In a men’s basketball shootout with many twists and turns, Concordia (Wis.) outlasted the Rams, 105-100 in double overtime, in Saturday’s consolation game at the Buzz Levick Tournament.
Sophomore all-tournament selection Jayden Meeker tallied career-highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds for his first collegiate double-double, while Jordan Magnani and Zach Ingle combined for 48 points and 10 3-pointers for the Rams (1-4).
The Rams charged back from an 11-point second-half deficit and got a clutch 3-pointer from Ingle that tied it at 84-84 with 10 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
Ingle’s fifth trifecta of the contest put the Rams ahead 94-89 with 35 seconds remaining in the first overtime period. Concordia quickly erased the deficit and hit two free throws with 10 seconds left to extend the game to a second overtime at 94-94.
Cornell took a 99-98 lead on a putback by Logan Sharp, who had a strong performance with 19 points and nine rebounds. But Cornell went without a field goal over the final 3:32 and Concordia closed it out with a 7-1 run in a back-and-forth battle that witnessed 16 ties and 21 lead changes.
The Rams buried 11 3-pointers and connected on 27-of-36 free throws. Magnani had a hot hand from long range, hitting 5-of-6 threes and finishing with 27 points. Ingle shot 5-of-13 from distance, totaling 21 points and seven rebounds.
Sophomore Jaxson Herring chipped in seven points off the bench. Logan Christensen dished a team-high five assists.
The Rams held a 48-37 advantage on the boards against Concordia, which received 36 points from Freeman Jackson.
Earlier in the week, the Rams lost to UW-LaCrosse 66-48 in a double overtime contest played at Waverly.
No. 15 nationally-ranked UW-La Crosse held the upper hand in Friday’s men’s basketball matchup between 2022 NCAA qualifiers, taking a 66-48 win over the Rams at the Buzz Levick Tournament hosted by Wartburg College.
Sophomore Jayden Meeker netted 16 points in his return to the lineup, although it was otherwise a tough offensive night for Cornell, held to 30.6-percent shooting for the game.
Meeker tossed in Cornell’s first five points as the Rams gained early momentum, leading 10-6 after a bucket by Izic Mackey eight minutes in. UW-La Crosse took control with a 17-0 scoring run and led 29-21 at the break.
Cornell hung with the Eagles into the second half, getting within 37-34 on a Jordan Magnani 3-pointer with 13:36 remaining. UW-La Crosse answered with a 12-2 spurt to pull away.
Meeker was an efficient 5-of-8 shooting from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers. Zach Ingle also scored in double figures with 10 points. Magnani had six points, six rebounds and four assists. Meeker added five rebounds and three assists.
The Rams also lost 74-66 to Simpson.
Magnani set a new scoring high in his 91st career game with the Rams (1-2). The fifth-year guard connected on 11 field goals – including a pair of 3-pointers – and sank 11-of-12 free throws. Magnani had 19 points by halftime.
Cornell beat Simpson on the boards, 40-31, with Logan Sharp pulling down a game-high eight rebounds. Logan Christensen added seven rebounds.
The Rams finished 17-of-19 shooting from the foul line, which included a 6-for-6 effort by Mackey.
The Rams trailed 35-30 at the break and pulled within 50-49 on a Magnani free throw with 10:19 left in regulation. Simpson answered with a 13-2 spurt over the next four minutes and didn’t look back.