RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- Returning to Geiseman Gymnasium for their second-straight home game, the Concordia-Chicago men's basketball team will gear up to take on No. 24 Benedictine University tomorrow night.
Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. with complete coverage available at
cucougars.com/coverage and
@cuc_menhoops on Twitter. Sam Brief and Carter Gledhill will have the call on the Cougar Sports Network.
Setting the Scene... After securing a win in their home opener, the Cougars return to Geiseman to take on NACC opponent Benedictine University. The Eagles are ranked No. 24 in the nation among
d3hoops.com polls. Benu will be CUC's third opponent this season to be recognized by national rankings.
Last Time Out... CUC last battled the WLC Warriors into an overtime thriller in Geiseman Gymnasium. Down 100-97 with seconds to go,
Raushaun Amos hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer to force the game into overtime. In the extra frame,
Landen Gladney went 7-of-7 from the charity stripe to secure the 116-113 overtime win. Concordia's 116 points set a new school record for points scored in a single game.
Around the Horn... As a team, the Cougars rank 38th nationally in scoring offenses, with an 86.5 points per game average. Rookie
Brent Hatten stands 20th in the nation with a 50 percent three-point percentage and also leads the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. In the conference,
Raushaun Amos leads the charge with a 2.38 assist-to-turnover ratio, and ranks 76th nationally. As only a sophomore,
Landen Gladney has made an impression on the active career leaders' list, as the Chicago native is second in the nation with an 11.6 rebounds per game career average and 21st nationally with 23 double-doubles.
Eagle-Eye... Amid a seven-game win streak, the Eagles enter Geiseman Gymnasium averaging 73.3 points per game and snagged an impressive win over then No. 9 North Central College back on Nov. 26. Benedictine holds its opponents to a conference-best 63.7 points per game average, as led by Eric Grygo who averages 17.6 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game. The Eagles also lead the NACC with an average on 9.2 steals per game.
Notables... CUC last defeated the Benedictine Eagles during the 2014-15 season, when
Steve Kollar was an assistant coach on the Eagles' staff. The 2018-19 Cougar squad earned five of their six wins from within the friendly confines of Geiseman Gymnasium. Dating back to 2006, the Cougars are 1-3 when competing on the night of Dec. 16.
A Win Would... A win against BenU would mark just the second time CUC defeated Benedictine in Geiseman Gymnasium since 2006. The Cougars last beat the Eagles at home in December of 2011. It would also be the first time the Cougars defeated the Eagles since January 2015. Defeating the Eagles on Monday night would mark the first time the Cougars won back-to-back conference games since 2015.
