After winning back-to-back games to open the calendar year, Lourdes was handed its first defeat in 2022 on Wednesday evening, falling 69-57 to Concordia (Mich.) inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.
 
Mercedes Wagner (Sherwood, Ohio/Fairview H.S.) scored 16 points and Maddie Norton (Temperance, Mich./Bedford H.S.) added 11 more for the Gray Wolves while Nadeen Jemaa (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg H.S.) came off the bench to chip in nine more.
 
A 9-0 first quarter run by the Cardinals put Concordia in front for good as the guest led 19-12 after the opening 10 minutes.  Lourdes battled back to within three, 24-21, after a Norton lay-in with seven minutes to play in the half and was still within four after a Jemaa three at the 4:10 mark before Concordia closed the period on a 9-2 spurt to lead 37-26 at the break.
 
The Gray Wolves closed to within five, 37-32, after Wagner scored inside midway through the third quarter before the Cardinals broke the game open with a 11-0 run to push the lead to as many as 18.  Concordia would maintain a double-digit advantage the remainder of the game.
 
Lourdes cut the Concordia lead to 10, 59-49, with just over six minutes remaining in the game and had a pair of possessions to cut the lead under 10 but came up empty.  The Cardinals then scored nine of the next 11 points to close out the game.
 
Lourdes committed just 13 turnovers in the contest but shot just 34.5% from the floor on the evening while Concordia connected at a 49.1% clip to offset 21 miscues.  The Cardinals also outrebounded the Gray Wolves 41-25 and held a 44-16 edge scoring in the paint.
 
Keirslynn Lawless and Asaria Turman paced Concordia (9-8, 6-3 WHAC) with 14 points each as the Cardinals had five players finish the game in double figures.
 
Lourdes (7-11, 1-8) remains home on Saturday afternoon as the Gray Wolves entertain Rochester (Mich.).  Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside the Ebeid Rec Center.