Falcons Take OT Thriller Over Edgewood

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin men's basketball team earned its fifth straight home victory on Saturday, edging out the Edgewood Eagles 87-82 in overtime. With the win, the Falcons improve to 11-9 overall and 8-5 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play, having won 11 of their last 14 games.

Saturday's matchup was a back-and-forth battle that featured 16 ties and 16 lead changes, as Edgewood's hot shooting kept them in the game throughout. 

The Eagles jumped out to an early lead, but the Falcons responded quickly. In his first start of the season, senior Adam Bruins (Oak Creek, Wis.) hit a three-pointer with 16:07 left in the first half, cutting Edgewood's lead to three. 

Senior Zach Leahy (West Dundee, Ill.) then tied the game at 18-18 with a layup at the 12:10 mark, and Concordia took the lead shortly after, thanks to a fast-break layup from junior Logan Landers (Cedarburg, Wis.).

The game remained tight, with key contributions from sophomore Casey Verhagen (Sheboygan, Wis.) and junior Jack Fritz (Columbus, Wis.). A two-handed dunk by Fritz, off the pass from Verhagen, tied the game at 26-26, and the teams exchanged points through the remainder of the half, with Concordia holding a narrow 37-36 lead at halftime.

The second half saw both teams battling for control. 

Verhagen, Merlo, and Landers hit key shots in the opening minutes, and Landers' transition three gave CUW a 50-47 lead. 

The Falcons extended their lead to 55-49, but Edgewood responded with a quick 6-0 run to go up 55-53. 

Concordia regained the lead thanks to free throws from Verhagen and key buckets from Leahy and senior Jonah Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.), pushing their advantage to 67-63 with seven minutes left.

With the game winding down, the Eagles surged again, scoring six unanswered points to take a 69-67 lead. But the Falcons kept their composure. 

Sophomore Mekhi Sutton (San Diego, Calif.) found Landers with a bullet pass that Landers converted into a powerful dunk, tying the game at 71-71 with under three minutes remaining. 

After two clutch free throws from Landers gave CUW a 73-71 lead, Edgewood responded with a tough layup to tie the game at 73-73 with 27 seconds left. 

Despite a clean look at the basket in the final moments, the Falcons couldn't convert, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Concordia maintained a slim lead before Edgewood hit a three-pointer to go up 80-79 with just under two minutes remaining. 

However, Verhagen drew a foul and hit two free throws to put the Falcons back on top, 81-80. 

Moments later, Leahy forced a crucial turnover with a steal at half-court, leading to another dunk by Landers, giving CUW an 83-80 advantage. 

The Falcons closed out the game by forcing tough shots from Edgewood and converting free throws in the final seconds, securing an 87-82 victory.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game against a well-coached conference rival," said head coach Shawn Cassidy. "Logan had another huge game, and our bench really gave us a lift. Ultimately, we made the defensive plays we needed to win."

Landers put together a career-high 31 points, matching the highest point total in a game this season alongside Verhagen, who also scored 31 against Edgewood earlier in the season. Landers also contributed 12 rebounds and steals. Verhagen added 17 points, including seven made free throws, and led the team with five assists. 

Matt Merlo (Random Lake, Wis.) chipped in 10 points and three assists.

Defensively, Leahy was a key disruptor with four steals and a solid eight points, while Jonah Jurss grabbed three steals of his own. As a team, the Falcons forced 19 turnovers and outscored the Eagles 21-6 in points off turnovers. Concordia also excelled at the free-throw line, going 22-of-27 (81%), and dominated in the paint (48-36) and on the fast break (18-5).

The Falcons will look to extend their win streak to four games when they host Lakeland on Wednesday.