(Ann Arbor, MI) Hoping to keep a two game win streak alive as they entered the final stretch of the season, the Concordia Cardinals Men's Basketball team (9-16, 5-10 WHAC) took on the Aquinas Saints (8-18, 4-12 WHAC) Saturday afternoon in the Cardinal Field House. There was a lot on the line for the Cardinals who had an opportunity to record a series sweep against the conference rival while also looking to hang onto the eighth, and final, playoff seed. Aquinas' second half performance however would prove too much for the Cards, who would fall by a score of 80-71.
Notable Cardinal performances in the loss were Jerald Booker, Guard, with 21 points (8-17 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-8 FT, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists); Jordan Winowiecki, Forward, with 14 points (5-11 FG, 4-9 3PT, and 3 rebounds); and Tyler Black, Guard, with 8 points (3-5 FG, 2-2 3PT, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists).
In what would prove to be a close fought, back and forth half, both Saints and Cards would exchange quick offensive strikes. Concordia in particular appeared very confident, especially when shooting the three, not scoring a point inside the arc for the first seven minutes. Aquinas refused to go away however, using an effective defense to keep the contest close. Both squads passed and rebounded particularly well, illustrating how evenly matched the first half was. After a clean, but hard fought twenty minutes of play, the Cardinals would go into the locker rooms leading by a score of 38-35.
The second half would start much like the first did, with Concordia aggressively shooting the three while the Saints continued doing enough to stay within striking distance of the lead. This would not continue to be the case, as Aquinas would go on a 19-2 scoring run, taking a double digit lead midway through the half. Refusing to relent, and continuing to capitalize on transition points, the Saints continued to push the Cards out of the picture as Concordia could not find the hot hands that were so prevalent in the first half. Just when it seemed like the Cardinals were about to be written off, the Cards offense exploded back onto the scene, cutting the Saints lead back down to three. The effort would prove to be too little too late however, as Aquinas would go on to claim the victory, by a score of 80-71.
The Cardinals (9-17, 5-11 WHAC) have a tough remaining schedule starting with a Wednesday night clash against the University of Michigan-Dearborn (15-10, 8-7 WHAC) as Concordia attempts to regain their number eight playoff seed. Tipoff is set for 7:30 at the UM Dearborn Fieldhouse.
