RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- With a sell-out crowd and 2,517 tickets sold, the Concordia-Chicago Cougars took to the floor this evening in a highly anticipated match up against NACC rival Concordia Wisconsin, on the opening night of CIT. From opening tip the game was fast paced and high intensity, but the Falcons' 60 percent field goal shooting was too much for the Cougars to handle, ultimately winning the contest 106-74.
Turning Point:
- With 16:30 on the clock in the first half, Landen Gladney kissed a layup off the glass to pull within one of the Falcons, at 10-9. However, from there CUW went on a 9-0 run, in a span of just two minutes, and pulled ahead to a 10 point lead that the Cougars would never close back in on.
Inside the Box Score:
- Gladney led CUC with a 20-point performance, his first since 12/7.
- CUW out scored the Cougars 54-48 from within the paint and got to the free throw line 23 times tonight. The Falcons were able to convert on 19 shots from the charity stripe, as opposed to CUC's 3-of-9.
- Raushaun Amos recorded 17 points, three assists and three boards. The senior shot 7-of-9 from the field and sunk three three-pointers.
- As a team, Concordia-Chicago shot 21.7 percent from beyond the arc, marking a new season-low.
Quick Recap:
- From opening tip, the Falcons jumped on the glass and got on the scoreboard first putting up two quick baskets.
- Down 6-2, two minutes in, CUC responded to the CUW surge and converted a fastbreak three-pointer from Amos, thanks to a steal from Neil O'Donnell.
- Trailing 6-5, the Cougars and Falcons exchanged baskets twice each, to move the game to 10-9 in CUW's favor. In that span, Gladney banked back-to-back layups in off assists from Amos and Brent Hatten.
- After the back and forth, the Falcons went on their 9-0 run that extended the lead to 19-9, and put the Cougars quickly into a 10-point hole.
- With 10 to go in the half, Concordia Wisconsin had moved the deficit along, as they lead 27-15 until an Amos three and Gladney layup pulled CUC within just nine of the Falcons. After Gladney's basket, the Cougars trailed 29-20, but that was the closest the score would get for the remainder of the game.
- Over the final seven minutes of the half, the Falcons shot 7-of-13 from the field to pull away to a 51-31 point lead.
- CUC opened the second half with two consecutive baskets from Xeo Golding and Hatten to keep the fight alive, but CUW's 20-point spread proved to be too much for the Cougars to overcome down the stretch.
- Concordia-Chicago improved their field goal shooting to 48 percent over the second half, and out scored CUW 17-13 in the paint during the final 20 minutes of play.
Up Next:
- The Cougars will tip off against Concordia Ann Arbor tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. for the CIT men's consolation game.
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