GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A win sends them to the WHAC Championship game, men's basketball welcomed #RV Lourdes in a back-and-forth affair that eventually saw the Golden Eagles win 74-71. A big second half from Lourdes saw them take a lead over Cornerstone, but key baskets down the stretch from
Mason Brooks knotted the game back up before
Luke Rowlinson's jumper proved to be the difference maker. The Golden Eagles got the stops they needed down the stretch thanks to efforts from
Toby Woolcock and
Eli Steffen as they now have a date with the Madonna Crusaders on Tuesday, March 5 for the WHAC Championship.
Game Highlights – #RV Cornerstone – 74 #RV Lourdes - 71
- First Half
- Lourdes opened the game on a 7-2, nailing a three pointer through the first minute of the game.
- The Golden Eagles responded with 7-0 run of their own, taking a 9-7 advantage over Lourdes thanks to a few baskets from Cory Ainsworth.
- Another run by the Gray Wolves sees Cornerstone call a timeout as they lead 19-13 with 13 minutes to go.
- The Golden Eagles would respond with a 7-0 run that was highlighted by a Mason Brooks three to retake the lead, 20-19.
- Eli Steffen and Connor Dykema nail back-to-back threes for Cornerstone to take a 33-31 lead with 4:30 to go in the first half.
- Luke Rowlinson drills two deep threes as Cornerstone heads into halftime leading by 11, 47-36.
- Second Half
- Lourdes opened the second half on a 7-0 run thanks to hustle plays to cut into the Cornerstone lead.
- The Golden Eagles extended their lead back to nine after Luke Rowlinson finished a layup through contact making it 52-43.
- Joey Holifield and Shaunn Monroe for Lourdes highlighted a 12-0 four-minute run that saw the Gray Wolves take a 55-52 advantage over the Golden Eagles.
- Lourdes continues to lead Cornerstone as another layup from Joey Holifield makes it a 62-57 Gray Wolf advantage with nine minutes to go.
- Mason Brooks highlights a much-needed run for Cornerstone scoring eight straight points to retake the lead over Lourdes 67-64.
- Shaunn Monroe hits a huge three for Lourdes to knot the game at 71 with 2:30 to go in the game.
- Luke Rowlinson would hit the turnaround jumper to give Cornerstone a 73-71 advantage with 1:30 left.
- The Golden Eagles got the stop on the defensive end and Cory Ainsworth heads to line with 7.1 second to go.
- Ainsworth splits a pair of free throws and Lourdes had a chance to force overtime, but their shot missed wide right as the Golden Eagles survive 74-71.
By the Numbers
19 –
Cory Ainsworth led the way scoring 19 points, five points shy of hitting 2,000
53.7 – Cornerstone shot 53.7% for the game
9 –
Toby Woolcock grabbed a team high nine rebounds
1 – Golden Eagles are one win away from their first National Tournament berth since the 2018-29 season
What's Next?
The Golden Eagles will travel to Madonna for the WHAC Championship game on Tuesday, March 5.
Men's Basketball Contact:
Jonny Strube
CU Athletics: Twitter |
Facebook |
Instagram
Men's Basketball on: Twitter |
Facebook
