Concordia stays perfect with second Alaska win
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Tyler Velasquez (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty H.S.) scored 20 points,
John Erickson (Sisters, Ore./Sisters H.S.) added 18 and the Concordia University men's basketball team battled back from a second-half deficit to sweep a two-game series with NCAA Division II Alaska Anchorage Saturday night at Alaska Airlines Center.
The Cavaliers (4-0) trailed by 11 at 61-50 with 8:32 remaining, but never let the Seawolves (0-2) deliver a knockout punch. Erickson dropped in three timely 3-pointers down the stretch, the defense forced six turnovers during the same period and the offense forced the issue by drawing fouls that led to free-throw attempts.
Alaska Anchorage, looking for its first win in its new arena, created a 3-point attempt for Travis Thompson in the final seconds for the game-winner, but fell short as the corner 3 rattled off the rim.
"It was another exciting win," CU head coach
Brad Barbarick said. "It was a tremendous effort to come back to win against a talented UAA team on its own floor. We used the same formula with some great defensive pressure."
Concordia trailed for all but 14 seconds of the first half as the home team jumped out to a 14-4 lead on a Kevin Bowman 3-pointer at the 16:23 mark. Later in the half, Erickson tied the game at 30-30 on a 3-pointer of his own, and following a AUU layup by Kalidou Diouf, CU saw its first lead with 2:29 remaining on a Velasquez trey.
Bowman connected on a jumper with 2:15 on the clock for a 34-33 lead that held to the break as neither team converted an attempt in the final two minutes.
Erickon's fifth 3-pointer of the game, occurring with 3:50 left in the second half gave the Cavs its second short-lived lead at 69-68 as a return shot from distance by Thompson returned the edge to the Seawolves.
From there, the CU defense forced UAA into three misses and two turnovers as the Seawolves lone points in the final two minutes came from the free throw line.
Back-to-back buckets by
Thomas Pierce (Gary, Ind./Roosevelt H.S.) and
Esvan Middleton (Culver City, Calif./Culver City H.S.) pushed CU's lead to three (74-71), its largest of the game, with 37 seconds remaining. Brian McGill sank two free throws with 23 seconds remaining before Velasquez converted the front end of a 1-and-1with 16 ticks left for the final spread.
McGill led UAA with 21 points while shooting 7 for 9 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
UAA outshot Concordia 45.5 percent to 39.7 percent while the visitor's snared a 42-36 edge in rebounds.
Concordia will return to action on Monday, Nov. 10 hen it hosts Montana State-Northern. Opening tip is set for 7:30 p.m. inside the Cavalier Gymnasium.