Dustin Hiebert keyed a Cavalier comeback with four three-point field goals against William Jessup.
Second-Half Surge Boosts Concordia to William Jessup Win
PORTLAND, Ore.—Down in the middle of the second half, Concordia clamped down on defense and sued an efficient attack to drop William Jessup 86-60 in non-conference men’s basketball action on Friday night.
Concordia improved to 2-0 with the win and will immediately turn around to travel to Idaho to face NCAA Division I Boise State in an exhibition match. Opening tip at the Taco Bell Center is slated for 7:05 p.m. (MT).
After trailing 20-12 in the first, Concordia used a 13-2 burst to stake a slim lead only to see the visiting Warriors reclaim a double-digit lead with the score 43-31.
Alex Tiefenthaler would generate the final bucket of the half to cut the margin to 45-37 entering the break.
In the second, both teams traded baskets over the first seven minutes of play before a 24-5 stretch would boost the Cavaliers into a double-digit lead of their own. CU enjoyed an 11-point lead with 36 seconds left as William Jessup posted the final three baskets to finish with the six-point deficit.
Tiefenthaler led all scorers with 22 points after hitting 8-of-12 from the field. Teammate Dustin Hiebert added 18 with the aid of a 4-of-7 shooting night from beyond the three-point line. Drew Preuninger reached the 10-point plateau for the Cavs.
Kadeem Kirsten led the Warriors with 20 points while Jason Richardson netted 16 for the visiting club.
William Jessup shot 52.9 percent in the first half compared to 50.0 percent on 13-of-26 for the Cavaliers. Concordia hit an astounding 63.0 of its attempts in the second half while limiting the Warriors to a 41.9 percent rate over the final 20 minutes.
CU also benefited from a 37-to-34 advantage in rebounding and a 17-to16 edge in turnovers.