GREENVILLE, Ill. – The Concordia University Chicago men's basketball team kicked off the 2024-25 season with a trip to Greenville University to face the Panthers. The Cougars rallied in the second half, closing the gap to as little as four points, but the Panthers would go on to win the game 109-96.
Inside the Box Score
- Jacob Collicott (Lafayette, Ind.) registered a double-double with a career highs of 30 points and 13 rebounds.
- Collicott was also perfect from the line, going 16-for-16.
- Joel Watts (Homewood, Ill.) recorded a team-high six steals and five assists.
How it Happened
First Half
The Panthers put up back-to-back threes to start the game, but a layup by
Sean Beckman (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) and a three by Watts kept the Cougars within one.
Greenville tried to pull ahead, but
Darrian Williams (Garland, Texas) successfully completed the and-one right before Beckman sank one from beyond the arc to keep within one, 12-11. The teams traded points, as the Panthers built a small gap but Collicott stopped their run with a steal, prowling all the way down the court for a dunk.
Collicott continued to cut into the Panthers' lead, dropping it to 26-23. The Cougars continued to chip away at the lead, keeping it close. With just under seven minutes remaining in the half,
Carson Knoll (Frankenmuth, Mich.) drove to the basket and put Concordia within two, 35-33.
The teams battled back-and-forth but a couple of unanswered baskets the Panthers aided them into taking an 11-point lead into halftime, 56-45.
Second Half
Greenville extended their lead, going on a 6-0 run to begin the second half.
Tallis Lowery (Fairview Heights, Ill.) snapped the Panthers' run, snagging a Panther's pass and going for the easy layup and then making a jump shot.
Concordia continued to fight, but Greenville was strong from the three-point line and extended their lead to as much as 20 points, 77-57, with 12:33 remaining. The Cougars were undeterred and began to slowly chip away at the lead with Willams, Watts, and
Kenton Pryor (Hazel Crest, Ill.) to close in on the Panthers' lead, 77-63. Then it was Collicott who fast started the Cougars' rally. Collicott would score eight of Concordia's next 10 points, ending with a pair of free throws to remain perfect from the line and decreasing the deficit to nine, 82-73.
Pryor, Lowery, and Watts then stunned Greenville with back-to-back-to-back buckets.
Watts continued to deny the Panthers forward momentum, grabbing another steal and making the layup to get within four, 88-84, with 6:22 left on the clock.
Collicott kept it within four, 92-88, with a one hand slam that got the Cougars energized.
However, the Panthers squashed the Cougars rally, limiting them to just eight more points for the night. Greenville took the game 109-96.
Up Next
The Cougars next game will be Wednesday November 19 at 7:00 pm. Concordia hosts Illinois Tech for the first Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) game of the season. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
