RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) men's basketball team opened Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play tonight, hosting Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). The first half remained tight, but the Cougars pulled out all the stops in the second half, taking the game 85-68. CUC is now 1-1, 1-0 NACC.
Inside the Box Score
- Jacob Collicott (Lafayette, Ind.) led the team with 28 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and four steals.
- Darrian Williams (Garland, Texas) scored a career-high 16 points, while also recording a team-high four steals.
- Joel Watts (Homewood, Ill.) registered a team-high six assists.
- The Cougars shot 43.1% from the field and 43.5% from beyond the arc.
How it Happened
First Half
Sean Beckman (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) opened the scoring for Concordia, putting one up from behind the arc. The Scarlet Hawks and Cougars would trade points until
Liam Cameron (Ventura, Calif.) knocked down both free throws and Collicott sank a three to build a small lead, 10-6.
The Cougars maintained their slim lead, as Beckman and Williams hit back-to-back threes with just over seven minutes left on the clock to stay up by five, 22-17.
The Scarlet Hawks would battle back, retaking the lead 26-24, with four minutes left in the half. However, Williams would sink another three-pointer, spurring the Cougars on, reclaiming the lead.
Tallis Lowery (Fairview Heights, Ill.), would score four of the last six points of the half for CUC, as the Cougars led 33-31 into the break.
Second Half
The Cougars surged out of the breaking, going on a 9-3 run. Starting with a pair of buckets from the line from Watts, a few layups from Collicott, and capped off by a three-pointer from Beckman, the Cougars extended their lead to 42-34.
IIT would continue to pressure the Cougars, dropping Concordia's lead to as little as four points, 48-44, with 13:00 minutes left. Yet the Cougars maintained their composure, as Collicott and
AJ Willard (Germantown, Wis.) combined to put the Cougars up by 10, 54-44.
With a few free throws and an and-one, the Scarlet Hawks were able to close the gap to four points again, 57-53 with 9:28 left in the game. Williams, Watts, and Collicott nabbed back-to-back-to-back threes to silence IIT and build the Cougars' lead back up to nine. CUC maintained their momentum, going on a 19-7 run and leading by as much as 21 points, 85-64, with 46 seconds remaining. The Scarlet Hawks would pick up a few more points, but the Cougars' tenacity secured them the 85-68 victory.
Up Next
The Cougars next game will be Friday November 22 at 5:00 pm. Concordia travels to Longview, Texas for the LeTourneau Classic Tournament. Concordia will play McMurry University. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
