COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — The Concordia men’s basketball team (13-8, 9-7 MIAC) picked up an 80-79 road win Monday, Feb. 5, at St. John’s University (17-5, 15-2 MIAC). The Cobbers victory over the conference-leading Johnnies shook up the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with just 10 days remaining in the regular season.
Concordia overcame a 12-point deficit, outscoring the hosts 47-38 in the second half to snap a four-game Johnnies winning streak.
Former Breckenridge and NDSCS standout Noah Christensen delivered in clutch fashion when he grabbed an offensive rebound with 56 seconds left in the game. The 6-foot-10 junior was subsequently fouled, earning a trip to the free-throw line with Concordia leading 73-69.
Christensen entered the game shooting 27% on the year from the foul line. Senior point guard Matt Johnson embraced Christensen and offered some face-to-face motivation prior to the shots. The big man responded by making both free throws and stretching the lead to 75-69.
Christensen finished with six points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Johnson was a force throughout the contest, shooting threes from NBA range and floating tough runners over the Johnnies defense. The former Fergus Falls High School prodigy tallied 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while sinking all eight of his free-throw attempts. Johnson added eight rebounds and three assists.
Jacob Cook (13 pts), Rowan Nelson (11 pts), Jackson Jangula (10 pts) and Jackson Loge (8 pts) rounded out a balanced Concordia effort. The Cobbers shot 11 of 18 from the field in the second half and buried 22 of 26 free throws down the stretch.
Ryan Thissen and Kyle Johnson scored 17 points each to lead St. John’s.
The Cobbers are positioned fifth in the 11-team MIAC, holding a one game lead over Bethel and St. Olaf. St. John’s remains in the MIAC drivers seat with a three game lead over Hamline — both teams have lost to Concordia in the past two weeks.
Editor’s note: KBMW alumni coverage follows area athletes who’ve taken their career to the collegiate level. Readers are encouraged to email information, photos and statistics regarding former Breckenridge-Wahpeton athletes to robert@kbmwnews.com for the chance to be featured in radio and digital segments.