(Ann Arbor, MI) - Concordia men's basketball held their home opener Friday night against Spring Arbor University. The Cardinals pulled close in the second half, but the Cougars held on for a 71-56 win.
Jack Olis led the team with 16 points. Colby Chapman finished second with 12 points. Jason Jergens finished third with nine points. Mark DeVries led the team with seven rebounds.
Ray Washington-Battle had the first Cardinal basket with a layup. Colby Chapman knocked down a 3-pointer and made a basket for a 7-6 lead. However, Spring Arbor answered with an 11-0 run to retake the lead.
Colby Chapman ended the run with a layup. Jack Olis began to catch fire with a jumper, a triple, and a pair of free throws. Jason Jergens added a late triple, but CUAA trailed 34-19 at halftime.
Jack Olis opened the second half with a 3-pointer. Ray Washington-Battle drove for an "and-1" and the Cardinals eventually used a 10-0 run to claw within three points. Colby Chapman and Jason Jergens knocked down triples and Ray Washington-Battle had two baskets to trim the deficit to 40-37. Spring Arbor rebuilt part of their lead but after a layup from Jack Olis, the Cardinals were behind 48-39 at the midway point of the second half.
Mark DeVries scored a fast break layup as the Cardinals looked to keep pace. However, Spring Arbor rallied to rebuild a double-digit lead late in the game. Jason Jergens hit a 3-pointer and Wyatt Zepp had a pair of triples in the final minutes. However, CUAA fell by a final score of 71-56.
Concordia will open WHAC play next Wednesday, November 20th, when they host University of Michigan-Dearborn at 7:30pm.
