Dec. 15, 2018 – Finals Week behind them, the Concordia-Chicago women's basketball team began a stretch of seven games during the semester break with an afternoon contest at Benedictine University. The 11-day layoff did no favors for the Cougars, unfortunately, and the team struggled through a 73-49 loss to the Eagles.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Crystal Corr led the Cougars with eight points and nine rebounds.
• Benedictine's 19 turnovers was the most CUC has forced since the Nov. 24 win over Marian (23). Sam Bloom led CUC with three steals.
• The Cougars matched a season high with 15 points at the free-throw line. Corr was 4-6 while Jada Dixon was a perfect 4-4.
The Cougars caught the earliest of breaks as an administrative technical on Benedictine allowed
Sam Bloom to hit two free throws before the opening tipoff.
McKayla Tilton hit an early three from the left wing, but the inside play of Alex Fanning gave the Eagles a 9-5 lead after three minutes had elapsed. The lead was 11-5 when Bloom broke a six-minute scoring drought with a layup and then set up
Kayla Horlacher for a three to bring CUC within a point. The first quarter ended with Benedictine holding a slim 11-10 margin.
A three by D'Asia Williams early in the second kept the Eagles in the lead, and they soared to a run of 14 straight points before
Crystal Corr's free throw at the 3:12 mark put CUC on the board again. The Cougars stayed in the game by forcing some turnovers, with steal leading to
Deja Southall finishing off a fast break, but halftime came with CUC trailing by a 29-17 margin.
Michaela Thornton and Bloom scored early in the third, but the Eagles resorted to their inside game again to keep their lead at a safe distance. Benedictine built its lead to as much as 22, but CUC began to rain down some threes toward the end of the third.
Sarah Ludwig, Horlacher and Tilton all connected from outside the arc, but CUC was still staring up at a 52-32 deficit entering the final 10 minutes of play.
The Eagles stretched out the lead early in the fourth behind Michalski, and their advantage topped out at 31 points on a three by Claire Gibler. The Cougars trimmed the final margin to 24 with a 17-point quarter that featured seven points by Rae.
The Cougars (2-7, 1-4 NACC) will now enjoy some time off for Christmas before resuming play on Saturday, Dec. 29 with a home game against Rockford University.
