(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia men's basketball hosted rival Madonna on Saturday afternoon in a WHAC battle. The Cardinals held a 35-31 lead at halftime, but a second-half rally pushed the Crusaders to a 72-66 win.
Nate Brighton led the team with a career-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. Matt Kohler had 12 points on 4-5 shooting from behind the arc. Jayden Priddy and Kip French were in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Nate Brighton stripped the ball from a defender and scored Concordia's first points. Brighton and Matt Kohler added triples as the Cardinals led early in the contest. Devyn Jones drove for a layup and Kip French hit a 3-pointer to keep the offense going. The lead continued to shift with CUAA trailing 17-15 at the midway point.
Nate Brighton made a go-ahead triple and Jayden Priddy added two free throws and a midrange jumper. Colton Ritsema chipped in two free throws in his season debut. Matt Kohler made a 3-pointer over his defender and Colton Ritsema also connected from behind the arc. CUAA led 35-31 at halftime.
Matt Kohler ended a 9-0 Madonna run with a triple in the second half. Kip French made a jumper and Zackary Johnson hit a 3-pointer. However, the Crusaders continued to improve offensively and led 49-43 at the midway point of the half.
Matt Lockhart made a free throw and a layup and Nate Brighton continued his standout day with a 3-pointer. Jayden Priddy began to take over the offense with a triple and four free throws. Matt Lockhart added a late triple and a layup, but time began to run out. Matt Kohler hit a triple at the buzzer, but CUAA fell 72-66.
Concordia will play a significant exhibition game this Monday at 7pm when they travel to NCAA Division I Western Michigan before returning to WHAC play on Wednesday.
