Box Score
Box score
MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Lutheran College
men's basketball team returned to action from its 19-day layoff and
fell to Concordia Chicago 75-59 in a Northern Athletics Conference
game at the Recreation Complex Thursday night.
The first five minutes of action saw the two squads play to an
11-11 tie as Russell Strutz (Sturtevant, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran)
and Alex Merbach (Kaukauna, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) each had four
early points for WLC.
The Cougars (3-10, 3-3 NAC) responded with a 16-6 run to take a
27-17 lead with 9:05 remaining in the half. Wisconsin Lutheran cut
that deficit to 35-32 with just over three minutes to play, but CUC
closed out the half with the final four points to take a 39-32
advantage into halftime.
Tim Demuth (Franksville, Wis./Racine Lutheran) led the Warriors
in the opening half with nine points as he went 3-for-6 from behind
the arc. Concordia Chicago's Charles Gordon led all scorers with 12
first-half points. Field goal percentage was a big difference in
the opening 20 minutes as WLC shot just 38.2 percent (13-for-34),
compared to the Cougars' 60 percent (15-for-25).
Wisconsin Lutheran came out strong after halftime as it narrowed
its deficit to 45-41 with 14:54 to play in the game. Julion Griffin
(Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) scored four early second-half
points to help the Warriors trim their margin.
Concordia Chicago had an answer, however, as it took a 13-point
lead, 57-44, with 10:19 to play. The Warriors cut that back down to
seven points with 6:55 on the clock, but the visiting Cougars would
not allow the game to get any closer as they went on to the
16-point victory.
Merbach and Demuth each scored 12 points to lead Wisconsin
Lutheran. Griffin led the Warriors with nine rebounds and also
chipped in with nine points in his first game of the season.
Gordon led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting as the
Cougars shot 49.1 percent (27-for-55) from the floor for the game.
WLC shot 38.3 percent (23-for-60) and 27.3 percent (6-for-22) from
three-point range.
Wisconsin Lutheran (2-10, 1-3 NAC) will return to action this
Saturday when it travels to Lisle, Ill. to face NAC South Division
foe Benedictine (3-8, 2-2 NAC). Tip-off between the Warriors and
Eagles is set for 4:15 p.m. at the Dan and Ada Rice Center.
