(Ann Arbor, MI) - The 72nd Annual Concordia Invitational Tournament got started on Friday afternoon and the third game of day featured the Concordia Cardinals women's basketball team taking on the Falcons of Concordia Wisconsin. The Cardinals grabbed the lead in the first two minutes of the game and never gave it up.
Abby Long led the team against the Falcons as she recorded 17 points while Jess Andrew was second with nine. Brooke Brauher tallied seven rebounds and Long recorded six.
Abby Long got the scoring started for the Cardinals with a three-pointer. After a CUW basket, Jess Andrew converted an "and-1" to break the tie. Long and Julia Hirt made a pair of free throws to close out the scoring in the first quarter as the Falcons missed a shot at the buzzer.
Long once again began the quarter with a three to give CUAA a 11-3 lead. CUW added a pair of layups to cut the lead back down to seven. A Jess Andrew layup forced the Falcons to call a timeout midway through the period. Before the end of the half Lauren Borsenik recorded a pair of layups before Andrew and Hirt closed out the CUAA scoring.
The first offensive possession of the second half saw Avery Collins open the scoring with Hannah Vallier following suit. A Collins layup and an Emily McCalla three gave the Cardinals a 34-20 lead. After a pair of CUW baskets, Borsenik made a layup with seconds left to end the third with a 38-26 lead.
The Cardinal defense was active in the fourth as they held CUW to two points in the quarter. Borsenik scored a bucket before Long had another three to extend it two a 15 point lead. Brooke Brauher and Hannah Vallier closed out the scoring in the game as the Cardinals picked up the 54-28 win.
The Cardinals will be back in action tomorrow as they take on the Bulldogs of Concordia Nebraska in the CIT championship game at 6 PM.
