(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia men's basketball played host to Aquinas on Wednesday night to start the 2023 calendar year. The Cardinals swept the Saints on the season by grinding out a 69-63 victory.
Jayden Priddy led the Cardinals with 17 points. Nate Brighton finished second with 15 points. Kip French was third with 14 points. Devyn Jones led the team with 8 rebounds.
Matt Lockhart had the first Cardinal point with a free throw. Nate Brighton converted an "and-1" and Zackary Johnson made a triple and a layup. The lead continued to shift as Kip French scored off the high glass and Jayden Priddy drained two free throws. A transition basket from Priddy gave CUAA a 15-12 lead at the midway point.
Jayden Priddy continued his strong play with a layup and Zac Clark scored inside as well. Nate Brighton and Kip French chipped in free throws and Brighton drained two triples to pull the Cardinals ahead. A late layup from Brighton gave CUAA a 30-24 lead at halftime.
Nate Brighton continued his run with a triple to start the second half. Matt Lockhart banked in a 3-pointer and Zackary Johnson drove for a layup and two free throws. Jayden Priddy paced the offense with more points including an "and-1" for a 47-46 lead at the 11:18 mark.
Kip French added two free throws and a 3-pointer down the stretch, but the contest would be tied 55-55 with 4:39 to play. Concordia went ahead 60-55 with free throws from Devyn Jones, Colton Ritsema, and Jayden Priddy. However, Aquinas tied the match 61-61 with 2:22 left to play.
After the Saints briefly took the lead, Kip French drained a deep triple to put Concordia up by 1. The Cardinals made their free throws in the final minute while holding on defense to secure the 69-63 win.
Concordia will travel to Indiana Tech this Saturday at 7 pm.
