Cobbers Take Control in Second Half, Defeat Minnesota-Morris 70-53

MOORIS, Minn. (12/01/25)---Concordia put on a dominant performance against Minnesota-Morris on Thursday, overcoming a tight first half with a decisive second-half surge on their way to a 70-53 win.  

Concordia-Moorhead opened the game with a strong defensive presence, forcing early turnovers and converting on the other end. Just 14 seconds into the first quarter, Taya Jeffrey recorded a steal off a Minnesota-Morris turnover, setting the tone for a high-energy start. The Cobbers came out strong in a back-and-forth battle early, with Taylor Safranski hitting an early three-pointer to put Concordia-Moorhead up 8-4, but Minnesota-Morris quickly responded with back-to-back shots. Concordia-Moorhead regained control when Molly Musland sank a three-pointer to make it 14-9, and Genevieve Gruba extended the lead to 16-9. Late baskets from Maci Wheeldon and the Cougars ended the quarter with the Cobbers ahead 18-14.

The second quarter continued as a back-and-forth affair, with Minnesota-Morris tying the game at 22-22 and taking their first lead with a layup, going up 24-22. They extended their lead to 27 with a three-pointer, but Alexa Snesrud answered with a layup, cutting the deficit to one. Following a Cobber turnover, the Cougars led 31-26, but Concordia-Moorhead responded with a layup from Kaia Gack and a three-pointer from Musland to tie the game at 31. Olivia Hanson was fouled on a three-pointer and made all three free throws to give the Cobbers a late lead of 34-33, and Wheeldon's late layup closed the half with Concordia-Moorhead ahead 36-34.

The Cobbers dominated the third quarter with an impressive surge. Wheeldon opened with a three-pointer to put the Cobbers ahead 40-37. After a Minnesota-Morris jump shot and free throw tied the game at 40, Wheeldon made another layup, sparking a 14-0 Cobbers run, with contributions from Musland, Snesrud, and Kaitlyn Rohloff, putting Concordia-Moorhead ahead 54-40 and forcing a Minnesota-Morris timeout. By the end of the third quarter, the Cobbers held a commanding 59-43 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Concordia-Moorhead maintained control, with early baskets from Maya Metcalf and Wheeldon, followed by a layup from Gack and a shot from Brooklyn Christianson that extended the lead to 71-48. A late basket from Kennison Azure pushed the lead to 70-53, and Concordia-Moorhead closed out the game with a decisive victory.

Offensively, the Cobbers were led by Wheeldon who had a career-high 19 points to go with a team-high 8 rebounds (5 offensive). Musland added 13 points and Snesrud contributed 11 points. Safranski guided the offense with 5 assists, and Rohloff anchored the defense with 4 steals. As a team, Concordia shot 44.8% from the field and 20.8% from three-point range. 

The Cobbers return to action on Saturday, December 6, traveling to Saint Benedict for a 1 p.m. tip-off.