Box Score Jan 2, 2016 - After a long week in sunny California, the Concordia Chicago Cougars looked to end their long six-game road trip on a high note in sunny but frigid Wisconsin where they would take on the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The Cougars would have opportunities,in the hard-fought contest but come up just short in the closing seconds by a final score of 62-60. 

The game started off with the Cougars carrying a lot of the intensity from the second half of the game a) t Whittier College. Morgan Jahnke (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) would get CUC on the board with a layup, CUC would then force back to back turnovers in the full court pressure. Courtney Lofink (Orange, CA/Orange Lutheran) then hit a three to give the Cougars an early 7-4 lead. MSOE momentarily regained the lead but Hannah Rummel (Fenton, MI/Lake Fenton) scored on a perfectly executed up-and-under post move to regain the lead. Sarah Smith (St. Ignace, MI/LaSalle) would give CUC a 14-8 lead with 3:18 remaining in the first, with an offensive rebound and putback for a three-point play. Lauren Orr (O'Fallon, MO/Lutheran St. Charles) continued the strong quarter for CUC with a layup and a three-pointer that extended the CUC lead to 19-10 with just over a minute left in the half. MSOE would convert four free throws to close out the first quarter to cut into the CUC lead, 19-14 at the end of the first. 

MSOE continued their run from the end of the first quarter to begin the second. They knocked down a short jumper, layup, and a free throw to tie the game at 19. Orr would get a perfect slip pass from Jahnke to regain the lead and end the MSOE run. Later, it was Orr and Jahnke again who regained the CUC lead at 26-23. MSOE again answered back with their free throw shooting and extended their lead to 30-26 with a three, but Jahnke answered back with a hard earned lay-in with 2:07 remaining.  Taylot Jacobsen (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) brought the Cougars back with a pair of free throws to tie it at 30. MSOE had the final say to the back-and-forth quarter with a three point play to head to the locker room leading CUC 33-30. 

Orr would lead CUC with 10 points (4-10) for the half, Jahnke battled hard in getting to the basket, finishing the half with eight points (3-4). Angelik Young (Crete, IL/Crete-Monee) was held down in the scoring column but  ripped down six boards. CUC shot 33 percent from the field and 60 percent from three. MSOE was paced by Holly Denfeld with 11 points. The Raiders shot 38 percent from the field in the half. 

Young got the scoring started for the second half with a second-chance layup to get CUC back within one. Jahnke then continued her strong game tying the game on a short jumper, and giving CUC the lead after knocking down a pair of free throws. Lofink converted one of two free throws to give CUC a 39-36 lead with 6:23 remaining. MSOE called a timeout, and CUC instantly went into their trapping defense, forcing a turnover immediately. Teaira Miller (Maywood, IL/Glenbard East) was fouled after getting an offensive board, getting CUC into the bonus midway through the third. Inexplicably, however. this began a long, cold shooting stretch for both teams that MSOE finally broke with a layup with just over three minutes remaining. Orr answered for CUC on the next possession to keep the three point lead for the Cougars. CUC had opportunities over the last few minutes to extend the lead with free throws, but could convert on just one free throw. T. Jacobsen extended the Cougar lead to 44-38 before the end of the quarter. The quarter was the best of the season for CUC in limiting MSOE to just five points.

CUC continued to extend the lead to begin the fourth. Smith finished a full-court pass from Lofink after another strong Cougars' defensive possession to start the quarter. Young pushed the Cougar lead out to eight points with 7:51 remaining, forcing a MSOE timeout. MSOE pulled itself closer with a pair of free throws and a long two. CUC looked to answer back on back-to-back possessions but unfriendly rolls on the rim allowed MSOE to hold firm and then to pull within 48-46 with 5:17 remaining. Miranda Rogers (Cypress,later added TX/Houston Christian) finally ended the Cougar scoring drought with a big three from the baseline. Jahnke added a free throw to put  the Cougar lead back to six. MSOE's Denfeld kept the Raiders within striking distance with a three-point play with just over three minutes remaining. Jahnke would answer, but Denfeld struck again with another three-point play to cut the CUC advantage to 54-52.

Jahnke knocked down a pair of free throws, and a timely steal by Lofink gave CUC a six point advantage. That too was erased with another three-point play for MSOE with just over one minute remaining. The Raiders came within one with a pair of free throws. The Cougars then missed a pair of free throws, and MSOE burned a timeout with 20.7 seconds remaining. After advancing the ball to the front court and using their last timeout, they found Denfeld breaking to the lane. Denfeld scored uncontested. A quick turnover and two more free throws made it a three-point game on favor of the Raiders.

With time running out and the three-point arc defended, Orr converted a layup and CUC would be looking for the miracle with 3.1 seconds remainin, trailing by one. MSOE would get it inbounded, get fouled and make one of two free throws. CUC had the ball at half court with two seconds left and needing a basket to tie. CUC got the ball in, but the 10-foot jumper would be missed with contact on the play not called, and the Cougars ran out of time and chances.

Jahnke had one of her strongest efforts of the season, finishing with 19 points (5-8) with nine of her points coming from the free throw line. Orr continued her strong season finishing with 14. Young and Smith would put forth the best rebounding effort of the season, combining for 21 rebounds. CUC's struggles from the field and free-throw line in the second half would prove to be the deciding factor in the game.

The Cougars (3-6 3-3 NACC) will look forward to a little familiarity when they play on the homecourt on Wednesday night for a matchup with Rockford University. Tip off is scheduled for 4:15 or 30 minutes following the men's game.