The Tide Has Turned
Concordia led for 37:18 of the 40-minutes in their game with Macalester, knocked down key free throws in the final minutes to survive a late 1-man flurry and beat Macalester 83-78.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/01/23)--- Concordia led for 37:18 of the 40-minutes in their game with Macalester, knocked down key free throws in the final minutes to survive a late 1-man flurry and beat the Scots 83-78.
The victory is the second straight for the Cobbers who have started to reverse their trend of close losses. Concordia is now 8-13 overall and 6-10 in league play.
The Scots, who entered the game in second place in the league standings, fall to 13-7 in all games and 9-6 in the MIAC.
Sophomore Rowan Nelson got the Cobbers started on the right path as he knocked down a 3-pointer open the game. The Scots would counter with a shot from distance of their own, before CC rattled off eight of the next 11 points to take a 5-point lead.
Concordia would push the lead to double-digits midway through the opening half, and then coast into the break with a 6-point advantage at 36-30.
Macalester took its only lead of the game at the 14:17 mark of the second period, but then a pair of Nelson free throws and a Matthew Johnson layup put the Cobbers back in front. CC continued to inch the lead up until they had a 12-point lead with 2-minutes to play.
That's when Macalester guard Caleb Williams stepped into the role of Steph Curry and made five 3-pointers to give the Scots hope at the wire. Unfortunately for Macalester, they would be forced to foul the second-best free throw shooting team in the nation and Concordia went 8-for-10 from the foul line in the final minute of play.
Williams finished the game with a career-high 39 points.
The Cobbers finished the game by shooting 78.83% (18-for-23) from the free throw line which is just below their season average.
CC also shot 44.4% (28-for-63) from the field and 32.1% (9-for-28) from distance. The Scots put up similar numbers by connecting on 46.2% (30-for-65) of their attempts from the floor and 36.1% (13-for-36) of their chances from outside the arc. Macalester only went to the line nine times in the game and made five of those attempts.
Concordia held a decisive edge in rebounds as they posted a 43-26 advantage on the glass. CC also had 12 offensive rebounds which led to an 11-4 edge in second-chance points.
The Cobbers had four of their five starters finish with at least 12 points. Johnson continues to post All-Conference numbers. He went 4-for-8 from distance and finished with 22 points. He also came away with a game-high 11 boards to post his first career double-double. The 22 points marks the eighth time this year has finished with at least 20 points in a game.
Nelson put up 18 points and hauled down eight rebounds.
Senior point guard Jackson Jangula was 2-for-4 from outside the arc and added 12 points and six assists.
The surprise of the double-digit crew was Zach Jackson who was 5-for-8 from the floor and tied his career high with 13 points.
Dylan Inniger gave CC five players in double figures in scoring. He came away with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals.
UP NEXT: Concordia will have a week break before putting its 2-game win streak on the line when they play at Gustavus on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 5:45 p.m.
CONCORDIA vs. MACALESTER HIGHLIGHTS