Feb. 17, 2015 - While the Concordia-Chicago women's basketball team was not in a "must-win" scenario in regards to the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference tournament, there was enough incentive to win tonight's regular-season finale against host and crosstown rival Dominican University. Besides earning the current basketball bragging rights for the two River Forest schools, the Cougars looked to extend their winning streak to three games, finish the regular season with a 15-10 record (best since 2007-08) and take momentum into this Saturday's opening-round conference tournament game. The Cougars accomplished all of their goals with a 72-54 win over the Stars at DU's Igini Sports Forum.
Kassy Koehler (Belvidere, IL/Rockford Lutheran) scored twice in the early going including a left corner three that erased Dominican's early 5-2 lead. The Stars regained the lead and held it for a brief while before the Cougars; offense began to click. Miranda Rogers (Cypress, TX/Houston Christian) knocked down a three, and Lauren Orr (O'Fallon, MO/Lutheran St. Charles) followed with a 10-foot jumper to put the Cougars on top, 15-13. The Stars' Jasmyn Hardin, who had a 10-point, 10-rebound half, scored to tie the game, but a layup by Morgan Jahnke (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Commuinity) triggered an 11-0 run for the visitors. The Cougars came up with steals on three consecutive Stars' possessions, the first by Jaela DeJean (Houston, TX/Houston Christian) that resulted in an Orr basket. Courtney Lofink (Orange, CA/Orange Lutheran) made the next two swipes and took them to the hole herself for scores. A long three by Rogers capped the run that made the score Cougars 26, Stars 15. Two of four first-half threes by Claudia DeNigris got the Stars back on track, but a couple of baskets by Jahnke and a three by Taylor Jacobsen (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) helped the Cougars reestablish control. They ended the half with a 34-26 lead. The Cougars dialed up long distance to start the second half and began to open up their lead. Lofink started the proceedings with a three, and Rogers struck twice, the latter making the score 43-30. Following two free throws by Jahnke and a fast break score by Shania Kiser (Fremont, OH/Fremont Ross), Orr hit from downtown for the Cougars' fourth triple in the first seven minutes of the half for a 50-32 lead. With eight minutes remaining, Dominican made one last push. Hardin tallied twice inside, and DeNigris hit her fifth three of the night to bring the hosts within 55-46. But Orr answered the challenge with her second and third threes of the half, and Kiser and Jacobsen added free throws to complete a 9-0 run that put the game on ice.
The Cougars shot just 25-71 overall (35 percent) but made 11 threes for the game and went 7-16 from long range in the final 20 minutes. Rogers shot four of eight (all threes) on the game, and Orr hit on all three of her attempts from downtown in the second half. Jahnke led CUC with 16 points and added five rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Orr tallied 14 points and Rogers 12, and Lofink chimed in with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals.
The Stars were led by Hardin's 18 points and 16 rebounds. DeNigris followed with 17 points, shooting 5-11 from three-point range.
Concordia-Chicago finishes as the fifth seed for the NACC tournament and will play in Mequon, WI on Saturday night at 7 p.m. against fourth-seeded Concordia University Wisconsin. The Cougars and Falcons split their two meetings in 2014-15, each team winning on its home floor. The other first-round matchups include #8 Aurora at #1 Wisconsin Lutheran, #7 Lakeland at #2 Benedictine, and #6 Edgewood at #3 Milwaukee Engineering.
