Cobbers Battle But Fall Late at Saint John’s, 75–68

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (2/26/26) — Concordia went toe‑to‑toe with Saint John's in a tight, high‑energy MIAC matchup on Thursday night, but a late Johnnie shooting surge proved to be the difference as the Cobbers fell 75–68 inside Sexton Arena.

The Cobbers dug out of an early 14–3 hole with a resilient stretch midway through the first half, sparked by a Payton Schell three, a Peyton Belka triple, and a strong push from Jacob Cook, who scored 10 first‑half points. Concordia matched Saint John's shot‑for‑shot through the final minutes of the opening period, using 17 team rebounds and 12 second‑chance points to climb back into the game. A pair of free throws from Schell gave the Cobbers a 29–28 lead with 1:39 left, but SJU scored the final points of the half to take a 31–29 advantage into the break.

Cook continued his dominance inside to open the second half, scoring four quick points as the teams traded six ties over the first 10 minutes. Justin Courneya provided a spark with a pair of mid‑range finishes and later buried a three that cut the deficit to 66–63 with just over two minutes remaining. But each time the Cobbers closed the gap, Saint John's answered, most notably from beyond the arc. The Johnnies shot 7-for-11 from three in the second half and 10-for‑25 overall, including key makes from Baiden Bean and Charlie Theis that pushed the lead back to two possessions.

Concordia stayed within reach thanks to Cook, who finished with a game‑high 23 points and 11 rebounds for his ninth double‑double of the season. Belka added 11 points, Schell scored 12 with a team‑high five blocks, and Courneya finished with 9 points and two assists. The Cobbers ended the night shooting 41.7%, including 7-for‑18 from deep, and matched Saint John's in turnovers (13–13), assists (14–14), and free‑throw shooting (11‑for‑14).

Saint John's was powered by Peyton Podany's 24 points and Bean's 19‑point performance, using a 44‑point second half to pull away late.

Concordia closes its 2025-26 season with an impressive 20-7 record.