SEWARD, Neb. – As part of a unique tripleheader event, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team will be featured at the “Battle in the Vault.” Campio Events serves as the sponsor for the basketball extravaganza set to take place on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb., home to the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. The first game of the day will showcase the Bulldogs against Oklahoma Wesleyan University in a matchup of two teams that reached the 2022 NAIA national quarterfinals.
Tickets will go on sale to Nebraska season ticket holders starting at 10 a.m. CT on Aug. 16 through Aug. 31. General public tickets will be available for purchase at 10 a.m. CT on Sept. 1. For more information, visit campiosports.com. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com and the Ticketmaster App on a mobile device. Simply search “Battle in the Vault” when using Ticketmaster.
Battle in the Vault – Tuesday, Dec. 20
Pinnacle Bank Arena | Lincoln, Neb. (game times to be announced)
Game 1 – Concordia University vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Game 2 – Drake University vs. Mississippi State University
Game 3 – University of Nebraska vs. Queens University of Charlotte
Said Campio Event Organizer Jake Headrick, “When we decided to build this event, we were looking for a place that has pride in their teams and area. There is no fan base more loyal than the people of Nebraska and the teams coming to this event have great ties to the area and region.”
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad returns three starters from last season’s team that swept GPAC regular season and tournament championships and notched 28 wins (third most in program history). The headlining returners include forwards Noah Schutte (2022 NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team) and Gage Smith (2022 First Team All-GPAC) and point guard AJ Watson (2022 Honorable Mention All-GPAC). Concordia will be working on replacing star guards Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema, two members of the program’s 1,000-point club.
A member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, Oklahoma Wesleyan entered last season’s national tournament ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Coaches’ poll and finished 2021-22 at 34-3 overall. Head Coach Donnie Bostwick led the Eagles to an NAIA Division II national title in 2009. Concordia and Oklahoma Wesleyan last met during the 2016-17 season when the Eagles visited Seward for the Cattle Classic. The result was a 100-89 win for a Bulldog squad led by All-American Chandler Folkerts.
Concordia’s complete 2022-23 men’s basketball schedule can be viewed HERE. The season will tip off Nov. 4 at the Cattle Classic inside Friedrich Arena.