Men's Basketball 2/19/03 -- Concordia-Moorhead 72, Augsburg 53 

BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (2/19/03) -- Josh Downey (Jr., Bigfork, Mont.) scored a career-high 25 points, hitting six 3-pointers, as Concordia College-Moorhead used a second-half rally to eliminate Augsburg College from postseason playoff contention in a 72-53 triumph in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball game Wednesday night at Si Melby Hall.

Downey scored 14 points, including three on three-pointers, in the second half, as Concordia outscored Augsburg 36-18 en route to the 19-point victory.

It was the final game of the season for both teams. Concordia finished 9-15 overall and 8-12 in MIAC play. Augsburg finished 11-14 overall and 8-12 in MIAC play. The Auggies entered the final two weeks of the season in control of their own postseason destiny, after winning seven of 10 games following a seven-game losing streak. But the Auggies lost three of their final four games to close the season, being eliminated from the six-team MIAC postseason playoffs.

The game featured six ties and 17 lead changes in the first half, but Concordia took the momentum into the locker room after Downey hit a miracle three-point shot from beyond halfcourt at the first-half buzzer, giving the Cobbers a 36-35 halftime lead.

After the break, Concordia outscored Augsburg 18-4 over the first eight minutes of the second half to take a commanding 54-39 lead with 12:35 left. Downey had two 3-pointers and 10 points in the Cobber run.

Augsburg was forced to try three-pointers to get back into the game, adn hit just 1-of-11 from beyond the arc in the second half, hitting 4-of-19 (21.1 percent) from three-point range in the game.

In addition to his 25 points, Downey had five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Soren Nelson (So., Twin Valley, Minn./Norman County East HS) and DeShawn Curtis (Sr., Hephzibah, Ga./Pike County HS) had 10 points apiece. Jared Swanson (Sr., Morris, Minn.) had eight points, five rebounds and three assists, and Joe Bueckers (Jr., Pine River, Minn./Pine River-Backus HS) had seven points.

Augsburg had just one player in double figures, freshman Jonathan Gholson (Fr., Gary, Ind./William A. Wirt HS), who had a season-high 12 points and six rebounds. Yarzue Slowon (So., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) scored eight points, adding five assists and two steals. Jay Howard * (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) had seven points and five rebounds in his final collegiate game.