(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia men's basketball held their WHAC home opener when they hosted Indiana Tech on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals came in 3-3 overall while the Warriors entered 2-3. CUAA nearly overcame a 21-point deficit late in the second half, but Indiana Tech came away with a 78-73 win.
Colton Ritsema led the Cardinals with 17 points. Bernard Kasanda finished second with 16 points, going 4-6 from behind the arc, which are career highs. Devyn Jones had a team-high 6 rebounds while tying Matt Lockhart with 12 points apiece.
Bernard Kasanda hit a 3-pointer for Concordia's first basket. Thomas Hronis knocked down a high-arcing jumper, but the Warriors answered with an 13-0 run to take a 17-5 lead. Colton Ritsema ended the run with a layup inside and added a triple about a minute later.
Indiana Tech continued to maintain a double-digit lead with consistent shooting. Matt Lockhart used a shifty move to score in the paint and later added an acrobatic reverse layup. Colton Ritsema converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Kip French hit a jumpshot. Devyn Jones made a buzzer-beating drive to the hoop to end the first half, but CUAA trailed 43-27 at halftime.
Devyn Jones opened scoring in the second half with a layup. Evan Neff and Colton Ritsema converted inside as well as the teams traded baskets. Kip French added a jumper as well but Indiana Tech continued to stay ahead by double digits with a 59-39 lead at the 11:37 mark.
Concordia began to mount a comeback with a 14-0 run to pull within single digits. Matt Lockhart drained a pair of free throws and Thomas Hronis added a step-back jumper. Bernard Kasanda scored 10 straight points to cap the run with 2 triples, 2 free throws, and a layup.
The Cardinals continued to inch closer with a triple from Zackary Johnson. The team got within 3 points on multiple occasions after a 3-pointer from Colton Ritsema and two more free throws from Johnson. Bernard Kasanda banked in a triple with 6 seconds left, but Indiana Tech was able to answer the Cardinal runs and survive the upset bid as time expired.
Concordia will remain at home when they host rival Siena Heights on Wednesday, November 17. Tip-off is at 7:30pm.
