Feb. 3, 2015 - Whether it was the drive to the game through another snowfall or the game itself, everything was slowed to a crawl as the Concordia-Chicago women's basketball team travelled to Benedictine University in Lisle for Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play this evening. An extremely frustrating game saw the Cougars within reach of the Eagles for virtually the entire length of the contest, but a foul-filled second half in which 36 fouls were whistled and 50 free throws were shot took any flow out of the game. The host Eagles hit enough free throws down the stretch to hold off a late charge by the Cougars and prevail by a final score of 70-64.
The Cougars fell behind in the opening minutes, but Angelik Young (Crete, IL/Crete-Monee) got thing going as she scored CUC's first six points. Morgan Jahnke (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) scored the next three points, her free throw tying the game at 9-9. The Eagles scored two baskets to take back the lead, but the Cougars would soon catch them again as Miranda Rogers (Cypress, TX/Houston Christian) hit conecutive three-pointers, the latter tying the game 19-19 at the midway point of the half. Rogers' second triple would turn out to be the Cougars' final field goal of the first half. The Eagles embarked on a 12-0 run over the next eight-plus minutes before Jahnke's two free throws interrupted the charge. Jahnke would add two more from the charity stripe in the final minute, but the Cougars found themselves trailing by a 32-23 margin at the half.
Benedictine extended its lead to 11 early in the second half, but Concordia-Chicago stayed within range. Kassy Koehler (Belvidere, IL/Rockford Lutheran) ended the Cougars' field goal drought two minutes into the half. Courtney Lofink (Orange, CA/Orange Lutheran) added a three shortly thereafter, and the Cougars would keep the deficit in single digits for some time. With less than eight minutes remaining. the Cougars put a few scores together with Young's 10-foot jumper pulling CUC within three points at 47-44. Unfortunately for the Cougars, the Eagles went off on their second big run of the night, this one at 9-0 with seven of the points coming at the foul line. Young's layup ended this run, but CUC was still staring up at a 10-point deficit with five minutes to play.
Refusing to surrender, even after seeing starters Lofink and Jahnke foul out, the Cougars battled through adversity and made one final challenge. With 48 seconds remaining, Jaela DeJean (Houston, TX/Houston Christian) drove in for a layup and was fouled. She knocked down the free throw to make it a three-point game. The Cougars needed just one defensive stop to have a chance at a tie, but it was not to be. A foul sent the Eagles to the line where they hit both to push the lead back to five. Benedictine would go to the line three more times over the final 30 seconds where they hit five of their final six to end an arduous second half and the game.
The final stats sheet showed CUC with 21-62 (34 percent) shooting including 4-21 from three-point range and 18-25 (72 percent) at the free throw line. The Cougars ahd 13 assists to just 12 turnovers.
Benedictine had three less field goals with 18-47 (38 percent) shooting including 4-15 from long range but made up for that with 30-45 at the free throw line. The Eagles committed 22 turnovers while recording just 12 assists, but the home team owned an impressive 53-32 advantage on the boards.
DeJean scored 19 points on 5-9 shooting and 9-12 from the line. Young scored 14 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
The Cougars (12-9, 9-7 NACC) will travel to Milwaukee on Saturday to tangle with conference-leading Wisconsin Lutheran College.
