The Cobbers opened the game by making their first six shots, including a pair each of three-pointers and free throws, to capture a 12-5 lead three minutes after the opening tip.

Concordia maintained that gap through most of the first half, shooting 47 percent over the opening 20 minutes. They went on to lead by seven at halftime, 41-34.

Ray Brown (Sr., Saint Paul, Minn.) led the Pipers in the first half with 12 points and four rebounds while Darrin Olmscheid (Jr, Buffalo, Minn.) had 11 for the Cobbers.

Down by six, 46-40, early in the second half, Jordan Schmidt (Fy., Northbrook, Ill.) pulled down the rebound on his own shot and put it back up to cut the lead to four. Brown then made a free throw to put the Pipers within a basket, 46-43.

The Cobbers responded by opening their lead back up to nine, 54-45, just before the 15-minute mark. Brown sandwiched a pair of shots from outside the arc around a Christan Taber (Fy., Brooklyn Park, Minn.) three. Those points helped make it a one-point game, 55-54, in favor of the visitors six minutes into the half.

Wild up-and-down play brought the Pipers to a 60-59 lead on a pair of free throws from Brown at 12:39.

Concordia missed a pair of free throws on their next possession and Carl Hipp (Jr., Little Canada, Minn.) pulled down the rebound on the second shot. He made the lay-up on the other end of the court for a 62-59 Piper lead with 11:13 to play.

Hamline scored eight straight points for a 66-59 lead at the 10-minute mark, but Concordia ended their scoreless stretch 30 seconds later on a pair of free throws from Ebo Nana-Kweson (Fy,. Coon Rapids, Minn.). The shots made it a five-point game in favor of the Pipers, 66-61.

That started a seven-point run by the Cobbers, ending in a short jumper by Karl Olson (Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) that tied the game at 66-66 with eight minutes remaining on the clock. He then drained a three-pointer to put the Cobbers up by three, but Schmidt answered with a trey on the other end of the court for a 69-69 tie. Another wild stretch of play led to a five-point, 74-69, Cobber lead with five minutes to play in the game.

Concordia got back on top with a three, 77-75, and that’s when Hipp then took over for the Pipers inside the two-minute mark. He sank a pair of shots from the foul line, made a key block and rebound recovery, and followed that up with a lay-up for the 79-77 Piper lead. The Cobbers missed a pair of free throws, and Hipp powered to the basket again with 36 seconds left for another two points. He was fouled on the shot and converted on the free throw for an 82-77 Hamline lead.

When Concordia came back down the court, Olson drained another three-pointer to cut Hamline’s lead to two, 82-80, with 23 seconds remaining in the game. The Cobbers took a timeout and then promptly fouled Brown, who made both free throws in the bonus situation.

The Cobbers got the ball back with 22 seconds on the clock and Olmscheid drained a three to get Concordia to within one again, 84-83. Another fouled Piper, Nick Carroll (Sr., Mendota Heights, Minn.) made both shots for an 86-83 lead.

Hipp finished off the final two minutes of the game by stealing a Cobber inbounds pass to run out the clock.

Hipp finished with 22 points and a pair of blocked shots while Brown tallied a double-double with 25 points and 10 boards, all defensive. Schmidt had 14 and Taber added 10 points.

Concordia was led by 24 points from Olmscheid and 17 from Olson.

The conference win moves the Pipers to 13-7, 9-6 MIAC and the Cobbers to 8-12, 4-11 MIAC. The Pipers remain at home at Hutton Arena to host Bethel on Wednesday, February 3, at 7:30 p.m.