Defense shuts down the Scarlet Hawks in NACC road victory

Chicago, Ill. – Concordia Wisconsin and Illinois Tech fought for a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory on Wednesday inside the Keating Sports Center. The Falcons dominated on the defensive side of the ball in the second half to pull away with the 69-46 victory.   

THE BASICS
Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 69, Illinois Tech 46
Location: Keating Sports Center (Chicago, Ill.)
Records: Concordia Wisconsin 16-7 (14-4 NACC); Illinois Tech 12-11 (9-9 NACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The defensive effort in the second half for Concordia Wisconsin was a display of dominance, as the Falcons suffocated Illinois Tech into tough shots and seven turnovers. CUW was active with six second half steals and three blocks. The Scarlet Hawks went 8-of-26 from the field and 1-of-10 from 3-point range. Perhaps the most impressive part of the second half was that Illinois Tech didn't score a single point in the final 5:52 of regulation.
- The first half was an entertaining back-and-forth style of basketball, as Illinois Tech tried to stay within striking distance of Concordia Wisconsin, but it was the second half defensive effort by CUW that buried the Scarlet Hawks and allowed the Falcons to capture the 69-46 NACC victory. CUW snagged 39 team rebounds along with 18 points off turnovers.
- Concordia Wisconsin was led by senior Andrew Fratzke (Winona, Minn.) who had a game-high 15 points and three steals, the Winona native used his jump hook on multiple defenders to go 5-of-7 from the field on the night. The Falcons also saw double-digit scoring from senior Josh Hau (Slinger, Wis.) and sophomore Jordan Johnson (Cedarburg, Wis.) who both had 11 points and five rebounds. Johnson also dished out four assists to lead the team. Senior Noah Gosse (Green Bay, Wis.) had six points off the bench along with freshman Brandon Keller (Plymouth, Wis.).
- Illinois Tech was led by Jake Digiorgio who netted 13 points from off the bench and also corralled six rebounds. Max Hisatake ripped down a team-high nine rebounds and had two blocks on the night.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Fratzke needs 18 points to reach the 1,000-point mark in his career.

UP NEXT
- Concordia Wisconsin will go up against Dominican inside the R. John Buuck Field House with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 pm.