OTTAWA, Kan. – No matter the defensive looks it encountered, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team got buckets. In returning for its first action in just over a week, the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs shot 54.0 percent from the floor and outgunned Ottawa University, 91-82, in Ottawa, Kan., on Wednesday (Dec. 29) night. Concordia earned a measure of revenge for the 2020 national tournament defeat it suffered at the hands of Ottawa, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad played for the first time since topping Rochester University (Mich.), 71-64, on Dec. 21. The Bulldogs will take a 13-3 overall record into the new year.
“We knew coming in this was going to be a battle,” Limback said. “They’re really, really good at home and can really score. We tried our best to keep them out of the lane and stay away from big runs. I thought our guard play today was outstanding. Carter (Kent) and Justin (Wiersema) made some huge shots down the stretch. I really loved our mindset throughout the game. We had to be tough in transition and I thought we did a good job on the glass overall. This is a great win.”
Concordia sizzled on the offensive end while faced with a combination of zone, man-to-man and full-court pressure looks from the host Braves. Ultimately, the game defining run came in the latter part of the second half when the Bulldogs used an 11-0 surge to turn a six-point lead into a 17-point advantage (82-65). The final nine points of that run came via treys – two apiece from Kent and one from Wiersema. Kent filled it up with 11 of his game high 19 points coming after halftime.
High-powered Ottawa (10-6) managed to chisel the 17-point deficit down to seven (87-80) in the final minute, although it was too little too late. Concordia had its hands full in dealing with a Braves team that put five players in double figures, including the trio of Andre Jackson, Ty Bland and Tristen Hull (who combined for 46 points). Ottawa (most recent game on Dec. 17) shot 49.2 percent (32-for-65) from the floor.
This was a return to high efficiency basketball for the Bulldogs, who were not at their best at that end while in Florida. It was a big evening for the frontcourt. Noah Schutte made his first seven shots from the floor and finished with 18 points while Ryan Holt (who started in place of Gage Smith) knocked down three treys and piled up 16 points. Off the bench, Tristan Smith poured in 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting. Finally, AJ Watson added 10 points, four assists and four steals. Wiersema hauled in a career high 14 rebounds as Concordia led the Braves in that department, 35-31.
“It’s all about making those winning plays,” Limback said. “You can’t let one bad play turn into two or three. That was our mindset and what we talked about at halftime. They’re going to make some shots and they’re going to make a run. I thought we controlled the pace a little better in the second half – outstanding road win for us. When we scheduled this game we knew how good this team was going to be.”
With his 19 points on Wednesday, Kent (1,413 career points) moved past Scott Beck (1,406) for 11th on the program’s all-time scoring list. Kent needs five more points to leap into the top 10. An emerging star, Schutte is on a tear that has seen him score at least 14 points in nine-straight games. As for Holt, his point total was his second highest of the season.
It will be back to conference play on New Year's Day when the Bulldogs are set to host Doane (10-6, 3-3 GPAC) at 3:45 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena. The Tigers have been idle since their 67-49 win over the University of Saint Katherine (Calif.) on Dec. 16. Concordia will attempt to extend a home win streak that currently sits at 11.