The men’s basketball team recently took down Holy Names in Oakland, 86-82 this past Sat., Feb., 4. breaking a six game losing streak. With six games left in the regular season, the team looks to finish strong. 

The team’s overall record stood at 5-14 and 4-10 in conference play after Holy Names. The opponents they lost to prior to the big win were: Hawaii Hilo, Point Loma, Academy of Art, Dominican University and Chaminade University. The Golden Eagles also fell to Fresno Pacific in a squeaker (59-68) this past Monday. 

Point Loma, currently ranked #21 in the nation, holds onto a 16-0 conference record. Hawaii Hilo holds a record at 10-4 and the Academy of Art at 10-6. The others stand below a .500 win average. Concordia looks to rematch Point Loma on Sat., Feb., 11. in San Diego, and Hawaii Hilo on Sat., Feb., 18. at home.  

Alpha Okoli, a junior shooting guard who transferred from St. Bonaventure University, shared his perspectives. “The biggest strength I think is resilience. We have guys that are going to go out there and give it their all and leave everything on the floor.” 

Okoli, also a St. John Bosco alum, made it clear that the team emphasizes controlling what they can control and focusing on the intensity and positive energy, even if games don’t end in their favor.

“With six games left, I think we have to trust each other and keep pushing each other. Do what we do and let the game come to us. In the sport that we're in, there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, because obviously it’s a high paced sport.” Most importantly, Okoli said, “I see us being over .500. Protect the crib, so win every game at home.” 

Matthew Brookins, a sophomore forward transferring from Humboldt State, pointed out how the team pushes through adversity well. Reflecting on their record, battling adversity is impossible to escape.

 

Looking to the future, Brookins explained how they have a lot of the same players returning for the 2023-24 season. “Obviously we have something to prove for next year,” Brookins said. Regarding the rest of the season, Brookins said, “We're losing but we're progressively getting better. What I’m focused on for these last six games is just playing hard. Go out with a bang.” 

The young team has a few DI and DII transfers from schools like Cal State University Northridge, St. Bonaventure, University of Idaho, Metro State, Humboldt State and Vanguard University. Some notable players from this season include graduate student forward Lance Coleman II, junior forward Byrce Fitzgerald, sophomore guard Kobe Sanders, redshirt senior forward Cameron Fini, and freshman guard Jackson Tucker. 

Concordia will be heading down to San Diego on Sat., Feb. 11., versus Point Loma. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. For more information, check out cuigoldeneagles.com.

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