MADISON – The Edgewood College Eagles men's basketball squad returned to the Todd Wehr Edgedome Saturday afternoon. Looking to get back to their winning ways, they hosted a Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) foe in the Concordia Wisconsin Cougars. The Eagles (3-5, 3-1 NACC) propelled themselves to a 93-89 victory with a strong second half versus the Cougars (3-5, 1-3).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- A 6-2 stretch by the Cougars gave them the first multi-possession lead of the day at 14-10 at the 15:49 mark. The edge would fall with back-to-back threes at 7:24 and 6:44 by
Payton Bowser and
Cade Ellingson respectively for a 35-31 edge.
- The Eagles would nurse their slim lead until the final seconds of the first half. A three-pointer followed by a turnover led to a last-second jumper for five unanswered and a 50-48 lead for Concordia Chicago heading into the locker room.
- The Cougars scored seven fast break points to Edgewood College's zero in the first frame.
- Three-pointers continued to propel the Eagles forward, with a pair of threes helping them surge forward on a 10-4 rally for a 58-54 lead just two minutes into the second half. The next four minutes were all Edgewood College as they pushed ahead to a 72-62 lead, the largest lead from either squad on the afternoon, with 13:11 remaining.
- The electric Concordia Chicago offense roared to life in the next four minutes. A 18-4 reply swung momentum back to their court with an 80-76 edge at 7:42.
- Ellingson's three-point shooting would come in clutch once more, sinking a three at 4:45 to give the Eagles an 85-84 edge. The narrow advantage would stay with the hosts for the remaining minutes, with six made free throws in a row- including four from Ellingson- extinguishing the Cougars' hopes.
- Both offenses were efficient and effective. Edgewood College tallied a 56.7 (34-of-60) shooting percentage from the field and a 42.3 (11-of-26) percentage beyond the arc. Concordia Chicago finished with 54.7 (35-of-64) shooting from the field.
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Drew Houtakker continued to excel. He earned 24 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and a pair of blocks, all team-highs.
- Ellingson provided a spark in crucial spots down the stretch. He finished with 22 points with 4-of-8 shooting from three-point land, as well as a pair of steals.
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Luke Cervelli put together another strong game in his sophomore campaign. He recorded 19 points with 9-of-11 shooting from the field and eight rebounds, tying the team-best.
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Dawson Hughes tallied eight points and seven assists, equal to the squad's high.
- Justin Greenlee was a force to be reckoned with for the visitors. He scored a game-high 29 points with 10-of-17 shooting in the defeat.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The 28 assists as a team is tied for second on the single-game record books.
- Houtakker's 24 points and seven assists were new individual bests.
- Cervelli's 19 points and Ellingson's 22 were highs for both Eagles.
- Hughes' seven assists set a new high-water mark.
- The victory snapped a three-game losing streak against the Cougars. Edgewood College holds a 24-9 lead in the all-time series.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will close out the Edgedome's 2023 slate Wednesday with more NACC action. They host the Concordia Wisconsin Falcons with first tip scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Edgewood College holds a 40-37 edge all-time against the Falcons, though the Falcons won their last meeting.
