(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia men's basketball hosted Cornerstone on Tuesday night to continue WHAC conference play. The matchup was the first between the teams since the Cardinals' first-round upset over the Golden Eagles in last spring's WHAC tournament. CUAA nearly erased a 25-point deficit with a strong second-half comeback effort, but Cornerstone claimed an 85-66 win.
Kip French led Concordia with 14 points. Bernard Kasanda finished second with 13 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. Zackary Johnson and Matt Lockhart were also in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.
Matt Lockhart hit a 3-pointer for the first Concordia basket of the game. Lockhart added a basket on a scoop shot and later dished to Devyn Jones for a layup. Kip French hit an early triple and Zackary Johnson added a quick drive to the basket. However, Cornerstone began to find success inside and led 25-12 near the midway point of the half.
Devyn Jones scored inside and Zackary Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer as the Cardinals looked to fight back in the game. Colton Ritsema added a post bucket and Kip French drained his second triple of the contest. Zac Clark made an offensive putback and Matt Lockhart made an acrobatic twisting layup late in the half. However, Cornerstone consistently made their baskets and led 48-29 at halftime.
Bernard Kasanda scored Concordia's first 7 points of the second half with a layup and two 3-pointers. Matt Lockhart also drained a triple as the Cardinals looked to mount a comeback. Zackary Johnson knocked down two 3-pointers and Thomas Hronis hit a deep triple, cutting the deficit to 65-51.
Colton Ritsema scored on the fast break and two baskets from Kip French made it just a 10-point game. A 3-pointer from Bernard Kasanda trimmed the deficit to single digits with Cornerstone ahead 69-60. Two free throws from Thomas Hronis pulled the Cardinals within 7 points.
Cornerstone began to surge back in the game with shots from behind the arc. While Kip French and Colton Ritsema added layups down the stretch, the Golden Eagles were able to come away with the 85-66 win as time expired.
Concordia's next game will be an exhibition contest on Friday, November 26 when the team travels to NCAA Division I Ohio University. Tip-off is at 4pm.
