SEWARD, Neb. – Visiting Briar Cliff shot only 26.7 percent from the floor in the first half as the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team built a lead as large as 18 points. Five Bulldogs reached double figures in what amounted to an 87-74 home victory over the Chargers on Saturday (Dec. 7). Noah Schutte poured in 22 points and Tristan Smith recorded a double-double as Concordia improved to 5-1 at home this season.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad now stands at 5-3 overall (2-3 GPAC). Both GPAC wins have come inside Friedrich Arrena.
“It wasn’t clean at times, but defensively I thought we had some really good spurts in the first half,” Limback said. “They missed some shots early that went down in the second half. Jaxon Stueve was outstanding in his role today. Tristan and Noah were finding the open man when they collapsed. We had a balanced scoring attack. We have a lot to clean up, but any win in this league is a good win.”
The Bulldogs believe their best basketball is still ahead of them, but this was a step in the right direction. Concordia had an answer whenever Briar Cliff made a push. A key sequence came early in the second half when the Chargers pulled within seven (50-43) before Schutte rattled off five in a row and Smith followed with a dunk. The Bulldogs eventually boosted the lead back up to 17 points while putting Briar Cliff away in the latest installment of a series that has often featured dramatic endings.
The second half differed dramatically from the first in terms of a shot making perspective. Over the final 20 minutes, Concordia outscored Briar Cliff, 51-49, while netting 17-of-30 attempts from the floor. On the other end, the Chargers (5-6, 2-3 GPAC) heated up with 7-for-14 shooting from the perimeter after halftime. Prolific Charger guard Matthew Stilwill posted a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds.
The Bulldogs countered by putting all five starters in double figures in scoring: Schutte (22), Brad Bennett (19), Smith (16), Stueve (16) and Hayden Frank (10). Smith stuffed the stat sheet with 12 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocked shots. Schutte also grabbed seven rebounds while Bennett drained 5-of-8 ties from long range. Concordia shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) from the floor, 45.8 percent (11-for-24) from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent (20-for-24) from the foul line. Twenty-one of the team’s 28 field goals were assisted.
Said Limback, “When teams double- or triple-team our leading scorers then other guys have to step up. I thought they did. I was pleased with a lot of stuff that we saw out there. We’re feeling our way through. Dane Jacobsen did some good stuff. He got a big offensive rebound when we were kind of stagnant and Eli Gaeth and Jake Hilkemann did some really good stuff in the first half. Brooks (Kissinger) had some good moments off the bench.”
The Bulldogs will be right back inside Friedrich Arena on Wednesday to welcome Hastings (1-7, 0-4 GPAC) to town for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff. Concordia caught a glimpse of the Broncos during the 25th annual Cattle Classic in early November. Hastings shared the 2023-24 GPAC regular season title with Concordia and Northwestern and appeared at the NAIA national tournament.