(Adrian, MI) – Concordia men's basketball went on the road to face rival Siena Heights on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals entered with a 5-9 overall record while the Saints came in 2-8 on the year. Both teams traded leads and runs throughout the game, but CUAA eventually pulled away to secure a 65-57 win.
Thomas Hronis led the team with 19 points going 5-7 from behind the arc. Zackary Johnson was second with 14 points. Colton Ritsema was in double figures with 11 points. Bernard Kasanda and Matt Lockhart tied for a team-high 6 rebounds.
A free throw from Matt Lockhart gave Concordia their first points of the game. Bernard Kasanda tied the game 3-3 on an offensive putback and a triple from Zackary Johnson put the Cardinals ahead. Colton Ritsema scored inside and Johnson tacked on another 3-pointer for an early 11-9 lead.
Zackary Johnson split the defense for a layup to tie the game 15-15. The Saints eventually took a 30-23 lead at the 4:20 mark, but a triple from Thomas Hronis began a 13-2 CUAA run to lead the team back ahead. Jordan Winowiecki added a fast break layup during the run and Hronis heated up with two more triples. A layup from Colton Ritsema in the paint put CUAA up 36-32 at halftime.
Thomas Hronis started the 2nd half with another 3-pointer. Bernard Kasanda drove for a basket and Matt Lockhart added a triple. Colton Ritsema scored inside and also made an old-fashioned three-point play for a 49-41 lead at the 13:54 mark.
Siena Heights battled back with a 12-3 run to take the lead with 8:17 to play. The Cardinals went back on top after a layup from Zackary Johnson and a go-ahead floater from Bernard Kasanda. Zackary Johnson and Devyn Jones added triples and the Concordia defense clamped down in the final minutes. CUAA earned a 65-57 victory as time expired.
Concordia will return to action tomorrow hosting UNOH at 3pm.
