Box Score
MEQUON, Wis. – A career-high 17 points from Amber Hemp and a near double-double from Megan Scheele weren't enough to trip up Concordia Wisconsin in Mequon on Tuesday night. The Falcons scored a 77-73 win at Buuck Fieldhouse to distance themselves from the Eagles in the Northern Athletics Conference North Division.
The Eagles (10-6, 8-2 NAC) hung tough throughout the game, but in the end saw their 8-game conference winning streak and 6-game winning streak overall, snapped at the hands of Pearl Wallace and Krista Mayyou who kept Edgewood College at bay with monster games in front of their home crowd.
Wallace turned in her second straight double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Mayyou finished with 24 points and six boards in 39 minutes of action. The Falcons dominated the boards 41-31 and garnered 17 offensive rebounds, which proved to be a big reason behind their 21 second chance points on the night.
Hemp's career-high 17 points came on 7-of-9 shooting which also included 2-of-2 from beyond the three-point arc to go with six rebounds in 37 minutes. Scheele fell one rebound shy of her 50th career double-double as she finished just below her average with 21 points on the night.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Concordia Wisconsin answered with 11 straight points. The Falcons would push the lead to as many as 10 in the first half, but settled with a 6-point advantage at halftime. In the first meeting between both teams back on Nov. 29, the Falcons came into the Todd Wehr Edgedome and handed the Eagles an 80-54 shellacking that undoubtedly left some sour tastes in the mouths of Head Coach Tola Neils and her crew.
There was much more drama on this night, however. With the Falcons leading 51-46 midway through the second half, Janelle Gosh was determined to get her team back in it as she charged hard to the basket for the hoop and the harm. She would connect on the free throw and finish with 10 points. On the next Eagle possession, Brianna Droessler nailed a bucket to tie the game for two of her six points off the bench. Droessler also pulled down six rebounds.
After that 5-0 run by Edgewood College, the Falcons went on a run of their own shortly after. They jumped out to an 8-point lead following a layup by Wallace to break a 55-55 tie and put her team in control. From the final 5-plus minutes, the Falcons had an answer for every Edgewood College basket. The Eagles failed to get within four points down the stretch and fell by that very same margin.
The good news for Eagle fans is that a similar situation occurred last season when Concordia Wisconsin won both regular season meetings against Edgewood College, but when it mattered most in the NAC Tournament, the Eagles upended the Falcons to advance to the championship game. With the way both squads are playing now, they seem destined to meet one more time in this year's NAC Tournament. One change will exist this season as it will be the first time ever in NAC Tournament play that an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament will be awarded to the winner.
Ashley Averkamp was the fourth Eagle in double figures on Tuesday night finishing with 10 points. Edgewood College shot a solid 48.1 percent (26-of-54) from the field and a stellar 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Edgewood College will host MSOE this Saturday for “Jam the Gym” at the Todd Wehr Edgedome. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
