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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COUGAR WOMEN EVEN NIIC RECORD
BUT LOSE TWICE AT CIT TOURNAMENT
February 2, 2004 -- The women’s basketball team of Concordia University, River Forest, Ill., came through with its biggest win of the 2003-04 season, an 87-60 pounding of host Clarke College on Jan. 27. However, the Cougars’ success did not carry over on their trip to the Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT) in Seward, Nebraska. The Cougars lost to host Concordia Seward 91-29 and Concordia Ann Arbor (Mich.) 59-44 to finish their busy week at 9-10, 3-3.
Atoi Sinclair turned in one of the most dominating performances in recent memory with a 31-point, 16-rebound game at Clarke. The 5’9” freshman forward hit on 10 of 17 shots from the field and added 11 of 14 at the free throw line. Concordia built a 42-22 lead after 20 minutes and then shot a blistering 61 percent (17-28) in the second half to quell any thoughts of a comeback by the Crusaders. Vanessa Acosta chipped in with 13 points, four assists and four steals, and Kristin Groth added 11 points, four assists and three steals.
The Cougars’ first-round CIT game at Seward couldn’t have been more different as their opponent, the Concordia Seward Bulldogs, began play last week in 11th place in the NAIA national rankings. The Bulldogs opened up a huge lead early while their full court pressure never allowed the Cougars to wrest away any momentum. River Forest was held to 13-55 (.236) from the field, including 2-15 (.133) from three-point range, and converted their only free throw of the game while the Bulldogs were good on 34 of 65 shots (.523) and 21 of 27 (.778) free throws. Sarah Harrison led the hosts with 14 points while Sinclair topped the Cougars with eight points and 10 rebounds.
In Saturday’s consolation round, the Cougars jumped out to a quick 14-6 lead against Ann Arbor. However, the Cardinals ran off the next 12 points and held on to a 24-20 lead at halftime. Two threes by Groth enabled the Cougars to catch the Cardinals momentarily at 26-26 but, once again, Ann Arbor reclaimed the lead. Acosta’s three with 5:57 left tied the game again at 38-38. However, the Cardinals responded with a 12-1 run over the next three minutes to take full and final control of the contest. Acosta’s 12 points led the Cougars, and Elizabeth Zielke added nine points and nine boards. Sinclair pulled down 12 rebounds to pace the Cougars’ 47-38 advantage on the boards.
Concordia will resume NIIC play with a Tuesday, Feb. 3 game at Eureka College. The Cougars then return home for a 1:30 game on Saturday, Feb. 7 versus Rockford College.
CIT Women’s Notes: Seward fought off a hard challenge from Concordia Mequon (Wis.) to win 93-80 in the women’s championship game on Saturday night. Seward’s Sarah Harrison, named tournament MVP, scored 27 points while the upset-minded Falcons were led by JQ Stewart’s 25…Harrison’s MVP honor was her second in three years…Joining Harrison on the all-tournament team were Seward’s Elizabeth Rhoden (last year’s MVP), Mequon’s Stacy Rusch, Ann Arbor’s Sarrah Palmer and the Cougars’ Elizabeth Zielke…Seward’s win was their ninth in a row, second under head coach Todd Voss, and 16th out of the last 18th. Mequon was the last to dethrone the Bulldogs in a CIT, that coming at River Forest in 1993…Mequon had advanced to this year’s title game with a 52-46 win over Ann Arbor in the first round…River Forest will host next year’s tournament, the 54th, on Jan. 28-29, 2005.
WINLESS WEEK FOR COUGAR
MEN EXTENDS SKID TO 10
February 2, 2004 -- A strong effort by Concordia’s men’s basketball team came up just short on Saturday, Jan. 31 as they lost to Concordia Ann Arbor (Mich.) in the consolation round of the 53rd annual Concordia Invitational Tournament in Seward, Nebraska.
The Cougars got off to a good start behind the hot hand of Hans Stelzer who poured in 10 first-half points. However, Ann Arbor held a 32-29 lead at half and extended it to as big as 10 points in the second half. Lonale Rowry and Dan Oberlin gave good efforts off the bench and brought the Cougars within 59-56 with 3:49 remaining. River Forest was unable to get any closer, however, as the Cardinals connected on five of six free throws down the stretch and got clutch baskets from Damon Friday (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Matt Mikel (10 points). Rowry finished with 18 points while Stelzer scored 16, and Oberlin added 10 points and six rebounds.
In Friday’s first-round game, the Falcons of Concordia Mequon (Wis.) riddled the Cougar defense for 15 three-pointers en route to a 103-75 victory. The Falcons connected on 7-12 (.583) from behind the arc in the first half and 8-16 (.500) in the second half. Overall, the Falcons shot 34-64 (.531) from the floor to the Cougars’ 24-50 (.480), but River Forest could hit on just 4-19 (.211) from long range. Rowry led the Cougar scoring with 18 points while John Clancy recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Matt Nietfeldt finished with 13 points.
Earlier in the week, the Cougars lost their seventh NIIC game of the season, bowing at Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa by a final of 85-61. Keith Peterson scored a career-high 21 points, including five three-pointers, and Adam Swain added 11 points and eight rebounds, but the Cougars were victimized by four Crusaders in double figures, led by Joemi Byrd’s 23.
Concordia (3-16, 0-7) will travel to Eureka College on Wednesday, Feb. 4 before hosting Rockford College on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 3:30 p.m.
CIT Men’s Notes: The host Concordia Seward Bulldogs erased a 13-point second-half deficit and roared back to defeat the Falcons of Concordia Mequon by an 82-75 final in the men’s championship game. The Bulldogs, who defeated Ann Arbor 72-51 in Friday’s first-round game, got 20 points from Anthony Elias and 14 from Rick Dietze…Mequon’s Ryan Wietor, who had collapsed after Thursday’s practice, recovered well enough to play two outstanding games and earn men’s MVP honors. Wietor poured in 34 points against Seward, almost single-handedly keeping the Falcons in the hunt…Joining Wietor on the all-tournament team were Elias and Dietze of Seward, Damon Friday of Ann Arbor, and the Cougars’ Lonale Rowry…The tournament, which began with only men’s basketball in 1950, is the second longest running in college basketball. Only the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for NCAA I teams has enjoyed a longer run.