SAINT PAUL, MINN.--The No. 3 seed Hamline University men's basketball team embarked on their 11th MIAC Tournament appearance in school history on Tuesday night, when they hosted No. 6 seed Concordia (Minn.). The Pipers secured a 74-59 victory over the Cobbers, and will make their third-straight appearance in the MIAC Semifinal at No. 2 seed Saint John's (Minn.) on Thursday, February 27 at 7 p.m. The win also marks Hamline's eighth MIAC Tournament victory ever.
Hamline improves to 17-9, while Concordia (Minn.) ends their season with a 12-14 record.
Hamline 74, Concordia (Minn.) 59
The first half opened with Concordia taking an early lead, highlighted by Peyton Belka's three-pointer at 19:14. Hamline responded with a series of plays, including a fastbreak layup by Bradley Cimperman at 17:20, putting them ahead 7-5. Brendan Ebel's two 3-pointers helped extend the Pipers' lead, with the team pushing the score to 15-9 by 14:22. Concordia's Rowan Nelson kept his team competitive, scoring multiple times, but the Pipers maintained their lead, closing the half at 38-31 following Austin Holt's fastbreak layup with four seconds left.
The second half began with Austin Holt's quick steal and Daniel McCarrell's successful layup and free throw, giving Hamline an early 41-31 lead. Hamline maintained control with a series of successful plays, including layups by Bradley Cimperman and Raoul Vaidya, extending their lead to 47-32 by 16:56. The Cobbers attempted to rally, with key contributions from Jackson Loge and Rowan Nelson, closing the gap to 52-46 around the 9:19 mark. However, Hamline's consistent scoring, especially from Austin Holt and Bradley Cimperman, allowed them to maintain their advantage, eventually winning the half 36-28, resulting in a 74-59 victory.
Bradley Cimperman stood out with a strong performance, scoring 31 points on 10-for-21 shooting and making all 10 of his free-throw attempts. He also led the team in steals with three and contributed eight rebounds. Austin Holt was within striking distance of a triple double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a team-leading nine assists. Holt also made three blocks and two steals. Raoul Vaidya scored 11 points and collected four rebounds, while Brendan Ebel hit two 3-pointers, contributing eight points overall.
Rowan Nelson and Jackson Loge emerged as key players for the Cobbers. Nelson scored 18 points, hitting seven-of-eleven field goal attempts, including two 3-pointers. Loge led the team with 20 points and was a dominant presence on the boards, securing 16 rebounds. He also contributed defensively with two blocks and two steals. Peyton Belka added seven points and contributed four rebounds, while Erik Hedstrom provided a balanced performance with four points and six rebounds.
Hamline shot .426 (26-of-61), while Concordia converted a .404 (21-of-52) mark.
