GREENVILLE, Ill. – In one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) men's basketball team took a road trip to face the Greenville University Panthers. It proved to be a game for the ages, marking the highest scoring game in program history, as the Cougars claimed victory in impressive fashion, 136-133. This is also the first time the Cougars have defeated the Panthers since 2023.
Inside the Box
- Knyle Lundy (Atlanta, Ga.) showed out with a remarkable double-double with a career-high 37 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 17-for-20 from the field. He also contributed an assist and a steal.
- Another powerhouse performance came from Matthew Guthrie (Carlyle, Ill.). Guthrie completed a double-double with career highs of 26 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists. He also added a steal to his stat line.
- Jacob Robinson (St. Louis, Mo.) secured a career-high 22 points, in addition to four rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
- Aaron Brown (Joliet, Ill.) put up 18 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
- The final Cougar to secure double digits was Rylan Jean-Baptiste (Orlando, Fla.). He registered a career-best 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a block.
- Ryker Johnson (Fond du Lac, Wis.) recorded a career-high six assists, grabbed five boards, and went 5-for-8 from the line.
First Half
The Panthers scored the first basket of the game, but Robinson immediately responded with a three-pointer, setting the tone for the game. The teams went up and down the court, trading baskets until it was 9-9. The game shifted as Greenville went on a 7-0 run to build a lead, but two layups from Guthrie minimized the damage. Out of the media timeout, the Panthers continued their strong form and extended their lead to 11 points, 24-13, with 14:40 left in the half. The Cougars took a timeout, regrouped, and immediately cut into the lead, starting with a successful and-one from Brown. Another three from Robinson and a layup by Brown put the Cougars back within three, 24-21. As the Panthers continued to try and pull away again, the Cougars squandered their hopes with strong transitional play, catching Greenville on the back foot. With just under nine minutes left in the half, Lundy scored a layup to put CUC within two, 39-37. Two minutes later, Lundy dunked the ball and CUC closed in even further, 42-41. Greenville would extend their lead by seven points once again, but then the game would change. With five and half minutes left, the Panthers would foul Johnson. In the moments afterward, another Greenville player would receive a technical foul, giving the Cougars four free throws. Johnson made both of his and then Robinson stepped up to make the next two. Still in possession of the ball, Robinson capitalized on one from behind the arc to tie the game at 49-49. Guthrie would give CUC its first lead of the game since the opening minutes, but the Panthers were able to head into the locker room with a 69-65 lead at halftime.
Second Half
The teams continued the intensity into the second half. Lundy and Robinson opened the scoring for the Cougars to tie the game at 73-73. From there, CUC found another gear and went on an impressive 17-3 run. With quick transitions, Lundy, Guthrie, Brown, Johnson, and
AJ Willard (Germantown, Wis.) all contributed to the barrage of points. The run ended with another successful and-one from Brown and a layup from Jean-Baptiste to go up, 90-76, the largest margin of the game, with 14:47 still on the clock. Lundy and Guthrie continued to shine and help maintain the lead along with a layup from Jean-Baptiste. However, a three-pointer from the Panthers would tie the game at 98-98 with just over 10 and a half minutes left. Good free throws from Johnson and Jean-Baptiste pushed the Cougars into triple digits, but Greenville answered back with their turn at the line. The teams then traded the lead back-and-forth. With just over seven minutes left, a layup from Brown would push CUC into the lead for the remainder of the game, 112-110. Two clutch free throws from
Adonys Christo (Orlando, Fla.) gave the Cougars a bit more of a buffer and the team ran with it. Lundy led the charge, scoring the next seven out of nine points for the Cougars. With an eight-point lead, 123-115, heading into the final five minutes of the game, Greenville gave it everything they had but Guthrie and Jean-Baptiste kept the team ahead, even if only by slim margins. With 18 seconds left, Lundy made it a two-possession game, with CUC ahead, 135-131. The Panthers went back down the court and scored. Robinson was then fouled and in a critical point in the game, scored from the line. A last ditch three-point effort from the Panthers was unsuccessful and the Cougars won the game 136-133.
What's Next
The Cougars return to River Forest for their home opener against Alma College on Saturday, November 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 pm in Geiseman Gymnasium. Coverage for all things CUC men's basketball can be found at
cucougars.com/coverage.
