JOLIET, Ill. – Eleven days apart, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team put together scintillating offensive performances on the road. On day one (Dec. 30) of the St. Francis Fighting Saints New Year’s Classic in Joliet, Ill., the Bulldogs shot an otherworldly 75 percent (18-for-24) in the second half and pulled away from host University of St. Francis for an 89-81 win. Four Concordia players reached double figures, including freshman Jacob Duitsman, who poured in a career-high 16 points.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad had been idle since its 101-88 win at MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) on Dec. 19. The back-to-back road victories have pushed the Bulldogs to 10-4 overall.
“We had our moments in the first half offensively,” Limback said. “I think we shied away from contact a little too much. In the second half, when Logan Wilson is making 3s it changes our offense. The ball movement and the way we attacked the paint was outstanding. When we have five guys operating together like that, it’s fun to watch and it’s hard to defend.”
Concordia took control after halftime while putting behind a rough final six minutes of the opening half. A national tournament team last season, the Fighting Saints closed the half on a 19-2 run and built a 39-32 lead. For USF, Joffrey Nunnally scored 14 (4-for-4 from 3-point range) of his game-high 21 points over the contest’s first 20 minutes. The Fighting Saints shot 54.1 percent (33-for-61) for the afternoon in a fine offensive showing of their own.
Duitsman and company had an answer. The Bulldogs regained the lead, 43-41, less than two-and-a-half minutes into the second half when Logan Wilson drained one of his five treys on the day. Then in the latter stages of the game, Zac Kulus (3:10 mark) and Dane Jacobsen (0:46 mark for an 87-76 lead) emerged with triples that sank USF’s late comeback efforts. Jacobsen and his fellow backcourt mates carved up the Saints’ man-to-man defense, consistently finding baskets at the rim and open looks from the perimeter.
Down starter Tate Odvody, the Bulldogs went small on Tuesday. As part of its second half groove, Concordia made nine of its first 10 shots after the break. Over the final 20 minutes, the Bulldogs went 7-for-9 (.778) from 3-point range and knocked down 14-of-15 (.933) from the foul line. The double figure scorers outside of Duitsman were Brooks Kissinger (18), Jacobsen (17) and Wilson (15). Kulus and Jaxon Stuve added eight points apiece and Hayden Frank contributed seven points. Kulus made his seventh career start in place of Odvody. Kissinger added seven rebounds and Jacobsen led the team with four assists.
The all-time leading scorer at Lincoln Lutheran, Duitsman is gaining confidence and has a bright future ahead of him. His 22 minutes of action on Tuesday were also a career high.
Said Limback, “With Tate out, we really needed him. He looked great. He just let it go and played the way he could. He was getting a lot of deflections and did a lot of little things. Offensively, he was really good … the toughness our team showed in the second half on the road was great to see. We want to get one more before we come home.”
On the trip east to Chicago, the Bulldogs made a stop at the University of Northern Iowa for a practice and reunion with 2024-25 First Team All-American Tristan Smith. Concordia also attended a Chicago Bulls game on Monday.
The St. Francis Fighting Saints New Year’s Classic will continue on New Year’s Eve with another 1 p.m. CT tipoff for the Bulldogs. Concordia will take on Governors State University (Ill.) (7-4) on day two of the event. The Jaguars took the court immediately after the Bulldogs on Tuesday afternoon.