WAYNE, Neb. – For the second day in a row, the Concordia-St. Paul men's basketball (8-12, 3-11 NSIC) fell by less than 10 points to a top team in the NSIC South Division, as Wayne State (15-5, 10-4 NSIC) used a late run to defeat the Golden Bears 77-68 at Rice Auditorium in Wayne, Nebraska.
 
Both teams shot over 40.0% in the contest, and each hit six threes, but the Wildcats took advantage of points from the free throw line, cashing in on 21 of 24 attempts (87.5%) compared to CSP's 10 points from the charity stripe. The Wildcats also capitalized on turnovers, scoring 13 points on Concordia errors.
 
The Golden Bears held the advantage in rebounds (37-35) and second chance points (12-9) mainly due to the combined efforts of sophomore Cody Carlson and senior Bryndan Matthews, who finished with 14 and 10 rebounds, respectively. The two teammates both ended with a double-double in the contest, as Matthews had 15 points and Carlson had 13.
 
Isaiah McKay was Concordia's leading scorer, connecting on 10-23 (43.5%) of his shots for 23 points. This was the senior's 18^th game in double figures and 10^th game with 20+ points.  
 
Carlson put up an impressive first half, scoring 11 points while also having a dominating presence on the glass, nabbing 10 rebounds. McKay also entered the break in double figures with 12 points. The duo combined for the team's first 10 points, getting Concordia out to a 10-7 lead at the first media timeout.
 
Back-and-forth action ensued, as there were three ties in within the next eight minutes. From there, Wayne State started stringing some points together, getting up by seven points, the largest lead of the half. CSP battled back, though, as both Matthews and Carlson made layups to cut the Wildcat lead to three at halftime.
 
The Wildcats started off the second half with a three on their first possession, which was immediately countered by a Max Keefe three. The Golden Bears took over the lead at 17:17 with an and-1 from McKay, but it was quickly stolen back by WSC. The opponents traded buckets and the game was tied up again, for the sixth and final time, at the 11-minute mark.
 
From there, the Wildcats went on a 10-3 scoring run to get up by seven. The Bears would keep the Wayne State lead to single digits until 4:57 in the contest, when the Wildcats scored six unanswered points. The Golden Bears had some opportunities to strike back, but WSC sealed the game with free throws, making nine in the last four minutes.
 
The Wildcats had four players in double digits, being led by senior Kendall Jacks who scored 21 points. Freshman teammate Jordan Janssen compiled a double-double, ending with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Concordia returns to their home floor next weekend to take on a pair of NSIC North Division teams. The Golden Bears first face off with Northern State on Friday, February 1^st at 7:30 p.m. before taking on MSU Moorhead on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Both games feature special promotions, as Friday's contest is CSP's It's a Slam Dunk – Don't Drivie Drunk night, to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, and Saturday the team will recognize their professors for Teacher Appreciation Night.