Skip To Main Content

Concordia University Chicago Athletics

Home of the Concordia-Chicago Cougars

Neil O'Donnell
63
Concordia Chicago CUC 6-9,5-6 NACC
66
Winner Benedictine (IL) BenU 13-3,9-2 NACC
Concordia Chicago CUC
6-9,5-6 NACC
63
Final
66
Benedictine (IL) BenU
13-3,9-2 NACC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Concordia Chicago CUC 28 35 63
Benedictine (IL) BenU 29 37 66

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Danielle Gariglio: Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Cougar Surge Stalled by Eagles

LISLE, Ill. -- Looking to take the season sweep on the series, the Concordia-Chicago Cougars traveled to Benedictine University this evening for a highly-coveted NACC rematch. With a neck-and-neck battle all throughout, it would be the Eagles who won the latter half of this series, relying heavily on their 14-of-22 free throw shooting, winning the match up just 66-63.

Turning Point:
  • The Cougars led by one point with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, but two CUC fouls down the stretch would allow the Eagles to capitalize from the charity stripe, and score their final four points of the game, to secure the victory.
Inside the Box Score:
  • The Eagles out scored CUC 15-5 on second chance points, and 14-4 from the charity stripe. Overall, Concordia-Chicago shot 4-of-8 on free throws.
  • Raushaun Amos led with a team-high 17 points along with three steals and three assists. The senior guard shot 50 percent from both the field and from three-point range.
  • Rookie Brent Hatten kept the Cougars in the game for much of the evening, as he drained three clutch three-pointers and grabbed five boards.
  • Overall, Concordia-Chicago shot 44.6 percent from the field tonight. CUC is now 1-1 on the year when shooting 44 percent from the field, including their win over Benedictine back on Dec. 16 (44.9 percent), and tonight's loss.
  • Benedictine's 66 points from tonight is the lowest scoring performance that CUC has held a conference opponent to this season.
Quick Recap:
  • CUC jumped out to a hot start, taking an early 9-2 lead, before the Eagles could gain any momentum.
  • The Cougars would lead the first 10 minutes of the contest too, before Benedictine gathered a short-lived, two-point advantage.
  • Down 19-17, and with 7:45 on the clock, Neil O'Donnell drained a near-side three pointer to ice BenU's offensive surge. At the time of O'Donnell's basket, the Eagles had been on a 15-8 run.
  • To close out the first half, Amos nailed a three-pointer that brought CUC within one of Benedictine, now trailing at 29-28 with 20 minutes to go. 
  • The Cougars' offense was slow to gain speed at the start of the second, as the Eagles ran out to a 38-30 lead over CUC, thanks to a 9-2 run in the first 3:36 of play. Benedictine would push the deficit to as many as nine points before Concordia-Chicago began its comeback.
  • Trailing 44-35, Hatten took over the floor and rattled off seven of CUC's next nine points to tie the game up at 44 apiece. 
  • After Hatten's surge, Gladney took a turn and scored seven points of his own that moved the Cougars just ahead of the Eagles, up 51-49, with exactly nine minutes left on the clock.
  • From there, Concordia-Chicago and Benedictine would trade their leads seven different times before the under two-minute warning left the Cougars trailing, 62-61.
  • Xeo Golding drained a driving layup with 30 seconds to go to take a 63-62 lead, before a later defensive foul allowed the Eagles to go to the free-throw line and sink both shots. 
  • Once again trailing by one point, CUC had eight seconds to go and possibly one last chance to score, before an offensive Cougar foul would allow the Eagles to take the ball back, make two more free throws and secure the tight, 66-63 victory.
Up Next:  
  • CUC drops to 5-6 in NACC play and will return to action this Friday night, at approximately 8 p.m., to take on Concordia Wisconsin in the 69th Annual Concordia Invitational Tournament. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cucougars.com/CIT
Top Tweets of the Game:
Print Friendly Version