RIVER FOREST, ILL. – The Concordia University Chicago Cougars took on their Division Street rival Dominican University Stars, downing them 75-49. This game paired the both Concordia and Dominican's basketball programs with CUC's Black Student Union (BSU) to honor Black History Month.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Alisyn MacGregor (Loves Park, Ill.) led the Cougars with 15 points and 16 rebounds, securing her third double-double of the season. On top of that, she also tallied four assists, three blocks, and one steal.
- Alexis Desjarlait (Red Lake, Minn.) followed behind with 12 points and five rebounds.
- Melia Perry (Plainfield, Ill.) was the last Cougar to score in double-digits securing 10 points and two rebounds.
- Jaylene Wade (Lansing, Ill.) and Emily Balaban (Manitowoc, Wis.) each trailed close behind and added in nine apiece, while Wade tallied a game-high seven assists.
FIRST HALF
The Stars struck first after winning the tip, but a quick retaliation three from
Cydnei Mitchell (Aurora, Ill.) would put the Cougars ahead by one. Another three from
Nazuri Whigham (Naperville, Ill.) paired with layups from
Linley Southern (Decatur, Ill.) and MacGregor would force the Stars to take a timeout.
A steal from
Abby Kulig (Carol Stream, Ill.) would translate into a three from Perry and put the Cougars up by nine. A buzzer-beater jumper from Perry would close the first quarter with the Cougars up by 11.
Fresh into the second quarter, a quick layup from Desjarlait would kick things off and keep the Cougars ahead. A series of seven consecutive points from Desjarlait would put the Cougars up by 15 with eight minutes to play in the half.
The lead would extend out to as much as 17 in the first half with closing second half buckets from Desjarlait and MacGregor.
SECOND HALF
The Cougars kept accelerating in the second half after coming out firing with a layup from MacGregor followed by a triple from Wade to jumpstart the second half.
Finding their groove on both ends of the floor, defensive stops paired with hot shooting kept the Cougars ahead. A steal from Wade would setup a three for Perry and the Cougars would jump out to an 18 point lead, breaking the barrier for the remainder of the game.
As the pace of the game picked up, the Cougars remained in control and managed to pick up seven of their 14 steals in the second half, while controlling the tempo of the game. An 11-0 run from the Cougars would put them ahead by 24 with under five minutes to play in the quarter.
Fresh into the final ten minutes, a crafty layup from Whigham would start the cycle and contribute to 21 point quarter for the Cougars.
With under five minutes to play, the Cougars continued to claw past the Stars as nine of the Cougars' final 13 points would come at the hands of Balaban as she went 4-4 at the free throw line with an added triple.
Closing buckets from Kulig and
Alina Paul (Elmwood Park, Ill.) would secure the 75-49 victory for the Cougars.
The Cougars will play their season finale on Saturday for Senior Day as they take on Concordia University Wisconsin. Tip-off is set for 2:00pm with Senior Day recognition prior. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
