In a game filled with momentum shifts by both squads, the Chargers dropped a close contest against the Bulldogs of Concordia 87-82 in Seward, Nebraska Saturday afternoon. The Chargers late in the second half found themselves on the wrong side of a late run, but fought back in the final minutes to put them in striking distance at the end.
 
"Tough one on the road tonight! I thought our guys really battled through adversity and stuck to together to give ourselves a chance in the end," said Head Coach Mark Svagera. "I love the toughness and resilience our guys have shown, and look forward to bouncing back!"
 
The Bulldogs came out strong in the first six minutes of the contest, building a 17-6 lead following a Bradley Bennett trey. The Chargers got a spark with 13:35 in the first half, as Matthew Stilwill buried a three off an assist from Quinn Vesey. The next time down on the offensive side of the floor, Wil Lugar rose for a dunk, followed by a Blake Sindelar three the next possession made it a five-point game.
 
The Chargers received a big boost off the bench from freshman Colby Collison, as he netted eight points and grabbed two boards in the first half. A triple from Vesey gave Briar Cliff a 42-40 lead with eight seconds in the half. A pair of free throws from Lugar gave BCU a 44-40 lead heading into intermission.
 
In the second half, the Bulldogs regained the lead with 12:25 left, and led by as many as 13 with little over seven minutes remaining. Jamison Helmers with 6:45 knocked down a triple off an assist from Vesey to cut the lead to 74-66. The Chargers took a one-point lead with 4:28 on the clock following a three from Stilwill. With 1:06 Stillwill went two-for-two at the line and the Cliff trailed 83-82. Vesey had a chance to tie the game with a bonus free-throw but couldn't convert and the Cliff were forced to intentionally foul. The Bulldogs converted on their late free throw attempts to take the 87-82 victory.
 
Stillwill paved the way for Briar Cliff, scoring 23 points on seven-for-11 from the field and three triples. Vesey added 18 points and recorded four steals while burying four threes in the contest.
 
The Cliff shot 51% from the field and 42% from beyond the arc.
 
The Chargers move to 10-8(4-6 GPAC) on the season and will travel to Sioux Center, Iowa to take on the Defenders of Dordt Wednesday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.
   
 
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