ST. PAUL, Minn. – Fueled by a strong performance on the glass, the No. 21 Concordia-St. Paul men's basketball team (5-1, 1-0 NSIC) protected its home floor on Saturday evening with a dramatic 73-71 win over Jamestown (2-4, 0-1 NSIC) at the Gangelhoff Center.

Concordia controlled the boards with a 42-34 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second-chance points.

Jamestown shot an efficient 28-of-59 (47.5%) from the floor and 8-of-26 (30.8%) from deep, but CSP countered with active hands on defense—forcing 17 Jimmie turnovers and converting them into 20 points while only allowing Jamestown to score 12 points off 12 turnovers. CSP shot 22-of-60 (36.7%) from the field and finished 23-of-29 at the line, while Jamestown attempted just 13 free throws, making seven.

In a first half that featured four lead changes, CSP carried a narrow 39-38 halftime lead thanks to a near buzzer-beating turnaround jumper by senior Sam West. The back-and-forth intensity amped up even more in the second half, with six more lead changes and five additional ties before a pair of clutch free throws from junior Ben Kopetzki with just three seconds on the clock put the Bears up for good at 73-71.

Kopetzki delivered his fourth 20-plus point game of the season, pouring in a game-high 25 points on 7-of-16 shooting while knocking down three triples and going perfect 8-of-8 at the free-throw line. He added four rebounds and a steal.

Junior forward Chet Kloss delivered a strong interior performance, logging his second career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. West impacted nearly every phase of the game with 10 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

Sophomore Owen Carlson supplied nine points, four boards, and two steals in 19 minutes off the bench, while Reid Patterson added six points, all of which came from beyond the arc. Freshman Patrick Bath gave CSP valuable minutes in the frontcourt, contributing six points and four rebounds in eight minutes of action. Jaden Wysocki was steady on the boards with eight rebounds, also adding three points.

Jamestown was led by Anthony Walters, who tied for the game high with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting while hitting four three-pointers and grabbing five rebounds. Ford Okehi added 18 points, five assists, and five rebounds, while Owen Hektner chipped in 10 points, three assists, and three steals.

The Jimmies looked to be in control late in the game as a layup from Okehi made it 71-64 with 3:11 on the clock, but Concordia countered with a 7-0 run covering more than two minutes to tie the game at 71 with 33 seconds remaining. The Golden Bear defense came up big with a clutch stop as Jamestown missed a layup with just seven seconds on the clock. Following a timeout, Concordia inbounded to Reid Patterson, who handed the ball to a driving Kopetzki, and he drew a foul in the lane before knocking down what proved to be game-winning free throws.

The game was the first meeting between the two teams in more than 30 years and the first in the Division II era for both institutions. Including five meetings while both schools were members of the NAIA, Jamestown now holds a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series.

The Golden Bears will wrap up the CSP Thanksgiving Classic tomorrow afternoon, taking on MSU Moorhead in another non-conference game at 4 p.m., immediately following the Southwest Minnesota State vs. Jamestown game.