Box Score
Seventh-ranked Concordia (Mich.) shot 50.8% from the floor and held Lourdes to just a 30% shooting night on Wednesday as the Cardinals defeated the Gray Wolves 70-45 at Tam-o-Shanter.
 
“I thought we played hard and as a team tonight,” head coach Zareth Gray said afterwards.  “There is a reason they are the seventh ranked team in the country.”
 
The Cardinals jumped out to an early 14-4 lead just over five minutes into the contest before Lourdes battled back.  An 11-4 run capped by a Tiffani Blackman (Toledo, Ohio/Start H.S.) lay-up pulled the Gray Wolves to within 18-15 at the 8:25 mark of the first half.
 
The game was still a three-point contest with six minutes to play before intermission when Concordia went on a 12-1 run over 2:30 and the Cardinals went into the locker room holding a 38-24 lead.
 
“We went away from our inside-out game and they went on a run,” Gray stated.  “We have to get better on offense and execution.”
 
In the second half Concordia held Lourdes to just 26.3% shooting and forced 13 turnovers after the Gray Wolves committed just six in the second half and slowed increased the lead.  A 12-4 run made it 54-33 with under 12 minutes remaining and Lourdes would not get closer than 18 points the rest of the way.
 
“In the second half the game seemed to get away from us early and we could not recover,” Gray added.
 
Blackman and Ty Ali (Chicago, Ill./Rich South H.S.) led Lourdes with 12 points each  with Ali also handing out four assists.  Emily Orsini (Akron, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban H.S.) led the Gray Wolves on the glass with six rebounds.
 
Abbey Hengesbach made 9-of-12 shots from the floor for first place Concordia (21-4, 16-1 WHAC) on her way to a game-high 21 points while Hannah Sabol added 18 points and eight rebounds.  Marion Rodriguez also scored in double figures for the Cardinals, finishing with 11 points.
 
Concordia held a 42-31 advantage on the boards for the game and outscored the Gray Wolves 46-10 in the paint.
 
Lourdes (7-18, 4-13) will travel to Fort Wayne, Ind. on Saturday afternoon to battle Indiana Tech.  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.