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The Concordia University men's basketball team survived a strange 82-74 overtime victory against the University of Sioux Falls Cougars Saturday afternoon at the Doghouse in Seward, Neb. Concordia came into the game receiving votes in the latest NAIA national poll.
The Bulldogs used a stifling defense to muscle their way to a 35-23 halftime lead. The second half was nearly a repeat of the first until the 2:35 mark when the Cougars caught fire and the Bulldogs' free throw shooting went cold. After a pair of free throws by the Cougars' Matt Malloy, Concordia's Ryan Shrum missed on his pair from the charity stripe. Malloy then hit a runner in the lane to cut the deficit to nine, 60-51, with 1:28 on the clock.
Concordia then threw away the inbound pass and Sioux Falls found new life when the Cougars' Gerad Van Leur hit a layup to cut the lead to seven, 60-53. Concordia pushed the lead back to eight when Tyler Bredehoeft hit on the front end of a double bonus. Cougar guard Adam Herther, wide open in the corner, then took a pass from Van Luer and drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to five, 61-56.
Dustin Weber then went to the line. He hit on the back end of a pair of free throws to bring the Bulldog lead back to six. Sioux Falls' Cedric Seefeldt then hit a 3-pointer after racing the length of the court to close the lead to 62-59 with just 38 seconds remaining. With 15 seconds on the clock Ryan Shrum hit just one of two free throws to give Concordia a four point advantage, 65-61. Malloy then beat Concordia to the other end and was fouled while hitting a layup. Malloy connected on his free throw and Sioux Falls, behind by 10 points for most of the game, was now within one, 65-64.
Tyler Bredehoeft was fouled and stood at the line with a chance to bring the lead back to three. His first free throw attempt rimmed out. After sinking the second, Sioux Falls' TJ Nettles raced the length of the court and, with two tenths of a second remaining, went to the rim and was fouled by Shrum. Nettles then sank both to send the game into overtime.
The overtime frame, to the Bulldogs' advantage, was anticlimactic. After a defensive stop, Shrum spotted up from the wing and hit nothing but nylon from long range to give Concordia the lead 69-66, a lead Concordia would not surrender. In overtime the Bulldogs outpaced the Cougars 16-8 and would leave the court with an 82-74 win.
Six players, two for Concordia and four for Sioux Falls, fouled out of the game. The two teams also combined to shoot 85 free throw attempts. Concordia hit on 38-of-55 while Sioux Falls went 21-of-30.
Weber led the Bulldogs in scoring with 28 points and Bredehoeft added 20 points. Herther and Van Leur led the Cougars with 15 points apiece.
Concordia moves to 11-4 overall with the win and 5-1 in the GPAC. Sioux Falls slips to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the GPAC.
Concordia travels to Fremont next to play Midland Lutheran College. The Bulldogs and Warriors are scheduled for a 7:30 tipoff on Wednesday, Jan. 13.