Box Score
MADISON, Wis. – The Edgewood College men's basketball team dropped its regular season finale and second straight Northern Athletics Conference game in a 68-58 loss to Concordia University Wisconsin at the Todd Wehr Edgedome on Senior Day on Tuesday.
Turnovers combined with their lowest scoring output of the season doomed the Eagles in their final tune-up before conference tournament play. As a team, Edgewood College (13-11, 11-5 NAC) committed 18 turnovers in which Concordia Wisconsin turned into 21 points. That followed up a 21-turnover display at Rockford last Saturday. Despite all of that, the Eagles still managed to keep it a close game near the end.
The Falcons used a 10-0 run to jump out to a 23-11 lead with less than nine minutes to go in the first half and the Eagles had an answer. After going 2-for-10 to start the game, Edgewood College's lone senior, Jon Ciche, who was honored prior to tip-off, helped ignite an 11-1 run. Ciche's two buckets followed by a Brock Bidlingmaier 3-pointer cut the deficit to 24-22 with 4:58 to go until halftime.
Ben Wisniewski scored two of his team-high 18 points to get the Eagles within 26-25 heading into the break. The Falcons set the tone early in the second half, jumping out to an 8-1 run in the first four minutes. Again, the Eagles had an answer, eventually taking a 41-39 lead near the midway point in the second half. That was when Concordia Wisconsin's leading scorer, Edward Newton-Kemp, came to life. Newton-Kemp scored seven straight points, converting two buckets off of backcourt steals, en route to a 12-0 Falcon run. Their lead would grow to as many as 13 points late in the game.
Kent Faurote did his best to get the Eagles back in it after hitting a three-point basket to get his team back to within seven points, but Concordia Wisconsin knocked down enough free throws late to prevent any sort of comeback and took a big confidence-building road win back to Mequon just in time for the NAC tournament.
The Eagles went 18-of-51 (35.3 percent) from the field and just 5-of-18 from 3-point range. It was a large contrast from their previous meeting with the Falcons when Edgewood College sunk 11-of-18 from downtown en route to a 17-point victory on the road.
Concordia Wisconsin out-rebounded the Eagles 44-38, 16 of those coming on the offensive end. Newton-Kemp led all scorers with 23 points, 16 of which came in the second half. Concordia Wisconsin's Barth recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds as did Edgewood College's Ciche who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with his five blocked shots.
Benedictine scored a 74-71 win over Aurora on Tuesday to claim the NAC South Division title and will host Edgewood College on Saturday in a battle of Eagles for the overall No. 1 seed in the NAC Tournament. Tip-off in Lisle, Ill. is slated for 6:00 p.m.
