Falcons’ defense locks down Bates in second half

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It was just a one point game at halftime, but Concordia Wisconsin got defensive in the second half and shut down Bates en route to an 82-56 victory inside the Ocean Center during the Daytona Beach Shootout.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 82, Bates 56
Locations: Ocean Center (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
Records: Concordia Wisconsin 6-5, Bates 5-3

HOW IT HAPPENED
- Concordia Wisconsin's defensive effort in the second half proved to be the difference, as it held Bates to a dismal 22.6 percent (7-of-31). Meanwhile, the offense came to life and shot 50 percent and outscored the Bobcats 49-24 over the final 20 minutes of action.
- The Falcons went on a 10-3 scoring run over the first five and half minutes of the second half to build a seven-point advantage. That turned into a 12-point lead with 8:58 to play in the game, as their defense continued to harass the opposition.
- Concordia Wisconsin was able to clear the bench down the stretch and 15 players saw action, with 11 finding the scoring column. Their bench was crucial and outscored the Bobcats by a large margin, 41-15, and was led by freshman Jordan Johnson's (Cedarburg, Wis.) 17 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
- The Falcons also controlled the paint, holding a 40-18 difference, and a 49-36 lead in rebounding. They also took full advantage of Bates' errors and scored 24 points off 18 turnovers.
- Junior Andrew Fratzke (Winona, Minn.) had 16 points and eight rebounds (six offensive), while sophomore Olalekan George (Milwaukee, Wis.) netted a career-high 14 points off the bench.
- Junior Josh Hau (Slinger, Wis.) tallied 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while senior Josh Erickson (Manitowoc, Wis.) had 10 points and four rebounds. Junior Jake Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.) grabbed six rebounds and stole three passes.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Falcons have grabbed double-figure offensive rebounds for the fifth time this season and are averaging 8.8 second-chance points per game this season.

THE OPPOSITION
- Jeff Spellman led the Bobcats with 13 points, to go along with four assists and three steals. Nick Lynch added 12 points and nine rebounds.

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE
- Concordia Wisconsin plays against Oglethorpe in its second game in the Sunshine State on Thursday at 3 pm CST.