Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference features four teams ranked in the Top 25 in NAIA Division II men's basketball. The Evergreen State College ran into No. 13-ranked and host Concordia on Saturday night and despite a late run came out on the short end of an 80-68 decision.
Concordia stayed within one game of CCC leader The College of Idaho by improving its conference mark to 12-4 and its overall record to 22-5. The Geoducks, 4-19 overall and 1-15 in the conference, will close out their 2014-15 season next weekend when they host The College of Idaho on Friday and Eastern Oregon on Saturday.
The Cavaliers led from the outset, scoring on a Thomas Pierce layup just three seconds into the contest. James Phillips hit a jumper to give them their largest lead of the first half, 38-24, with 1:49 on the clock, and Concordia went into the halftime break with a 38-26 advantage.
As was the case the first time the teams met in Olympia on Jan. 16, a contest that Concordia won 88-74, Evergreen refused to go down without a fight.
After trailing by as many as 19 points with about 13 minutes remaining, the Geoducks rallied behind
Jordan Rawls and
Alix Hernandez. Both players scored seven points as Evergreen scored 21 of the game's next 31 points to pull within eight points, 64-56, with 4:22 on the clock.
When
Jordan Dam hit a layup following an Evergreen timeout, the Geoducks had pulled to within five points, 68-63, with 1:57 to play.
After that it was all Concordia. Tyler Velasquez hit a pair of free throw and made a steal that led to two more charity tosses by Anthony Holton. Another Evergreen turnover resulted in two Esvan Middleton free throws, and with 1:01 left the Cavaliers had taken a 74-63 edge. In the final 1:45 the Cavaliers were 12-for-14 at the foul line to ice the victory.
Dam led four Evergreen players in double figures with 19 points. He was followed by
Brock Otis and Hernandez with 13 each and Rawls with 12. Otis and Hernandez both grabbed seven rebounds as Evergreen lost that category to the hosts, 38-30. The Geoducks finished the game shooting 25-for-58 from the field, or 43 percent.
Middleton had a big game for the Cavs with 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Holton added 16 more points for the winners. Concordia shot 26-for-54 from the field, or 48 percent.
