Jan. 11, 2014 - Saturday's Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference women's basketball game between the Concordia-Chicago Cougars and Edgewood Eagles was, to put it simply, an inside job. The host Eagles dominated the paint to the tune of 44 points around the basket, and they rolled to a 74-48 win over the Cougars at the Todd Wehr Edgedome in Madison, Wisconsin.

The two teams took different approaches starting out the game. Edgewood concentrated its attack inside hitting its first six shots. Concordia went long distance with a pair of threes by Kassy Koehler (Belvidere, IL/Rockford Lutheran) and one by Chanel Stelmachowicz (Fredonia, WI/Living Word Lutheran) keeping the Cougars within a point at 12-11. However, the Eagles scored the next eight points to open up a 20-11 lead at the 11:51 mark of the half.

Hannah Rummel's (Fenton, MI/Lake Fenton) three from the left corner ended the Eagles' run, but Edgewood outscored Concordia 14-2 over the next four minutes. The Eagles finished the half shooting 20-34 and scoring 32 points inside the paint, all of which accounted for a 48-28 lead at the half.

Concordia's offense remained most effective from the outside during the half. Koehler hit all three of her attempts, and the Cougars shot 6-12 from beyond the arc as opposed to just 3-11 inside.

The Cougars were unable to make any significant inroads on the Eagles' lead in the second half. However, the defense picked up by holding the Eagles to 38 percent from the field compared to EC's torrid 59 percent in the first half.

Koehler led the Cougars with 10 points, followed by April Broska's (Belleville, MI/Lutheran South) nine and Rummel's eight. Dareon Henderson and Brooke McBain, Edgewood's two starting post players, combined for 26 points (12-16 from the field) and 16 rebounds. Chelsey Watkins also added 14 points for the Eagles.

Today's game ended a run of seven straight games on the road. The Cougars will return home for a contest against Wisconsin Lutheran College on Wednesday night at 7:00.