Falcons Oust Cougars in CIT Opener

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin men's basketball team topped the Concordia Chicago Cougars in its opening contest of the 71st Concordia Invitational Tournament, clinching a berth in the event's championship game. The 85-77 victory was highlighted by a career-high 32-point performance from senior Sam Meerstein (Green Bay, Wis.).

"That was a hard-fought game with both teams," said head coach Shawn Cassidy. "We were fortunate to come out on top and get a chance to play in the championship game."

The two squads engaged in a tightly contested first half, which saw six ties and seven lead changes in the opening ten minutes of play. The Cougars eventually broke away to secure a five-point lead late in the half, but an 11-0 run for the Falcons erased it just as quickly. After the Cougars pulled within two with 1:26 to go, Meerstein buried a three-pointer in the final minute of play to grant the Falcons a 39-34 lead heading into the break.

The Falcons grew the lead in the early going of the second half, building a ten-point lead 5:42 into the second frame. However, a resilient attack from the Cougars grabbed a 62-61 advantage just under seven minutes later. A series of layups from senior Freeman Jackson (Green Bay, Wis.) and Meerstein regained the lead for the Falcons, but a three-pointer from Justin Greenlee once again squared the match.

Despite the offensive surge from the Cougars, a layup from junior Jonah Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.) managed to efficiently grant the Falcons the lead for good with six minutes remaining to play. The margin would be grown to twelve before settling at an 85-77 reading.

Concordia's senior trio of Meerstein, Jackson, and Gabe Pruss (North Fond du Lac, Wis.) combined for 71 points on the evening while shooting at over 61 percent from the field.

The win moved the Falcons to 8-10 on the year, and they will square off against the 14-5 Concordia Nebraska Bulldogs in the championship game of the 71st Concordia Invitational Tournament.