SECOND HALF PERFORMANCE POWERS WARRIORS PAST CONCORDIA

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - It was two completely different stories for the Warriors (13-5, 8-4) in Saturday's win at home against the Concordia Cardinals (5-12, 3-10) on the offensive side of the ball. Rochester struggled to get much going in the first 20 minutes of play, but second-half adjustments and an emphasis on physicality helped the Warriors get back to much of their early-season form.

Off the bench, forward Brett White led the Warriors with a Warrior career-high 21 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Forward Brandon Michrina and guards Anthony Cukaj and Gunner Walters also scored in double figures, and the trio made significant plays on both ends of the floor.

THE RUNDOWN

FIRST HALF

• Rochester's first half left much to be desired on the offensive side, with the team shooting under 30% from the field and a mere 16% from three. On the other hand, the Cardinals had a solid start, knocking down several threes to build a small lead
• Upon checking in, White would make an impact early, finding openings for jumpers behind great passes from Cukaj and Walters. White scored 12 points in the half, mostly from outside the free-throw line. However, the team would find itself with work to do at the halftime buzzer, being down five

SECOND HALF

• The Warriors came out of halftime on a mission, with Walters and Michrina getting crucial scores to tie the game in just over a minute. Rochester pounded the paint, and the physicality paid off, with the Warriors starting the half on a 13-2 run, capped off by back-to-back layups from Cukaj. Michrina would score five points in two possessions shortly after, and Rochester continued to build off the great start
• White checked in and got back to making impact plays with an assist on a Cukaj three, but the Cardinals would answer with a run to tie the game. However, a pair of Gunner Walters assists and a major offensive board from White helped the home team stay ahead
• Offensive rebounding played a major role in Rochester's second-half success, with White and the team finding second-chance points all over the floor. Center James Fisher corralled an offensive rebound to set up another major three from White and later made one of the season's best plays, running the floor and catching an alley-oop pass from ¾ court by Walters with one hand for the finish. With the crowd roaring, Rochester stormed to the win

POSTGAME PRESSER

Head Coach Klint Pleasant had this to say on White's impact on the game and the team's performance:

"Brett had the ability to produce like that. It was just a matter of him turning his motor up. I think he sensed we needed someone to step up. What I loved about his performance was his motor on the defensive glass.

I was not happy with the team at halftime. I felt we guarded alright, but also felt we played with softness on the offensive end. We reinforced what we wanted to do against the zone, and we emphasized playing faster. Our second half was much better."

STAT OF THE GAME

White's 21 points off the bench tied for the most all season, the other performance being Fisher's 21 in the prior matchup with Northwestern Ohio on Jan. 17.

UP NEXT

Rochester prepares for a two-game road trip, with the first matchup against the Aquinas Saints (9-9, 6-6) on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics