Milwaukee, Wis. — The Concordia University Chicago men's basketball team hit the road on Saturday for a late afternoon conference battle against the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Propelled by a strong start, the Cougars were able to take down the Raiders 68-57.
The Cougars jumped on the Raiders right from the get-go, scoring the first six points of the game and building a double-digit lead less than five minutes in. Sophomore Emanuel Wilson (Wheaton, Ill.) came out firing for the second-straight game, knocking down three triples in the first six minutes.
They put relentless pressure on MSOE in the early going, forcing ten first-half turnovers including a 10-second violation. The Cougars also dominated the paint in the first 20 minutes, out-scoring the Raiders 18-6 under the basket.
Along with Wilson, senior Jordan Matthews (Chicago, Ill.) had a massive hand in CUC getting out to an early advantage. He matched Wilson with a team-high 11 first-half points on 5-7 shooting while also leading the team in rebounds and assists with five and four, respectively.
Similar to the Aurora game earlier this week, MSOE was able to slowly chip away at the lead down the stretch of the first half. The Raiders went on a 7-0 scoring run between the 4:27 and 1:40 mark in the half to cut the lead down to seven.
The Cougars had an answer in the form of senior Izak Ruddell (St. Joseph, Mich.), who drilled back-to-back three's to bring the lead back to 13 in the final minute. The Cougars rode his hot hand into the locker room with a 39-26 advantage.
Scoring was difficult to come by for both teams throughout much of the second half. The Raiders were able to pull as close as five in the early going, but the Cougars always found a way to answer.
A hustle play by freshman Jacob Collicott (Lafayette, Ind.) off of a missed free throw pushed the CUC lead back to seven when it appeared the Raiders would have the chance to make it a one-possession game.
There were a series of highlight plays by the Cougars in the second half that not only helped extend the lead but also provide a great deal of momentum. Many of these plays stemmed from the strong defensive efforts displayed by the team all game long.
Up by ten with under a minute remaining, Ruddell stepped to the line and knocked down a pair of free throws. MSOE answered quickly with a three, but the Cougars kept their composer. Matthews and Wilson made a combined 4-6 attempts from the line, and Collicott iced things with an offensive rebound as he dribbled out the clock.
Instead the Box Score
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Four Cougars scored in double-figures, led by Matthews with 17, his fourth straight game with at least 14 points. He played 35 of the 40 minutes.
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Fellow senior Jalen Meeks (Aurora, Colo.) led the charge off the bench for the Cougars with 12 points. He was 4-7 from the field and an efficient 4-5 from the line. He also added three steals.
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Wilson and Ruddell finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Wilson pulled in four boards, dished out three assists, and forced three steals.
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Senior Landen Gladney (Chicago, Ill.) was a presence inside with eight boards and three blocks.
The Cougars have now won eight of their last nine contests. They'll have a chance to continue this stretch of excellent play on Monday night when they visit the Illinois Institute of Technology. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and coverage will be available at cucougars.com/coverage.
