RIVER FOREST, Ill. --- Looking to keep pace near the top of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, the Concordia University Chicago men's basketball team took on the Rockford University Regents on Wednesday evening. The Regents scored the opening basket of the game but it was all CUC from there, as the Cougars built up a 17 point halftime lead. They then finished off their fifth straight win by a final score of 86-76.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-         With the win, the CUC winning streak reaches five, which is the longest since the 2010-11 season when that team won six straight.
-         Izak Ruddell (Saint Joseph, Mich.) had a season-high 19 points on 8-11 shooting. He also knocked down three triples.
-         Emanuel Wilson (Wheaton, Ill.) finished with 17 points on 7-14 shooting.
-         Landen Gladney (Chicago, Ill.) had a big night with 15 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.
-         Justin Greenlee (Brown Deer, Wis.) took control of the CUC offense with 13 points and eight assists.
-         The Cougars scored 52 of the 86 points in the paint.
 
Coach Kollar's Thoughts
When asked about what has changed in the team during the winning streak head coach Steve Kollar remarked. "Ownership, total ownership. I keep going back to this after the Trine game of us getting smacked and being down 25. The guys were just like this is enough. It was all of the details. We weren't good at any of the little things. There was a legitimate effort to go we are going to be better at the details. They are just taking ownership."
 
Game Recap
Rockford opened the game converting the opening tip for a layup, but then the Cougars turned it on. After a Brent Hatten (Olney, Ill.) layup, Ruddell buried the first of three first-half threes to give CUC the lead. The Regents held close, tying the game again at seven, but Ruddell answered with the long ball again.
 
Ruddell's three sparked a 10-1 run for the Cougars, building the lead out to 17-9 with 13:29 remaining in the half. Rockford worked back within three following a timeout by knocking down a pair of threes, but the Cougars had the answer once again.
 
Will Wainscott (Oswego, Ill.) opened another run for the Cougars with a deep three from the top of the key. Ruddell, Greenlee, Gladney, and Jalen Meeks (Aurora, Colo.) all scored on the 10-0 run for CUC, as the lead stretched to 31-18 with 6:40 remaining in the half.
 
The Cougars continued to have their way offensively, extending their lead to 42-22 on a Gladney layup with just under three minutes to go in the half. Rockford was able to get a couple of late baskets to cut the CUC lead to 45-27 at the half.
 
CUC opened the second half with a quick basket by Ruddell to extend the lead back to 20. Rockford kept fighting, cutting the CUC lead down to 13 in the first four minutes of the half. The Cougars stopped the Rockford momentum with five straight points by Greenlee.
 
Concordia kept the lead in double digits for the remaining time in the second half. CUC put the bow on top of the victory getting a couple of dunks from Gladney late in the half, as the Cougars closed out the Regents by a final score of 86-76.
 
With the win, the Cougars improve to 8-6 overall and 6-3 in NACC play. Rockford falls to 9-5 overall and 3-4 in NACC play. CUC will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when they head to Milwaukee to take on NACC leading Wisconsin Lutheran The opening tip is set for 4:15 pm. You can find links to coverage at cucougars.com/coverage. You can also keep up with the team on Twitter @CUC_menhoops.