CRETE, Neb. – The act of defeating a rival was a satisfying way to flush the result from four days earlier. A strong finish to the first half staked Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball to a double-digit advantage it rode to an 85-69 Wednesday (Feb. 4) night throttling of Doane on the blacktop in Crete. The Bulldogs picked apart the Tigers to the tune of 52.7 percent shooting from the floor.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad improved to 16-8 overall (10-6 GPAC) while extending the program’s series win streak over Doane to nine. Limback saw the response he was hoping for.
“First half, I thought we set the tone defensively, especially,” Limback said. “We had a gut check this last week and the guys responded really well tonight. Offensively, I thought we were good throughout the whole game, and Brooks (Kissinger) was really, really good and stuck those free throws. Zac (Kulus) found his shot, and we were scoring at the rim … Huge road win at this point in the season.”
Whether playing zone or man, the Tigers were a step too slow in defending Kissinger and a Concordia squad that knows it must ramp up the urgency with the calendar having flipped to February. In the latest tussle with Doane, the Bulldogs used a 15-4 late first-half surge to gain control and mount a 39-24 lead at the break. A certified zone buster, senior guard Zac Kulus carved up the Tigers with a quartet of first-half treys, including two that came during the aforementioned run.
Concordia found an offensive groove while trotting out a starting five it had not employed yet this season. With Logan Wilson unavailable, Tate Odvody rejoined the starting group. The constant is Kissinger, who slashed his way to his 17th 20-point outing of the season. Kissinger finished with a game-high 28 points (14 in both halves) on the strength of 10-for-12 foul shooting. Behind five double-figure scorers, the Bulldogs built a second half lead as large as 21 points.
Doane tweaked its offensive action in the second half, prompting Limback to switch to zone. The Tigers’ sprung to life in the middle of the second stanza with an 8-0 run that cut their deficit to 11 (67-56). However, Kissinger answered with the next four points – and Concordia was on its way to the winner’s circle. Doane (11-13, 5-11 GPAC) shot 44.8 percent (26-for-58) for the night and was paced by a team-high 18 points from Justus Gardiner.
After Kissinger, next in line for the Bulldogs in the scoring column were Kulus (12), Odvody (12), Jaxon Stueve (12) and Dane Jacobsen (10). Kissinger stuffed his stat line with eight rebounds, five steals and four assists. Meanwhile, Jacobsen posted six rebounds and five assists. The visitors netted 21-of-26 (.808) from the foul line. Just as Concordia began to get healthier, Stueve was shaken up late in the contest and left the floor.
However, the yields were overwhelmingly positive on Wednesday. The Bulldogs looked more like the team that cracked the NAIA top 25 earlier this season. Kissinger is a handful for any Concordia opponent.
Said Limback of Kissinger, “He’s a machine. He’s doing it with guys hanging on his arms. I was so proud of him and how he made the free throws tonight. He’s having a great year and had another great night. Our guys continue to find him, and he finds them. We’re a dangerous team when there’s five guys in double figures like that.”
The Bulldogs will return to Friedrich Arena on Saturday for a matchup with first-place Morningside (18-5, 15-1 GPAC). Tipoff is set for 5:45 p.m. CT. As part of the home hoops doubleheader, Concordia will honor its past All-America award winners. The Bulldogs hope to avenge their January shootout loss, 91-87, at Morningside.