digits as Kassy Koehler (Belvidere, IL/Rockford Lutheran) and Chanel Stelmachowicz (Fredonia, WI/Living Word Lutheran) drilled back-to-back threes. The Raiders scored the final points of the half, but the Cougars' lead stood at 32-19 after 20 minutes.

Genke and Young scored Concordia's first eight points of the second half. The Cougars began to wear down the Raiders who had played on Friday night, and the lead climbed to 21 on Krystyna Rickett's (Sandusky, MI/H.S.) basket. Any thoughts of a comeback were further dispelled as Concordia held MSOE to just five field goals in the second half.

Young led the Cougars in scoring with 17 points on 7-9 shooting from the field. Genke added 13 points and 12 rebounds, eight of her boards coming on the offensive end. Strong topped the Raiders with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Concordia's game with Benedictine will be played at BU's Dan and Ada Rice Center on Wednesday night at 7:00. Links to live coverage can be found on www.cucougars.com.