 | 79 |
 | 76 |
Forty-nine days after Concordia almost surrendered a double-digit lead to the Morningside College at home, it was the Bulldogs' turn to fall short, 79-76, against the Mustangs in Sioux City on Saturday. Morningside came into the contest ranked No. 18 in the NAIA while the Bulldogs were receiving votes in the latest poll.
Concordia used 7-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc to stay ahead of Morngingside for most of the first half and take a 34-34 tie into the break. The Bulldogs and Mustangs also seemed be going stride for stride in the second half, but Morningside went on a 11-1 run to extend the lead to double digits.
With 1:55 remaining and the Mustangs leading 74-64, Concordia made one final push. The Bulldogs went on a 12-5 run, cutting into the lead with 3-pointers by Tyler Byrd and Dustin Weber. In the end, however, Morningside would sink free throws to push the lead back to three. A prayer of a shot by the Bulldogs at the buzzer did not find the basket, and the Mustangs galloped away with the victory.
The Bulldogs were able again to get all five starters into double digits in scoring. Tyler Bredehoeft led the way with 19 points, hitting on 3-of-5 three point attempts. Dusan Veselinovic and Ryan Shrum each added 12 points and Weber went for 11. Sam Huebner notched a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds for Concordia. Seth Atkins led the Mustangs with 23 points.
With the victory Morningside moves to 17-5 overall and 9-2 in the GPAC. The Bulldogs fall to 14-6 overall and 8-3 in the GPAC.
Next action for Concordia comes Wednesday, Jan. 28, against the Doane College Tigers in Seward, Neb. The Bulldogs take a break from conference play Jan. 30-31 to serve as host for the 58th annual Concordia Invitational Tournament.