RIVER FOREST, IL - Concordia University Chicago built a big first half advantage and withstood a second half rally to hand #24 Benedictine their first conference loss of the year.

FINAL SCORE
Concordia Chicago 90, #24 Benedictine 72

THE DETAILS
• Benedictine scored the first two points of the game on a layup from Eric Grygo and then did not lead again for the remainder of the night
• The hosts opened a double-digit lead just over six minutes into the matchup and utilized a 13-0 run late to open a 52-26 edge with 2:30 left in the half
• The lead reached as big as 28 points and saw Concordia Chicago ahead 57-31 at the break
• Concordia Chicago made 12 first-half three-pointers and shot 52.4 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent from beyond the arc
• Benedictine had been allowing just under 64 points per game and surrendered 57 in the half
• Benedictine tightened up on defense in the second half and created chances but struggled at the free throw line and continued to miss open opportunities to pull closer
• Trailing by 24 points midway through the half, Grygo opened a 7-0 run to draw within 70-53 with 7:27 remaining when Kenny Bogus scored on a layup
• Following a turnover, Keegan Graebner splashed home a three-pointer with 5:25 to go, drawing Benedictine within 74-61
• The team forced another turnover but missed a layup
• Nick Kosich pulled Benedictine within 78-68 on a three with just under four minutes left, but the hosts countered with a quick layup
• Down by 11 points after a free throw from Grygo with 3:26 to play, Benedictine forced another turnover before one of their own led the way to an 8-0 run which ended the comeback attempt
• Benedictine allowed just 33 points in the second half as Concordia Chicago made only nine field goals
• The game marked the first contest as a ranked team
• Concordia Chicago head coach Steve Kollar was an assistant under Keith Bunkenburg from 2013-15 and helped build the framework for a three-year run of conference titles, assisting the team in the first of those three consecutive years
• The teams will play again at Benedictine on January 21
• The loss brought an end to an eight-game win streak against Concordia Chicago, who nearly sidetracked Benedictine's 2014-15 year with the last win in the series, forcing a share of the conference title
• The loss means there will be no unbeaten teams in the NACC this season

STAT LEADERS
• Benedictine forced 22 turnovers, resulting in 19 points
• Concordia Chicago shot 33 percent in the second half but made just one three-pointer and finished at 44.9 percent for the game while holding a 55-38 edge on the glass
• Benedictine shot 36.5 percent in the contest (27-74) while hitting just 26.9 percent of threes (7-26) and connected on just 11-of-26 attempts from the line in the game which featured 43 combined fouls and 46 free throws
• Grygo scored 21 points to lead four players in double figures
• Bogus logged 16 points with 12 rebounds with Kosich contributing 13
• Kyle Graebner tacked on 10

UP NEXT
Benedictine (8-2, 4-1 NACC) is off until 2020, returning to action at home on January 4 against Marian