MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin men's basketball team battled throughout but fell 95-84 to Aurora in a hard-fought home contest. The Falcons move to 7-9 overall and 5-4 in NACC play.
 
Both teams traded baskets to open the game before CUW put together a strong stretch midway through the first half. With 14:29 remaining, the Falcons used a 12-5 run over 3:32 to seize the lead. Five different Falcons scored during the spurt, pushing the advantage to a game-high nine points.
 
Aurora responded with a run of its own to regain the lead, keeping the contest tight with under nine minutes remaining in the half. The game stayed close until the final two minutes, when the Spartans pulled ahead to take a five-point lead into halftime.
 
The Falcons came out energized in the second half, as a layup by sophomore Luke Eggemeyer (Perryville, Mo.) and a key three-pointer from senior Logan Landers (Cedarburg, Wis.) tied the game at 46 with 18:11 to play.
 
Despite continued pressure from CUW, the Falcons were unable to reclaim the lead in the second half. Aurora held an advantage near the basket, outrebounding Concordia 36-26.
 
Junior Casey Verhagen (Sheboygan, Wis.) led the Falcons with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added a team-high six assists. Landers finished with 19 points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds.
 
Junior Severin Hilt (West Bend, Wis.) and Eggemeyer also reached double figures, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively. Hilt led the Falcons from beyond the arc, knocking down 3-of-5 attempts.
 
The Falcons return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 21, when they travel to Dominican. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Igini Sports Forum in River Forest, Ill.