Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: December 12, 2009
Team |
1st Half |
2nd Half |
Final |
 |
30 |
33 |
61 |
 |
33 |
41 |
74 |
Gameday Menu:
Gameday Program: Gameday Program (pdf)
Opponent's Website: Hamline Men's Basketball
MIAC Website: MIAC Men's Basketball
MOORHEAD, Minn. (12/12/09)-- Concordia had four of its five starters score in double figures but it might have been the fifth starter that played the biggest role in the Cobbers' 74-61 win over Hamline in Moorhead on Saturday. The win is the second straight for CC after dropping three straight. Concordia is now 3-0 at home and 5-3 in all games. More importantly, the Cobbers win a key conference game and move to 2-2 in the MIAC.
Cobber starters Karl Olson, John Fraase, Darrin Olmscheid and Johny Molina all scored in double digits for the game but it was the defensive play of guard Eric Hartmann who helped Concordia contain the high-powered Hamline offense. The Pipers entered the game second in the MIAC in scoring with a 77.8 points per game average. They had scored at least 65 points in all six of their games in 2009. Hartmann was the team's defensive leader as he was used as the shut down defender on Hamline's Division I transfer Ray Brown. Brown had put up at least 20 points in his three previous games. Against the Cobbers, Hartmann's pressure defense limited Brown to just 5-for-15 from the field and 3-for-11 from behind the arc. He finished with 15 points. The other key defensive stand for CC came in the post area where the Cobbers held the league's leading scorer Carl Hipp to 12 points. Hipp was averaging 21.7 points entering the game. He was also leading the MIAC in rebounding with an 11.7 rebounds per game average. Hipp was held to seven rebounds which ties for a season low. His 12 points is also a season low.
Offensively Concordia was led by Olson who went 4-for-5 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line. He finished with a game-high 18 points and has now led the Cobbers in scoring in all three home games - all of which were CC victories. Fraase had 16 points to along with a team-high eight rebounds. Olmscheid had 12 points while Molina scored 11 points and came away with six rebounds. His six rebounds ties a career high.
The Cobbers shot 40.0% (20-for-50) from the field and 46.2 (6-for-13) from 3-point range. Their percentage from behind the arc was the second best of the season.
The game was a statistical anomaly. Hamline (3-4/1-3 MIAC) held a 41-37 edge in rebounding, knocked down four more field goals, only had one less 3-point field goal, outscored the Cobbers 30-18 in points in the paint and held a 25-9 advantage in bench points. All that some how added up to a 13-point loss. The key for the Cobbers was their balanced scoring and huge advantage in free throws. CC shot 34 free throws as compared to only 14 for Hamline. The Cobbers went 28-for-34 from the foul line while the Pipers made only eight free throws.
Concordia will finish off the 2009 portion of its schedule when they host Presentation (S.D.) on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 3 p.m.
