Verhagen Spearheads Comeback Over Lakeland

MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin men's basketball team pulled off an impressive 100-90 comeback victory over Lakeland on Wednesday night. Sophomore Casey Verhagen (Sheboygan, Wis.) was the star of the show, delivering a career-high 44 points and 10 assists in a performance that propelled the Falcons to their fourth consecutive win.

With the victory, CUW improved to 12-9 on the season and 9-5 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. The win also extended their home winning streak to six games.

This marked the second time this season that the Falcons topped the 100-point mark, with their first occurrence coming on December 31 against Concordia Chicago.

Verhagen wasted no time getting the Falcons on the board, knocking down a three-pointer off a pass from junior Logan Landers (Cedarburg, Wis.). Landers then added a backdoor assist to sophomore Mekhi Sutton (San Diego, Calif.) for a layup, followed by a mid-range jumper from Landers himself.

Despite the early scoring burst, Lakeland quickly gained control and built an 11-point lead. 

However, Verhagen continued his hot start with back-to-back layups and three-pointers, bringing his total to 12 points within the first eight minutes, trimming CUW's deficit to 16-24 with 11:58 left in the half.

The dynamic duo of Verhagen and Landers remained unstoppable, scoring the next six points for CUW and forcing a Lakeland timeout as the Falcons closed the gap to 22-26. 

After the timeout, Verhagen took over, scoring seven straight points, none coming from the free-throw line, bringing his first-half total to 21 points, a performance that forced another Muskies timeout. 

Verhagen's first-half 20+ point effort made him the first Falcon since Landers to achieve the feat earlier this season against Concordia Chicago.

With the score at 31-33, Verhagen stole an errant pass and took it coast to coast for a fast-break layup, cutting CUW's deficit to just two points. 

Freshman Luke Eggemeyer (Perryville, Mo.) added a three-point play off a Verhagen assist, and Sutton nailed a corner three-pointer to keep the pressure on Lakeland. 

Despite CUW's offensive surge, Lakeland took a 55-50 lead into halftime, with Verhagen totaling a season-high 29 points at the break.

The second half began with a quick layup from Landers off a pick-and-roll with Verhagen, followed by back-to-back buckets from sophomore Matt Merlo (Random Lake, Wis.). 

However, Lakeland's hot shooting continued, keeping them ahead. Landers completed a three-point play, but the Muskies quickly answered on the other end.

The second half played out in a back-and-forth fashion, with CUW remaining within striking distance but trailing by a single-digit margin. Seniors Zach Leahy (West Dundee, Ill.) and Jonah Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.) provided critical defensive plays, forcing turnovers and setting up fast-break opportunities.

With 10:42 remaining, Landers converted another three-point play to bring CUW within 72-69. A pull-up banker from Eggemeyer cut the deficit to just one, but Lakeland held a narrow lead at 77-78 and 79-80 after more scoring from Verhagen and Landers.

Out of a timeout, Merlo scored back-to-back points to give the Falcons an 83-80 lead. From there, CUW began to exploit mismatches inside, with Landers and Verhagen scoring layups and converting free throws to extend the lead to 90-83.

Both teams were in the double bonus in the final minutes, as free throws became crucial. 

With CUW leading 91-88 with just two minutes to go, Verhagen put the game out of reach with a spin move and layup, pushing the Falcons' lead to 93-88 and crossing the 40-point mark. He became the first Falcon since Jordan Johnson in 2020 to score 40 or more points in a game.

Verhagen's dominance continued with a fast-break assist to Merlo, who dunked it. 

On the next possession, Leahy capped off the win with his first collegiate dunk, sealing the 100-90 victory for the Falcons.

In the win, Verhagen posted a season-high 44 points and 10 assists, for his first career 40-point game and his first double-double of the season. 

Verhagen's career-night saw him tie the field goal made record as he made 17-of-25 attempts. He also tied a season-high for three pointers made with three and went nine-of-10 from the free throw line. 

Verhagen also had a team-high three steals. 

On top of Verhagen's night, Landers posted 25 points and 12 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double and his eighth double-double of the season.

Merlo contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks, while Eggemeyer added nine points off the bench, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from the field.

As a team, the Falcons shot an impressive 57.1 percent from the field, hitting 36 of 63 attempts, and went 24-for-30 from the free-throw line. CUW dominated the paint, outscoring Lakeland 60-44, and also had a decisive 19-8 edge in fast-break points. Additionally, the Falcons recorded 18 assists to Lakeland's nine.

The Falcons now shift their focus to Regents of Rockford who will come to the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse on Saturday.