Box Score

MOORHEAD, Minn. – Concordia went 25-for-25 at the free-throw line to top Saint John's 81-76 on Monday, Jan. 30, in Moorhead.

The Cobbers (7-13, 5-10 MIAC) shot 21 percent above its season average from three-point range (33.3) Monday night and entered the game as the MIAC's second-best free-throw shooting team at 78.4 percent in league play. The Johnnies (12-7, 9-5 MIAC) were not far behind CC at the line - going 18-for-20 at the charity stripe - all in the second half.

In a game between the MIAC's top rebounding team (SJU, 34.6 rpg.) against the league's worst in conference play (CC, 28.8 rpg.), the Cobbers ended the night with a 27-25 edge on the glass.

SJU made nine of its first 15 shots (3-for-7 from long range) to gain a 21-14 lead halfway through the first half, but proceeded to make just one of its next eight attempts as the Cobbers rattled off an 18-2 run en route to a 38-31 halftime lead.

CC led by as much as 12 (51-39) with 13:25 to play, but SJU responded with a 12-0 run to tie the game less than three minutes later. The Cobbers' Jacob Cook gave the lead back to the home team with back-to-back buckets and, after junior guard Brandon Adelman (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer) drained a three to cut the Johnnies' deficit to one (57-56), Matthew Johnson was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws.

The Johnnies continued to fight and eventually cut the deficit to one on three more occasions inside of the final 3:12. The whistle worked against SJU and Johnson made both free throws to bring the Cobbers' lead back to three on the first two instances, and Zach Jackson – a 25-percent (3-for-12) three-point shooter – made a trey on the last (his lone shot attempt of the game). SJU missed shots in the paint on the next two possessions and the home team's perfect shooting from the charity stripe extended the lead for good. 

Junior wing Ryan Thissen (Rosemount, Minn./Eastview) led SJU with 23 points, his second-consecutive 20-point game, and had four assists.

Adelman finished with a career-high 17 points off the bench and sophomore guard Kooper Vaughn (St. Charles, Minn.) added 12. 

Cook more than quadrupled his season average (6.4 ppg.) with a game-high 27 points off the bench, including 17 points in the first half, on 10-for-13 shooting. The rest of the Cobbers shot 34.9 percent (15-for-43) from the field.

The loss snapped SJU's 10-game win streak in the series.

The Johnnies return home to host Gustavus Adolphus (9-11, 9-6 MIAC) for a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday, Feb. 1, in Sexton Arena.