Box Score
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COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Concordia-Moorhead escaped Saint John's with a 70-67 win on Wednesday, Jan. 9, in Collegeville.
Senior Chris Neumann (Winsted, Minn./Holy Trinity) tallied career highs in points (22) and rebounds (10) to record his first career double-double on a perfect 11-for-11 night from the floor. He fouled out with 33 seconds remaining. The rest of the team combined to shoot 36.2 percent (17-for-47), including 30.4 percent (7-for-23) from the other four starters.
Concordia led by eight (66-58) with 55 seconds left before SJU (3-9, 2-5 MIAC) cut it down to one (68-67) with 17 seconds remaining. Five quick points off the bench from freshman Alex Schmitt (Chaska, Minn./Waconia) and a layup by junior Jack Wittenborg (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) cut the Cobbers' lead to 68-65. Freshman Mitchell Kuck (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) turned a CC turnover on the in-bounds play into a bucket to make it 68-67.
Concordia's Brandon Fisher made the first of two free throws with 12 seconds left, but the Johnnies' final effort, a baseline runner from junior Trevor Barth (Roanoke, Texas/Nolan Catholic) fell off the iron. The shot attempt was just the second of Barth's varsity career. Ebo Nana-Kweson made the first of his two free throws but Wittenborg's three-quarter-court heave was off the mark.
Wittenborg followed Neumann with 11 points and Kuck added seven for SJU.
Fisher and Aaron Lindahl led Concordia with 14 points apiece. The Cobbers entered the game shooting 50.1 percent from the field but finished the game at 45.1 percent (23-for-51), including a 2-for-14 showing (14.3 percent) from three-point range.
SJU shot 48.3 percent (28-for-58) for the game and held a 17-7 scoring advantage off turnovers, including an 11-1 margin in the second half alone.
The loss was just the sixth at home in 49 seasons for SJU head coach Jim Smith (44-6 career record) against the Cobbers, and first since Nov. 30, 2005 (71-64).
The Johnnies travel to face nationally-ranked St. Thomas for a 3 p.m. game Saturday, Jan. 12, in St. Paul. The game will be televised live on KSTC-45.
