Clark Lifts Saints' Men's Hoops to Late Win over Concordia

ADRIAN, Mich. -- Cecil Clark (Ferndale, Mich./Ferndale) hit a free throw with 15 seconds left, giving the Siena Heights men's basketball team a one-point lead, and the Saints held on for a 75-74 victory over Concordia on Wednesday night. The contest, played at the SHU Fieldhouse, was a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

Nick Kosovich (Shelby Township, Mich./Romeo) led SHU with 17 points while Chris Lemm (Clinton Township, Mich./Chippewa Valley) put in 14 and Nick Packwood (Southgate, Mich./Inter-City Baptist) had 10. Clark finished with a double-double, compiling 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Paul Elliott (Taylor, Mich./Consortium Prep) also scored 10 points for the home team.

The Saints (4-5, 1-0) led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but Concordia staged a late comeback.

With 7:18 left, the Cardinals (4-5, 0-1) completed an 11-point run, getting five points from Austin Cook, to take a 64-59 lead.

The Saints battled back with five straight points. Packwood buried a 3-pointer and then Lemm knocked down two free throws, knotting the game at 64-64.

Ties were also held at 66- and 68-all before Concordia expanded its lead to 74-70. Then, the hosts closed the game with a five-point run.

Vince Schantz (Wyandotte, Mich./Allen Park Cabrini) made a basket with 2:23 left and then Packwood tied the score at 74-74 with 1:02 to go. Clark's freebie put the Saints up for good; Concordia missed its final two field goal attempts.

During the first half, Siena Heights built its lead from 3-point land. The Saints made 9 of 18 attempts from beyond the arc, including a 4 of 4 outburst from Lemm.

The Saints snapped a 10-10 tie with a 12-point run. Their largest lead was 34-21 before taking a 39-35 advantage into halftime.

Andrew Patrick was Concordia's leading scorer, finishing with 18 points and five assists. Cook added 16 points and John Schaeffer put in 10.

Aaron Olsen and Rocko Holmes grabbed eight and seven rebounds, respectively, for the Cardinals.

SHU will return to action on Saturday with a 3 p.m. WHAC contest at Lourdes (Ohio).