MEQUON, Wis. - For the second consecutive game, the Concordia University Wisconsin men's basketball team scored over 100 points in a dominant conference victory. On Saturday, the Falcons cruised past the Rockford Regents with a 103-87 win.
This victory marks the first time since January 2022 that the Falcons have posted back-to-back 100+ point games, replicating a similar feat from that season when they defeated Dominican 113-56 and Aurora 100-67.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 13-9 overall and 10-5 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. They also extended their home winning streak to seven games at the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse.
The Falcons wasted no time jumping out to an early 5-0 lead. Sophomore Severin Hilt (West Bend, Wis.) found junior Logan Landers (Cedarburg, Wis.) inside on the first possession before hitting a three-pointer in the next sequence off a pass from sophomore Matt Merlo (Random Lake, Wis.).
Merlo kept the momentum going with a quick transition basket and a half-court dunk. Rockford was able to match CUW's pace in the opening minutes, but Logan Landers worked inside, and sophomore Casey Verhagen (Sheboygan, Wis.) extended the Falcons' lead to 22-17 with an and-one basket.
On the next possession, Merlo drained a three-pointer off an assist from Verhagen, putting the Falcons ahead by six with 13 minutes left in the first half.
CUW's offensive run continued as Matt Merlo scored another inside bucket off a feed from Landers, giving the Falcons a 27-19 lead and prompting a Regents' timeout. The Falcons were on fire, shooting 10-of-13 from the floor with both Landers and Merlo perfect at 4-of-4.
At the 11-minute mark, the Falcons were already in the bonus, continuing to capitalize on Rockford's mistakes. A 7-0 run led by Landers and Verhagen pushed the Falcons' lead to 14 at 38-24.
Fast-break opportunities and steals by the Falcons increased their lead to 48-31. Freshman Luke Eggemeyer (Merrill, Wis.) scored off an alley-oop from Verhagen, and sophomore Mekhi Sutton (San Diego, Calif.) hit a three-pointer off a steal by Matt Merlo.
CUW's defense forced more turnovers, resulting in back-to-back fast-break scores—Verhagen went coast-to-coast, and senior Zach Leahy (West Dundee, Ill.) stole an inbound pass for an easy layup.
At halftime, the Falcons had a season-high 64 points, surpassing their previous high of 62 against Concordia Chicago on December 31. Rockford trailed by 19 with 45 points.
CUW capitalized on turnovers, forcing 15 by Rockford, which led to 22 points. The Falcons committed only three turnovers of their own, shot an impressive 67.9% from the field (19-of-28), and converted 23-of-27 free throws. Additionally, they outscored the Regents 20-0 in fast-break points.
Landers finished the half with 21 points, while Verhagen added 20, marking the first time in program history that two CUW players scored 20+ points in the same half.
Out of the break, Landers and Verhagen continued their strong play, helping the Falcons extend their lead to 69-47. Hilt added a moving three-pointer to push the lead to 74-48.
As the Falcons reached the bonus at the 13:16 mark, free throws became a constant theme in the second half. After a stellar defensive play from Leahy, the Falcons scored quickly, with Leahy finishing a layup and Landers converting an alley-oop off a pass from Verhagen.
Rockford mounted a late rally, narrowing the gap to 14 points with five minutes left. However, a pair of free throws brought the Falcons to 100 points for the second consecutive game.
The Falcons used clock management to close out the game, with Verhagen draining a three-pointer from Leahy to push the lead to 17, 103-86, with two minutes remaining. The Falcons then held on for a 103-87 victory.
Head coach Shawn Cassidy highlighted the team's offensive execution after the game. "Today was about our offensive efficiency. We took advantage of turnovers, converting them into quick scores, but also showed discipline in our half-court execution."
Logan Landers led the Falcons with 35 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 9-of-11 from the field. He also recorded his fifth consecutive double-double, bringing his season total to nine. This game marked Landers' third 30+ point performance and included a season-high 17 free throws, tying for the fifth-most made in a game in program history.
Casey Verhagen added 29 points, eight assists, and three steals, marking his 13th 20+ point game of the season. This also marked his fourth game with eight or more assists.
Zach Leahy contributed nine points off the bench and recorded a team-high four steals for the second straight game.
Defensively, Matt Merlo was exceptional, scoring 11 points while setting career highs with four steals and four blocks, also for the second consecutive game.
As a team, the Falcons shot a season-best 63.8% from the field, hitting 30-of-47 shots. They also set a season-high with 38 made free throws and matched a season-high with 12 steals.
For CUW, their home stand will continue as they will next host the Spartans of Aurora on Saturday for Senior Day.
