Clauson scored 17 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds
Cavaliers Hold on to Defeat CCC Leader Northwest, 66-54
BOX SCORE
PORTLAND, Ore. – Concordia limited Northwest to 20.0 percent shooting in building a 42-15 halftime lead, and the Cavaliers coasted to a 66-54 Cascade Collegiate Conference win over the first-place Eagles Friday night at Cavalier Gymnasium.
With the win, Concordia improves to 19-8 overall and 11-4 in the CCC, one game behind the Eagles for the top spot in the conference. Northwest falls to 18-6 overall and 12-3 in conference play.
The Cavaliers scored the first nine points of the contest, and Northwest would never get closer than five as the Eagles struggled to shoot the ball consistently. Concordia’s lead reached double-figures at the midway point of the first half, when Sarah Letourneau’s free throw put CU up 16-6. From the point that Northwest made a pair of free throws to pull within 11-6, Concordia outscored the visitors 31-9 the rest of the period.
Concordia and Northwest, two of the top three shooting teams in the Cascade Conference, both struggled from the field in the game. The Cavaliers limited the Eagles to 6-of-30 for 20.0 percent in the first period, but CU only shot 38.9 percent (14-of-36) before the break. The Eagles improved in the second half to match CU’s first-half line of 14-of-36, still well below their season average of 42.4 percent entering the game. Northwest finished the game 20-of-66 for 30.3 percent shooting, while CU struggled in the second half and finished the game at 34.4 percent (21-of-61).
Northwest opened the second half with a 15-7 run that pulled the Eagles to within 19 points at 49-30 will 11:10 to play, but the Cavaliers scored the next seven points to stretch their lead back to 26 at 56-30. The Eagles did not go away, however, as over the next six minutes they outscored CU 19-4 to reach 60-49 with 2:36 remaining in regulation.
With the Eagles threatening to get back into the game in the closing minutes, Danielle Clauson took over for CU, scoring on back-to-back buckets before making a free throw with 1:05 to play to give CU a 16-point lead at 65-49. Brittney Marshall sank a couple shots for Northwest in the final minute, including a three-pointer with 14 seconds left, but the Cavs held on for the 66-54 win.
Clauson finished with a game-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in the contest. Letourneau scored 11 for Concordia, the only other CU player to reach double-figures. Courtney May scored eight points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists. Jessalyn Jackson led Northwest with 15 points, while Marshall finished with 13 for the Eagles.
Concordia returns to action tomorrow night, when the Cavs host Evergreen State in the final home game of the regular season, 5:30 p.m. at Cavalier Gymnasium.