CHICAGO – The Concordia Wisconsin men's basketball team erased a double-digit halftime deficit to defeat Illinois Tech, 98-85, on the road. The win extends the Falcons' streak over the Scarlet Hawks to three games and evens the all-time series at 6-6. CUW, which has already secured a spot in the NACC Tournament, improves to 12-11 overall and 10-6 in conference play.
 
The Falcons trailed by 10 at the break but came out of halftime with a revamped game plan. The Royal Blue and Grey tightened up defensively, holding Illinois Tech to just 11 points over the first nine minutes of the second half while pouring in 37 of their own.
 
CUW opened the half on an 11-2 run in the first three minutes. Moments later, the Falcons used a 15-2 surge to take their first lead since the opening minutes of the game. During that stretch, CUW shot 6-of-7 from the field, including a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range. Junior Severin Hilt (West Bend, Wis.) scored six points during the run, while senior Logan Landers (Cedarburg, Wis.) added five.
 
Illinois Tech attempted to rally in the final 10 minutes, but Concordia's 16-point advantage proved too much to overcome. The Falcons sealed the victory by shooting 10-of-13 down the stretch, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.
 
Landers led the way with 34 points, shooting 12-of-17 from the floor and a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range. He also pulled down 12 rebounds for his 15th double-double of the season and dished out a team-high five assists.
 
Junior Casey Verhagen (Sheboygan, Wis.) added 24 points and recorded a team-high two steals. Freshman Alex Greene (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Hilt each contributed 13 points, with Hilt narrowly missing a double-double after grabbing nine rebounds. Sophomore Luke Eggemeyer (Perryville, Mo.) also reached double figures with 10 points.
 
The Falcons will close out the regular season with a two-game homestand, beginning Saturday, Feb. 14, against Lakeland at 3:15 p.m. inside the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse. Prior to tipoff, CUW will recognize its senior class.