GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After a week off, the No. 1 ranked Men's Basketball team came out a little rusty but a 51-point second half lifted the Golden Eagles to an 87-65 win over Concordia in the conference opener for CU. The victory is the fifth in a row for Cornerstone as they improve to 5-2 on the year and 1-0 in the WHAC and they will travel to Siena Heights on Tuesday to take on the Saints in an 8 p.m. tip.
 
Game Flow
In what looked like it was going to be a low-scoring affair, the pair of conference rivals made it hard on the other to get good looks but some strong shooting percentages in the opening half led to a 36-26 lead for the Golden Eagles. Cornerstone finished the half 15-30 from the field while Concordia was 11-24 including three triples to keep it within ten.

The offense then exploded for CU in the second as they scored 51 points and thanks to a stifling defense that limited the Cardinals to just 10 points over the first 10:36, they built a 60-36 advantage after a layup from Christian Rodriguez. The lead grew to as many as 27 with just under six minutes to play in the game before a few late 3-pointers by the Cardinals cut the final margin to 22.
 
Say What?
"It is good to get a win in conference play. I thought we moved the ball extremely well and found the open look. Defensively we executed at times tonight which helped us pull away in the second half" – Head Coach Kim Elders
 
By the Numbers
26 – Game high points for Kyle Steigenga
14/11/10 – Michael Bradshaw, Christian Rodriguez and Sam Vander Sluis all scored in double-figures
13 – Rebounds for Sluis – his fifth double-double in seven games
14 – Turnovers for the Golden Eagles
39-30 – Rebounding edge for Cornerstone
 
Up Next
Cornerstone will head on the road after the weekend when they take on Siena Heights on Tuesday in Adrian.
 
Men's Basketball Contact: Aaron Sagraves
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