AUSTIN, Texas    –   Donovan Stafford had 27 points and 10 rebounds to secure a double-double and lead four players in double-digits as the Concordia University (Texas) Tornadoes defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 90-79 in the second game of the 2024 CTX Holiday Classic hosted at Concordia Fieldhouse Sunday afternoon.
 
Stafford was 7-for-16 from the field for game-high honors, making 4-of-6 from three in the win.  Corey Thompson added 18 points and six rebounds on 7-for-12 shooting, while Adolfo Martinez and Joey Ramirez each had 14 points.
 
Graduate student Bryce Lausier (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) recorded his eighth double-double of the season to lead Southern Maine with 25 points and a career-best 20 rebounds.  Sophomore Brady Saunders (Brewer, Maine) added 17 points and three assists, while sophomore Justin Allen (Franklin, Mass.) added 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from three.  Playing in his fourth contest of the season, freshman Evans Sterling (New Sharon, Maine/Mount Blue) scored a season and career-best seven points, adding four rebounds and two assists off of the bench.
 
The Records:
Southern Maine (5-6, 1-2 LEC)
Concordia (Texas) (3-3, 0-0 SCAC)
 
Series History:  Today's game marks the first meeting between the Huskies and the Concordia University (Texas) Tornadoes.
 
How It Happened:

• Ahead by six, 24-18, with just over nine minutes to play in the first half, Concordia outscored the Huskies 22-11 to take a strong 46-29 lead into the halftime break. Saunders scored on a three to make it a six-point game at 9:01 before the Tornadoes went 7-for-14 (including 4-for-9 from three) to close out the half and secure a 17-point halftime margin.  Stafford and Ramirez each scored eight points in the final nine minutes of the half.
• Concordia scored the first bucket of the second half before the Huskies responded with a 17-4 flurry to make it a two-possession game, 52-46,  with 13:09 to go in regulation.  Both Lausier (17) and Allen (5) combined for all of the Huskies' offense in the run, coming for a 7-for-14 mark from the field.  Conversely, the Huskies' defense held Concordia to a 1-for-7 mark.
• After Lausier's layup make it 52-46, the Tornadoes turned it around and rattled off an 18-5 spurt over the next 3:44 of play to regain its 19-point advantage, 70-51, with 9:04 on the clock.  After going 1-for-7 from the field during the Huskies' run, Concordia strung together a perfect 7-for-7 stretch in the run, including a pair of threes.  Thompson led the way with seven points.
• Southern Maine rattled off nine unanswered points to make it a 10-point game.  Saunders, who had five points in the run, made it a 70-60 scoreline at the 6:25 mark with a layup on a feed from Sterling. The Huskies made it a three-possession game, 78-69, at the 4:06 mark as Sterling connected on a layup and earned the traditional three-point play with a free throw for his seventh point of the game. However, Concordia responded with a 5-0 swing, and surged to an 83-69 lead and outscored the Huskies 11-5 over the next 2:07 of action to take a commanding 89-74 lead with just under two to go. 
• USM outscored the Tornadoes 5-1 in the final moments but ran out of time as Concordia remained in front for the 90-79 victory.

 
Inside The Stats:

• Concordia shot 43.9 percent (29-for-66) from the field and 37.9 (11-for-29) from three in the game.  The Hsukies shot 40.6 percent (26-for-64) and 30.0 percent (9-for-30) from three. 
• Led by Lausier's 20 rebounds, USM held a 48-37 lead on the glass, including a 14-8 edge in offensive rebounds. The Huskies had 20 second-chance points. 
• The Tornadoes won the turnover line, committing just seven to the Huskies 18. Concordia scored 21 points off of USM turnovers. 

 
Up Next:
Southern Maine will face Nebraska Wesleyan tomorrow (2:00 pm EST) in its second game of the Concordia Holiday Classic.  The Huskies return to action in January at home versus LEC opponent UMass Boston on Wednesday, January 8 (7:30 pm). 
 
 
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