RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Happy New Year Cougars! Check out how Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletics rang in 2026 and what action is still to come.
Women's Basketball (4-8, 2-2)
The women's basketball team competed in two games.
On New Year's Eve, the Cougars hosted Anderson University (Ind.) for a non-conference matchup. CUC gave it everything they had but fell just short, 57-52.
Ai Yonemura (Yachiyo, Chiba-Japan) led the squad with 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Also scoring double figures was
Grace King (Fairland, Ind.), with 11 points. She also added seven rebounds and one assist.
Sophia Pedraza (Carol Stream, Ill.) totaled nine points while
Abbi Dykstra (Yale, Mich.) grabbed four rebounds.
To kick off 2026, CUC hosted Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) for a Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) contest. The Cougars rattled the Warriors early, but ultimately couldn't hold them off, falling 89-57. King led the charge with 13 points and three rebounds. Yonemura picked up a career-high eight assists and banked 12 points.
Naveya Jackson (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and
Abby Kulig (Carol Stream, Ill.) tallied nine and eight points, respectively.
The Cougars play two NACC games this week. On Wednesday, January 7, CUC hits the road to take on Rockford University at 7:00 pm. Then on Saturday, January 10, the Cougars head to Wisconsin to compete against Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) at 1:00 pm.
Men's Basketball (5-7, 4-1)
The men's basketball team played twice this week.
To finish out 2025, the Cougars took a short trip to Chicago to face the Vikings of North Park University. It was a tight battle, but the Cougars fell 98-83.
Darrian Williams (Garland, Texas) accumulated a career-high seven assists, a team-leading 16 points, and two rebounds.
Aaron Brown (Joliet, Ill.) and
AJ Willard (Germantown, Wis.) each totaled 13 points with Brown grabbing five boards and Willard nabbing four.
Tallis Lowery (Fairview Heights, Ill.) finished just behind them with 12 points.
Conference play started right back up in the new year with the Warriors of WLC coming to town on January 3. In a game that truly showed it isn't over until the final whistle, the Cougars clawed their way to an 85-84 victory. Williams ended the night at the helm of the offense with 20 points, three rebounds, and one steal.
Sebastian Hill (Decatur, Ill.) walked away with a career-high 16 points and three rebounds. Brown followed with 15 points and nine rebounds while
Honore Yangoua (Williamstown, Ky.) recorded a team-high 10 rebounds.
This week the Cougars will continue NACC play. They will host Rockford on Wednesday, January 7, at 7:00 pm. Then on Saturday, January 10, CUC will travel to Wisconsin to take on MSOE. Tipoff is set for 3:15 pm.
Track & Field
Both track & field teams resume competition this week as the Cougars head to Chicago for the Phoenix Invite, hosted by University of Chicago.
You can keep up with all things CUC Athletics on Twitter @CUChicagoSports, watch all the action at cucougars.com/coverage, and view all photos from the seasons
here.
