Box Score Jan. 25, 2019 – The Concordia-Chicago Cougars battled the host Concordia Ann Arbor Cardinals in first-round men's action of the 68^th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament this evening inside a full Cardinals' Field House. The Cougars made a strong effort in the first half, but the Cardinals went to the outside shot to blow the game open in the second half and run out to a 94-75 victory.

Jalen Meeks carried the Cougars over the first few minutes with a couple of lane jumpers. The Cardinals held an 11-4 lead after five minutes before Mitch Pelissier scored his first points on a drive to the basket. The Cougars began to get inside, as layups followed over the next few minutes by Landen Gladney and Hassan Basbous, but the Cardinals were successful on their attacks in the paint too, and they built a lead of 22-10 midway through the half.

The lead grew out to 30-15 before the Cougars began making a charge. Pelissier hit an off-balance jumper, and Meeks followed with a triple from the corner. Jalen Thompson looked to keep CUAA comfortably in the lead as he went inside for a couple of his 18 first-half points, but Gladney knocked down two shots from the outside, and Basbous hit a layup and cashed in two free throws as the Cougars remained in the hunt at the half, trailing just 41-34.

Ann Arbor hit 18-32 for the half, although all of that came close in, as the Cardinals were 0-10 from outside the arc. Concordia-Chicago shot 11-28, but their 9-12 free-throw shooting kept things close. Pelissier led CUC at the half with 11 points.

Early in the second half, the Cardinals extended their lead as they found their outside shooting with a vengeance. It began early, as Mychael Bradley hit on the second possession. Over the first six minutes, CUAA drilled four triples as part of a 25-10 run. The Cougars would eventually cut the lead to 13 points as Gladney played a strong second half, but the Cardinals would close out their win with an even better shooting mark in the second half. Ann Arbor was 20 for 34 overall for 59 percent, including 6-14 on threes (43 percent).
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
·        Landen Gladney poured in 23 points, 15 in the second half, but came up three rebounds shy of his 15^th double-double.
·        Mitch Pelissier handed out nine assists and scored 15, bringing his career total to 1,641. He is within range of third place all-time (Myron Schumacher, 1.655).
·        The Cougars shot a season-best 25 of 29 (.862) at the free-throw line. Leading the way were Jalen Meeks (8-8), Gladney with 8-9 and Pelissier with 6-6.
·        Jalen Thompson led the Cardinals with a game-high 28 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Cougars will square off against the Bulldogs of Concordia University Nebraska on Saturday afternoon in the consolation round. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m., Eastern time.