(Chicago, IL) – Concordia men's basketball competed against tournament host Concordia-Chicago on Saturday afternoon in the consolation bracket of the Concordia Invitational Tournament. Both teams came in looking to bring home a third-place title for their respective schools. The game came down to an exciting finish and the Cardinals were able to secure a 67-66 victory.
Jerald Booker led CUAA with 17 points in the game. Thomas Hronis finished second with 11 points. Matt Lockhart was also in double figures with 10 points. Paul Zysk led the team with 8 rebounds.
A free throw from Bernard Kasanda gave the Cardinals their first point. After falling behind 7-1, baskets from Jerald Booker and Paul Zysk pulled CUAA within 2 points. A triple from Matt Lockhart tied the game 9-9 at the 14:16 mark.
Lockhart continued to lead the Cardinals' offense with a layup and a 3-pointer. A pair of layups from Bernard Kasanda gave CUAA their first lead with a 20-19 advantage. Jerald Booker extended the lead with a 3-pointer at the 7:45 mark.
The game remained closely contested as the Cougars tied the game 23-23 with 4:55 to play in the 1st half. The lead continued to shift with Concordia-Chicago taking a 29-27 lead, but the Cardinals fought back to take the lead before halftime. Jordan Winowiecki made a layup and Emmanuel Dominguez drained two free throws to give CUAA a 31-29 lead heading to the locker room.
Paul Zysk made an offensive rebound and a putback to begin the 2nd half. The Cougars fought back to take a 35-34 lead, but the Cardinals answered with an 8-0 run to go up by 7 points at the 15:53 mark.
Colton Ritsema converted an old-fashioned three-point play off a strong move in the paint to keep the Cardinals in front. Thomas Hronis began to heat up from behind the arc with three straight 3-pointers, lifting CUAA to a 53-44 lead with 12:06 remaining.
Colton Ritsema knocked down a triple and Hronis added a layup as the Cardinals continued to stay ahead. The Cougars began to tighten the game in the late stages, making a late 10-2 run to limit CUAA's lead to just 63-62 with 2:03 to play. Concordia-Chicago tied the game 64-64 at the 1:27 mark.
Both fan bases began to erupt with excitement as the game went down to a frantic finish. Jerald Booker spun in the paint and made a layup while drawing contact, making the ensuing free throw. The Cougars made a steal and a layup to make it a 67-66 game with 17 seconds remaining.
After a 5-second violation on the Cardinals led to a turnover, the Cougars had an opportunity for a game-winning winning shot. The game appeared to end after a 3-point shot rattled around the rim and bounced out, but the officials ruled that a timeout had been called prior to the shot.
Concordia-Chicago inbounded the ball with 2 seconds remaining in the game. Time narrowly expired before a layup by the Cougars, securing a 67-66 CUAA victory.
The Cardinals will return to action at home on Wednesday, January 29 when the team hosts Lawrence Tech. Tip-off is set for 8pm following the conclusion of the women's game.
