GRAND JUNCTION, CO. – The Colorado Christian University Cougars opened their 2022/2023 season on the road, facing two Texas teams in the D2 Conference Crossover in Grand Junction, Colorado. The Patriots of Dallas Baptist University claimed the win over CCU on Friday, which was followed by a loss to the Hilltoppers of St. Edwards University on Saturday with a final score of 88-71.

DBU: HOW IT HAPPENED  – The season opener started off with CCU getting on the board first, after Shaylen Woodberry was assisted by Jason Gallant for three. The teams continued at an even pace, with the Cougars only trailing by 2 with eleven minutes left in the first half. Dallas Baptist however found their rhythm near the end of the half with an 8-0 run, increasing their lead to 13-points at the break with a score of 40-27.

The second half had a unique start, seeing the first 7-points between the two teams come from free-throws alone. DBU continued to hold onto their comfortable lead, but the Cougars caught some momentum after a pair of 3's from Shaylen Woodberry shortened the difference to 8. With nine minutes left to play, the Patriots found their rhythm yet again and went ahead by as much as 31 points before the game was over to seal the win. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – Leading the CCU offensive was Noah Kon and Maro Egodotaye, with 11 and 10 points respectively. Kon also led the team in assists with 5, and found all but 2 of his points from the free-throw line after going 9-12. Egodotaye earned a double-double after notching a game high 11 rebounds.
 
SEU: HOW IT HAPPENED – Starting off their second game of the season much like the first, the Cougars were the first on the board against the Hilltoppers after Jason Gallant assisted DJ McDonald to go up 3-0. The first half saw Colorado Christian with a slight upper hand for a majority of the first half, until the last five minutes as St. Edwards began to chip away and take the lead by the time the half was over, with a score of 44-36.

The Hilltoppers remained steady in the second half, holding onto the lead for the remainder of the game. Both teams played almost even in the first and second halves – with SEU scoring 44 in each, and CCU scoring 36 and 35.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – The Cougar offense was led by Nic Zeil and DJ McDonald who tallied 17-points apiece. Noah Kon was also in the double-digits after finishing with 11. Comparing the numbers inside the box score shows the two teams going even on many fronts, with the Hilltoppers taking the slight edge on the offensive end.

UP NEXT – The Cougars will be at home for their next couple of games, hosting Spurgeon College on November 17^th, followed by Barclay College on the 19^th.