Concordia Prep vs Spartans (St. Charles)

By: Darius Gordon

Game three of the day featured Concordia Prep facing off against a winless but determined St. Charles team. Coming into this matchup, Concordia’s Christian Okenpa had been a standout, averaging 11 points per game on 50% shooting, and he wasted no time making an impact.

Concordia Prep came out blazing, opening the game with a 7–0 run behind tough defense and aggressive offensive rebounding. Their full-court pressure stifled St. Charles early, and by the midway point of the first half, Concordia had built a commanding 19-point lead. St. Charles couldn’t find a rhythm offensively, and their defensive lapses only widened the gap.

By the 3:25 mark, the scoreboard read 31–6 in favor of Concordia, a testament to their fast-break execution and second-chance opportunities. At halftime, Concordia Prep led 33–12, seemingly in complete control.

However, the second half told a very different story.

St. Charles emerged from the break with renewed energy and urgency. Their defense became active, and they started finding success in transition, slicing into the lead possession by possession. With 12:44 remaining, the lead was trimmed to 14. By the 6:15 mark, St. Charles had cut it to just six thanks to timely threes and sharp ball movement.

With under 3 minutes to go, the Spartans had stormed back, bringing it to a 1-point game. Despite Concordia’s efforts to hold on, St. Charles tied it at 51–51, sending the game into a thrilling overtime period.

The Spartans completed the comeback in OT, capping off an incredible rally to take their first win of the tournament with a final score of 56–53. The grit and resilience shown by St. Charles was unmatched, a true testament to their heart and coaching adjustments in the second half.