Feb. 14, 2019 - The Concordia-Chicago Cougars were on the road for one final time this season as they made up a Jan. 23 postponement against Edgewood College. There was no Valentine's love in the Edgedome this evening as the Cougars fell behind early and dropped a frustrating 90-71 contest to the Eagles.

Concordia-Chicago never led in this game. Edgewood would win on the strength of their shooting, and it showed early when a couple of early three-pointers snapped a 2-2 tie. Landen Gladney answered with a three and added an authoritative slam moments later, and Kenta Jones worked his way inside for a bucket, but a couple of inside baskets by the Eagles would prevent the Cougars from taking the lead.

Mitch Pelissier's layup midway through the half brought CUC within 23-18, but the hosts scored the next five points and pushed their lead into double digits for the first time. The Eagles kept up the hot shooting through the remainder of the half, and they would go to the half leading 47-34.

The halftime stats showed the Eagles shooting 20 of 35 for 57 percent while the Cougars managed just 13 of 37 for 35 percent. Compounding CUC's problem was a mark of just 1-10 from three-point range. The Cougars' scoring was balanced, but nemesis Jake Negus, who burned CUC for 37 points back in December, led all scorer at the half with 12.  

Edgewood scored the first two points of the second half, but CUC answered with their best stretch of ball of the evening. Sparked by a Jalen Meeks' three-point play and a conventional three by Neil O'Donnell, the Cougars were within 51-42. Soon after, Gladney drilled his second triple of the game, and when Hassan Basbous scored inside, the Cougars had closed to 56-50 with 14:21 remaining. 

Unfortunately for CUC, that would be the extent of the rally. The Eagles ambushed the Cougars with a 17-2 run over the next six minutes, taking the lead into the twenties. The Cougars were unable to trim the deficit enough to mount a significant comeback, and the Eagles would emerge with a 19-point victory and the season sweep.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Jalen Meeks, who scored a career-high 33 against Edgewood on Dec. 1, would lead the Cougars on this night with 19 points.
• Mitch Pelissier scored 15 points, putting his career total at 1,802. He will have a chance to surpass Peter Lark (1,819) for second place on Saturday.
• Landen Gladney and Hassan Basbous each tallied 13 points. Gladney pulled down 10 rebounds, but Basbous' quest for his fourth straight double-double came up one rebound short. 
• Edgewood shot 36-68 (52 percent) for the game and was led by Negus' 20 points.

The Cougars (6-18, 6-13 NACC) will host Aurora University on Saturday afternoon. It will be Senior Day at Geiseman Gymnasium, and the Cougars will honor Pelissier and Jamal Turner prior to the 4:15 tip-off.