SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia men’s basketball team will play a contest at home and one on the road this week. The Bulldogs will take on Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday with start time slated for 8 p.m. inside Walz Arena before traveling to Dakota Wesleyan for a 4 p.m. tipoff on Saturday.
MATCH INFO
Nebraska Wesleyan University (5-2, 1-1 GPAC) at Concordia University (6-1, 2-1 GPAC)
Tuesday, Dec. 2 | 8 p.m. CDT
Site: Walz Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast: Concordia Sports Network
Live Stats: DakStats
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
MATCH INFO
Concordia University (6-1, 2-1 GPAC) at No. 24 Dakota Wesleyan University (7-2, 3-0 GPAC)
Saturday, Dec. 5 | 4 p.m. CDT
Site: The Corn Palace | Mitchell, S.D.
Webcast: Stretch Internet
Live Stats: Stretch Internet
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Last time out
The duo of Chandler Folkerts and Jamie Pearson combined for 42 points in an 84-81 win over Doane last Tuesday. Micah Kohlwey grabbed the lead for the Bulldogs with 2:25 left to play. The Tigers answered back with a 3-pointer but failed to convert anymore shots the rest of the game.
Quotable
“We told this team that we knew we can score. We knew that at the beginning of the season. Our struggle has been, can we buy in defensively and really get the stops and be aggressive and be in our spots as a team. We just have to continue to improve guarding the ball and keeping it out of the paint and the gaps, but I did like our offense in the second half.”
-Head coach Ben Limback
We just have a lot of senior leadership. We all stick together and we worked a lot starting in the summer. We all know each other really well. We work together when things get tough. We didn’t play the greatest game tonight but we came together when it counted and got the win.”
-Senior Micah Kohlwey
Rankings in the GPAC
As a team in the GPAC, the Bulldogs lead in scoring defense per game (75.71), blocks per game (5.14) and total blocks (36), rank second in field goal percentage defense (.408), rank third in scoring margin (12.14), defensive rebounds per game (30.29), field goal percentage (.495) and assist/ turnover ratio (1.25), rank fourth in rebound margin (4.86), assists per game (17.71) and steals per game (7.29) and rank fifth in scoring offense per game (87.86) and offensive rebounds per game (10.43).
Chandler Folkerts – field goal percentage, fifth (.570); total rebounds per game, sixth (7.71); offensive rebounds per game, tied for eighth (1.86); defensive rebounds per game, sixth (5.86); blocks per game, second (1.71); total blocks, fourth (12); double-doubles, tied for seventh (2); game-high rebounds, tied for eighth (13)
Rudy Knight – assist/ turnover ratio, 10th (2.11)
Jamie Pearson – points per game, third (22.14); total points, 10th (155); field goal percentage, fourth (.578); 3-point field goal percentage, tied for ninth (.436); 3-point field goals made per game, eighth (2.43); steals per game, 10th (1.43); assists per game, fifth (4.29); game-high scoring, tied for third (37)
Robby Thomas – field goal percentage, seventh (.556); steals per game, tied for fourth (1.71); total steals, tied for eighth (12); total rebounds per game, eighth (7.57); defensive rebounds per game, fourth (6.57); blocks per game, first (2.14); total blocks, first (15); double-doubles, tied for seventh (2)
Scouting the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves
The Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan University hold a 5-2, 1-1 GPAC record so far this season. NWU has faced two top-25 ranked teams in the GPAC already this year. The Prairie Wolves fell victim to No. 24 Dakota Wesleyan in a high scoring 102-125 battle. Most recently, Nebraska Wesleyan defeated the 19th-ranked Midland Warriors, 102-95. Leading the GPAC in scoring offense per game, the Prairie Wolves average 100 points per contest and have scored in the triple digits in all but one game. The squad also averages 37.9 rebounds a game. The Prairie Wolves are led by head coach Dale Wellman who is in his second season at Nebraska Wesleyan. Wellman is assisted by Trevor Johnson and Tyler Ackley.
Scouting the No. 24 Dakota Wesleyan Tigers
The No. 24 Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan University own a 7-2 overall record and an unblemished 3-0 GPAC mark as of Monday, Nov. 30. After upsetting the ninth-ranked Briar Cliff Chargers 101-95, the Tigers defeated Nebraska Wesleyan (125.102) and Mount Marty College (104.75). DWU averages 96.4 points and 35.2 rebounds per game. As a team, the Tigers shoot 52.1 percent from the field, which leads the GPAC. Dakota Wesleyan also averages the fewest amount of fouls in the conference with 15.89 per contest. The Tigers are led by head coach Matt Wilber who is in his third season at Dakota Wesleyan. Wilber is assisted by Jacob Brandl, Logan Diede and Alex Fodness.
Up next for the Bulldogs
The Concordia men’s basketball team returns to action next week when it hosts two GPAC contests. First on Wednesday, Dec. 9 the Bulldogs will play No. 13 Dordt College at 8 p.m. Mount Marty College will visit Walz Arena on Saturday, Dec. 12 with tipoff set for 4 p.m.