Box Score
RIVER FOREST, Ill. - A quick burst to open the game seemed like a good omen for the Edgewood College men's basketball team against Concordia University Chicago. However, the Northern Athletics Conference South Division leader regrouped and controlled most of the rest of the game in claiming an 81-67 victory at Geiseman Gymnasium.
Edgewood College sophomore Ben Wisniewski opened the game with a pair of layups followed immediately by a Kent Faurote layup off a Derek Nkemnji steal, and the Eagles had a 6-0 lead before the Cougars had even attempted a shot. However, Concordia Chicago (12-9, 9-4 NAC) called a 30-second timeout and quickly tied the score at seven.
The game was tied again when the Cougars made a decisive move. Mike Litchenfield scored seven points over the next six minutes as Concordia Chicago went on a 19-8 run for a 33-22 lead. Wisniewski would score a layup and freshman Michael Gehring added two free throws to trim the margin back to seven points, but that would be as close as the Eagles would get for the rest of the game.
Edgewood College (10-11, 7-6 NAC) fell behind by as many 17 points, before making their final rally of the game with less than six minutes to play. Faurote hit a three-point basket and Andrew Cobb followed soon after with a conventional three-point play. Jeff Barczak would score six points on the run before Nkemnji made a free throw and a layup to make the score 71-63 in favor of the Cougars, but with just over three minutes to play there wasn't enough time left for a comeback.
Faurote nailed four three-pointers on the afternoon and finished with a team-high 16 points. Barczak tallied 10 of his 15 points in the second half and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Nkemnji was the only other Eagle in double figures with 10 points and four assists. Edgewood College shot just 39.7 percent from the field, compared to Concordia Chicago's 54.9 percent.
Five losses in their last seven conference games have left the Eagles in a tie for second place with Lakeland College in the NAC North Division. With the top two teams in each division earning first round home games in the NAC Tournament, the Eagles have just three games left to try and gain an advantage on the Muskies. Edgewood College will begin their task next Thursday at Maranatha Baptist for a 7:00 p.m. tilt.
