A College Basketball Time Machine Classic

MOORHEAD, Minn. (1/14/26)---If you wanted to bottle a game and show someone from another planet what college basketball is all about, then Concordia's game against No.14-ranked Gustavus on Wednesday would be a good place to start.

You want drama? How about 18 lead changes with each team holding a 9-point lead during the contest. You want quality individual performances? How about a 20-20 from Concordia's Jacob Cook and a 24-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist performance from the Gusties' Jake Schmitt? You want late-game tension? How about Concordia tying the game in regulation on a pair of made free throws from Cook with 5-seconds remaining after Gustavus missed a free throw that could have put them up by three.

All those qualities added up to an instant MIAC classic. Unfortunately for the Cobbers, they were outscored 12-7 in overtime and lost 82-77 to the nationally-ranked Gusties.

The loss drops Concordia's overall record to 10-5 on the year while they move to 2-4 in MIAC play. Gustavus wins for the 12th straight game and remains unbeaten in the conference. GAC is now 14-1 in all games and 6-0 against league opponents.

The first half belonged to Gustavus as they built their 9-point lead midway through the period. The Gusties led by six at32-26 with 2:14 before CC closed on an 8-5 run to go into the break only down three at 37-34.

The second half belonged to the Cobbers as they built their 9-point lead midway through the final frame. CC scored the first four points in the second period and then fashioned a 15-6 run to take their biggest lead of the contest.

Gustavus chipped into the lead over the next five minutes and took a 2-point lead with 5:25 left which set the stage for the final 5-minutes of on the edge of your seat action.

The game was tied on three occasions in the final 3-minutes with momentum swings coming often as gym ads on TV after the first of every year.

The teams traded baskets four different times during the final 2 minutes with Gustavus holding a 1-point lead at 69-68 with 30 seconds to play.

The Cobbers missed a corner three which set the end-game scenario with GAC making only one of two foul shots which allowed Cook to tie the game with :05 left on the clock in regulation.

Concordia started the extra period by taking a 3-point lead when Peyton Belka caned a shot from distance. Gustavus scored the next five points to take a 75-73 and then Justin Courneya tied the game for the 18th, and final, time on a pair of free throws with 1:28 to play.

The Gusties were able to score the next three points and then held on by making four straight free throws from a player who hadn't made a shot all night.

Concordia held a better shooting percentage from the floor while Gustavus posted better numbers from outside the arc. CC finished the game by shooting 42.9% (27-for-63) from the floor and 21.4% (6-for-28) from 3-point range while Gustavus made 38.8% (26-for-67) of its shots from the field and 37.9% (11-for-29) of the attempts from distance.

Both teams were around the 77.0% shooting mark from the free throw line with both squads taking over 20 foul shots.

Cook came up with the first 20-20 of his career. He put up 29 points and grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds. Cook joins teammate Jackson Loge and former CC great John Fraase as the only Cobber players to record a 20-20 in the last 25 years.

Cook's 29-point game ups his season points per game average to 20.9. The 22 boards pushed his season average into double digits (10.4). He is second in the MIAC in both scoring and rebounding.

Belka and Cole Holzer also scored at least 10 points. Belka had 15 points and five assists while Holzer came through with a career-high 13 points on a 6-for-7 shooting night.

Concordia will hope for a less dramatic game when they host Augsburg on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m.