SEWARD, Neb. – Following a successful Chicago road trip, the Concordia University men’s basketball team has returned to Nebraska. The Bulldogs will get back on the GPAC grind on Wednesday with a short trek to Doane. Concordia will finally entertain the home crowd on Saturday when No. 10 Morningside invades Walz Arena.
This week’s schedule
Wednesday, Jan. 3 at Doane (8-9, 3-4), 8 p.m. CT
Saturday, Jan. 6 vs. No. 10 Morningside (12-3, 4-1), 4 p.m. CT
Both of this week’s games will be carried live by 104.9 Max Country radio. A webcast for Wednesday’s contest can be found HERE. The Concordia Sports Network will provide coverage on Saturday.
Fifth-year head coach Ben Limback has guided his team to an 11-3 record, marking the program’s best 14-game start to a season since 2004-05. Last week in the Windy City, the Bulldogs notched road wins over Robert Morris University, 106-101, and Judson University, 89-74. Sophomore point guard Jake Hornick put up a career high 30 points at Robert Morris. Teammate Clay Reimers tallied 26 points and 12 rebounds at Robert Morris and then 26 points and 11 rebounds at Judson. Concordia is home to the GPAC’s rebound leader in Reimers (9.5) and assist leader in Hornick (5.14).
Doane has challenged itself with three nonconference contests against nationally ranked opponents over its past four games. The highlight of that stretch was an 81-70 upset of No. 22 College of the Ozarks on Dec. 20. Head coach Ian McKeithen’s headlining performer has been 6-foot-7 freshman guard Nick Kornieck, who averages a team high 16.6 points per game. The Tigers have been solid defensively, ranking fourth in the GPAC in field goal percentage defense (.438). Four of their five starters are freshmen.
Head coach at Morningside since 2003, Jim Sykes has put together a squad that stands near the top of the GPAC standings at 4-1 in conference play. Four of the Mustangs’ starters averaged at least a dozen points per game, including Brody Egger (15.1) and Tyler Borchers (15.1). Morningside is coming off of wins over York and Culver-Stockton College at the Briar Cliff Classic. It ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage offense (.505).
In next week’s action, the Bulldogs will host fifth-ranked Briar Cliff (16-2, 5-1 GPAC) on Jan. 10 and then travel to Yankton, S.D., to play Mount Marty (3-13, 0-7 GPAC) on Jan. 13.
Projected lineups
Concordia (11-3, 4-2)
G – Jake Hornick: 17.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5.1 apg, 0.9 spg, .544 fg%, .449 3-pt fg%, .797 ft%
G – Cordell Gillingham: 6.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, .442 fg%, .342 3-pt fg%, .500 ft%
G – Tanner Shuck: 14.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, .468 fg%, .413 3-pt fg%, .789 ft%
F – Kyle Pierce: 11.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.8 bpg, .486 ft%, .431 3-pt fg%, .800 ft%
F – Clay Reimers: 17.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 0.7 bpg, .622 fg%, .656 ft%
Doane (8-9, 3-4)
G – Jaxon Harre: 5.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, .413 fg%, .575 ft%
G – Nick Kornieck: 16.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 1.1 spg, .469 fg%, .365 3-pt fg%, .714 ft%
G – Anthony Laravie: 13.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.4 spg, .438 fg%, .376 3-pt fg%, .771 ft%
G – Rylee Zimmerman: 12.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, .451 fg%, .753 ft%
C – Trace Tupper: 6.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg, .494 fg%, .581 ft%
Morningside (12-3, 4-1)
G – Pierce Almond: 7.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.1 apg, .318 fg%, .309 3-pt fg%
G – Alex Borchers: 12.0 ppg, 4.2 apg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 spg, .537 fg%, .410 3-pt fg%, .690 ft%
G – Brody Egger: 15.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, .459 fg%, .422 3-pt fg%, .864 ft%
G – Zach Imig: 12.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.1 spg, .517 fg%, .680 ft%
C – Tyler Borchers: 15.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg, .669 fg%, .634 ft%