MEQUON, Wis. – It was a grind, but the Concordia Bulldog Men’s Basketball team did just enough to turn away Concordia University Ann Arbor on day one of the 71st Concordia Invitational Tournament. A 14-2 run in the second half propelled the Bulldogs to the 80-75 victory on Friday (Jan. 26) afternoon in Mequon, Wis. Both teams shot above 50 percent in a contest played at a bit slower tempo than CUNE would prefer.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s program is attempting to make it three-straight CIT championships. The Bulldogs have moved to 14-5 while quickly turning around after Wednesday's blowout of Mount Marty.
“That’s a great CIT game right there,” Limback said. “Ann Arbor’s defense really gave us some problems at times. We were stagnant offensively, but Hayden Frank was exception today. I thought he was a difference maker in the first half when we needed it. Tristan (Smith) had a quiet 16 points and 16 boards and started to score on the glass. The difference in the second half was Brad Bennett got loose and we got some transition buckets. It was a gutsy win. It wasn’t pretty at times, but we shot 65 percent in the second half. I loved how we had a lot of contributions today.”
CUNE got plenty of work in on its zone offense while up against a Cardinal squad that seemed determined to limit Noah Schutte’s paint touches. CUAA’s unique defensive looks combined with its 10-for-21 shooting from 3-point range resulted in the Bulldogs trailing with less than 9:30 left in the game. Shortly thereafter, CUNE regained the upper hand with a run keyed by back-to-back treys from Bennett. Schutte then capped the 14-2 spurt with a layup, stretching the lead out to 71-59.
The Cardinals (6-12) managed to climb back within three with the help of a couple of Bulldog turnovers. Finally, Bennett sealed the win with a pair of free throws in the closing seconds. The starring efforts of the CUAA trio kept its side in the game. Joey Garwood (21), Devyn Jones (19) and Dylan Jergens (17) combined for 57 points. Garwood was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor.
Freshman Hayden Frank was a major reason why the Bulldogs built a 37-31 halftime lead. Frank collected 17 points and dished out five assists while making 4-of-7 shots from 3-point range. On the interior, Smith went 6-for-6 from the floor in the process of recording his eighth double-double of the season. Meanwhile, Schutte finished with 15 points and Bennett supplied 11 (all in the second half). Limback also lauded Brayson Mueller (four points and three rebounds) for solid minutes off the bench.
For freshmen such as Frank, this was the first CIT experience. The only CIT anyone on the current roster had played in was the one hosted by the Bulldogs in 2023. Said Frank of his first taste of CIT, “It was pretty cool this morning with the banquet and saw all the teams here. It’s a cool atmosphere. Everyone’s cheering and engaged in the game. It means a lot. It’s been really cool so far.”
Limback once again went against the program he led to CIT championships in 2006 and 2007. In this case, the prior records hardly mattered. The Bulldogs got all they wanted before avoiding the upset.
Said Limback, “Give them a lot of credit. I thought their zone was unique, and we hadn’t seen something like that. You can watch it on film, and we had one day to prepare. It’s not easy to do that, so we’re throwing something different at our guys. Good teams face adversity like this and find a way. I was proud of the ability to overcome some of that adversity.”
The Bulldogs will shoot for their 30th all-time CIT title on Saturday when the championship game tips off at 7:30 p.m. CT in Mequon. In last year’s title contest in Seward, CUNE toppled Concordia University Wisconsin, 82-64. The Bulldog CIT games will be carried live from Mequon by 104.9 Max Country radio.