Concordia made 19 three-pointers including 11-12 in the final 25 minutes of the contest to collect a
101-97 overtime victory over Briar Cliff in the quarterfinal round of the GPAC Tournament. The win for the Bulldogs (20-11) advances them into the conference semifinals where they will meet the Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan.
The Chargers opened the game on a tear, jumping out to a 26-5 advantage. At the half, they were still in control with a 13-point advantage (49-36). In the second half, Concordia heated up, shooting 70.4 percent from the field. In the final minutes, what looked like the end of the road for the Chargers, quickly sent the Charger faithful into a frenzy. With :16 left in regulation, the Tigers led by two with the ball. As they inbounded the ball, Vander Feen got a steal and Semprini a put back to send the game into overtime.
Chase Vander Feen led the Chargers with 20 points as he connected on six three-pointers. He is the school's single season three-point record holder with 98 and counting. Vander Feen and the Chargers' other four starters all reached double figures in the contest. Brett Ratcliff added 19, while Kyle Semprini tossed in 17. Derek Mechaelsen finished with 13 points and Matt Geelan chipped in 10. The Chargers shot 47.1 percent from the field, compared to 53.2 percent. The Chargers made 11 threes in the contest, while the Tigers hit a remarkable 19-25 from downtown. The Tigers held a 46-36 advantage on the boards. The Chargers turned the ball over 11 times, but forced the Tigers into 22.
With the loss, the 13th-ranked Chargers (23-7) will now have to wait to see if they will be given an at-large berth into the NAIA Div. II National Championship.