Dec. 5, 2015 - Four games into the new season, the Concordia-Chicago women's basketball team is still struggling with the issue of slow starts. The Cougars were able to overcome that problem in their first two starts, but  the last two games have not been as kind. This afternoon's home game against Edgewood College saw CUC unable to find any type of offensive rhythm, and the result was a 59-56 loss to the Eagles which dropped the Cougars down to a 2-2 mark overall and a 1-2 record in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.

The Cougars scored the first basket of the game as Lauren Orr (O'Fallon, ,MO/Lutheran St. Charles) converted a layup off a turnover. However, that would be CUC's only field goal of the quarter. The Cougars missed their next 12 shots from the field and also committed five turnovers in the first 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Edgewood's Sierra Jiran scored three times inside while Rachel Pope scored five points including her first of three three-pointers for the day, and the Eagles claimed a 19-7 lead after one quarter.

One minute into the second quarter, the Eagles' 12-point lead was knocked down to seven as Morgan Jahnke (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) scored on a layup and Sheyla Kahalehoe (Kalihi, HI/Iolani) drilled a three. While CUC's offense could not match that pace for the duration of the half, the defense did clamp down in holding Edgewood to 1-12 shooting and six points total. A three by Orr and a free throw by Sarah Smith (St. Ignace, MI/LaSalle) closed the scoring for the half and resulted in the Cougars trailing only 25-21 at the half.

Looking to erase the memories of a 6-32 shooting first half, the Cougars came out blazing in the third quarter. After the two teams traded baskets, Orr made it a one-point game by burying a three. Edgewood responded with a layup and two free throws for a five-point lead, but Orr came back to hit a second trey. Then, after the Eagles missed a couple of shots, Jahnke rebounded her own miss and kicked the ball back out to Orr who fired and hit again for the Cougars' first lead since the opening minute of the game at 32-31. The Cougars weren't done yet, as Teaira Miller (Maywood, IL/Glenbard East) hit a three, then stole the ball and scored on a fast break, forcing the Eagles to call a timeout with 5:46 remaining. Edgewood regrouped and drew within one with a minute left in the third quarter, but Jahnke scored inside, and Taylor Jacobsen (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) beat the buzzer with a three to restore a six-point lead to CUC at 46-40.

A comeback victory for the home team was looking better as baskets by Angelik Young (Crete, IL/Crete-Monee) and Jahnke put CUC up 52-43 with seven minutes remaining. However, the Cougars went cold again as Edgewood ran off the next 11 points in a span of nearly five minutes. Young's basket gave CUC its final lead at 54-53 , but two free throws by Jiran put the Eagles in the lead for good at the 2:08 mark. Pope made it a three-point lead for the visitors, but Young hit two free throws to trim EC's lead to one at 57-56. 

With 22 seconds remaining, Jiran missed a three to give the Cougars a chance at the final shot for the win. However, a turnover followed by a foul sent Zoey Dougherty to the free throw line. Dougherty split the tosses, giving the Cougars possession two points down with 12.6 seconds left. But another turnover resulted in another foul and free throw with sox ticks left. A desperation three by Jahnke was off-target, and time ran out on the Cougars.

Pope leed all scorers with 20 points while Jiran added 17 with 14 rebounds. Orr was the only Cougar in double figures with 16 (four three-pointers). Young finished with eight points, four blocks and four steals.

Edgewood shot 18-54 (33 percent) from the field and 19-35 from the line, but CUC managed just 19-68 (28 percent) from thge field and 10-14 from the line. The Eagles committed 24 turnovers, but the Cougars were guilty of 22 themselves.

Concordia-Chicago will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 12 following finals week with a contest at Wisconsin Lutheran College.