Dec 30, 2015 - Another dramatic game greeted the Concordia University Chicago Cougars on day two of the Poet Classic in Whittier, CA on Wednesday night. The contest was a tale of two halves that saw the Cougars fall behind by as much as 18 points, before they mounted a comeback that came up short 95-87 to the host Whittier College Poets. The difference in the game was the ability for the Poets to force 39 Cougars turnovers
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The first half was one to forget for the Cougars. Whittier started the game on a 7-0 run. The Cougars ran into trouble with the Poets' full-court pressure, normally a strength for CUC. Whittier grew the lead  to 13, but a Sheyla Kahalehoe (Kalihi, HI/Iolani) three cut into the deficit. Taylor Jacobsen (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) and Miranda Rogers (Cypress, TX/Houston Christian) then hit back-to-back jumpers to get CUC back within seven. However, Concordia-Chicago would have problems boxing out on the defensive end, allowing a Whittier second-chance layup as time expired with Whittier leading 25-16.

The second quarter was much of the same full-court pressure from Whittier, and CUC continued to struggle, resulting in the Poets extending the lead back out to 18. A Lauren Orr (O'Fallon, MO/Lutheran St. Charles) three rallied the Cougar offense with 4:02 remaining in the quarter. Morgan Jahnke (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community)  cut into the Poet lead again with a jumper with just over a minute remaining, then subsequently Courtney Lofink (Orange, CA/Orange Lutheran) made a layup with a foul added. She made the ensuing free throw to pull the Cougars within seven with 52 seconds remaining in the half. Whittier added two layups to end the half, leading CUC 45-34.

CUC shot well in the half, .520 from the field, but the problem would be the 20 Cougar turnovers in the half. Whittier attempted 18 more shots than CUC in the half. Kahalehoe was the Cougars' leading scorer in the half with 10 on 4-5 shooting.

Head Coach Rusty Rogers gave the Cougars a spirited halftime speech, that would draw out the highest intensity from his team this season as they began the second half. Teaira Miller (Maywood, IL/Glenbard East) brought the Cougars within seven to begin the half, but Whittier again turned up the pressure. They kept the Cougars at bay, extending the lead back out to as many as 15 points with 1:53 remaining in the quarter. From that point CUC made their run to get back in the game. A combination of free throws from Orr and Taylor Jacobsen would get the scoring started.  Orr would score four of the last six points for the Cougars around a pair of Lofink free throws to close out the third quarter with CUC trailing 62-58.

The fourth quarter was intense from start to finish. A Miller layup pulled the Cougars within two. Just moments later it was Orr again who knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 64 with 8:42 remaining in the game. From that point, CUC had opportunities to take the lead, but were unable to capitalize. A Whittier three was answered with a Jahnke jumper in the lane. An Angelik Young (Crete, IL/Crete-Monee) layup on a second-chance opportunity brought CUC back within one with 5:36 remaining.  Whittier stretched the lead back out to five over the next few minutes, but Jahnke would again bring the Cougars within a possession of tying the game at the 2:19 mark. Great free-throw shooting down the stretch sealed the deal for Whittier out to the final score of 95-87.

Young finished as the Cougars' leading scorer and rebounder with 20 points and 15 boards. Orr finished with 16 points on 5-10 shooting. Lofink's free-throw shooting carried her to 12 points on the evening. CUC shot .508 on the evening, making one more field goal than Whittier. Whittier's ability to knock down three-pointers and free throws in the second half kept the Cougars from completing the comeback. CUC would finish with a season high 54 points in the paint for the game but shot just 3-14 on threes.

The Cougars (4-5) will fly back to Chicago Thursday evening. They will have a day to prepare for a tough NACC matchup with the Milwaukee School of Engineering from the Kern Center in Milwaukee, WI. Tip is scheduled for 4:15 p.m., following the men's game.