SEWARD, Neb. – The 21st annual Cattle Classic is set to tip off on Friday afternoon inside Walz Arena. The basketball classic features a total of four men’s games and four women’s games over the course of the two-day extravaganza. The event, co-sponsored by Concordia and Cattle Bank & Trust, raises money and food for the Blue Valley Community Action's Food Pantry. Pac N Save of Seward will match all canned food donations.
Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods in exchange for admission. Ten canned items will get an adult a weekend pass. Complete admission information for the Cattle Classic can be found HERE. Tickets will not be sold online for this particular event.
Live webcasts/stats: Concordia Sports Network
2021 CATTLE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 5
- Women: Taylor University (Ind.) vs. Dakota State University (S.D.), 1 p.m.
- Men: Hastings College vs. Benedictine College (Kan.), 3 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Sterling College (Kan.), 6 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. Waldorf University (Iowa), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 6
- Women: Taylor University (Ind.) vs. Sterling College (Kan.), 10 a.m.
- Men: Hastings College vs. Waldorf University (Iowa), 12 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Dakota State University (S.D.), 2 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. Benedictine College (Kan.), 4 p.m.
The Men’s Field
Concordia University
Head Coach: Ben Limback, 9th season
2021-22 Record: 2-0
2020-21 Record: 17-9
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Seward, Nebraska
Top Player: Based upon last season’s accolades, Justin Wiersema (First Team All-GPAC) leads the way for the Bulldogs. Wiersema took off in 2020-21 when he averaged 16.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor. The native of Loveland, Colo., contributes positively in all aspects of the game. Carter Kent and Gage Smith were named Second Team All-GPAC last season.
Overview: Expectations are high as Concordia returned its top seven scorers from last season’s squad that tied for third in the GPAC. The Bulldogs got the 2021-22 season started at the Hastings Classic with a pair of blowout wins that came over Friends University (Kan.), 87-57, and Presentation College (S.D.), 96-72. As a showcase of the team’s depth, five Concordia players reached double figures in both games. The Bulldogs have shaken things up a bit in the starting lineup by going to AJ Watson as the primary point guard.
Benedictine College
Head Coach: Ryan Moody, 11th season
2021-22 Record: 2-0
2020-21 Record: 21-8 (national tournament qualifier)
Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference
Location: Atchison, Kansas
Top Player: An NAIA Second Team All-American guard last season, Jaiden Bristol is back for a fifth season for a Ravens program coming off a national tournament appearance. Bristol averaged 12.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game last season. Bristol has piled up more than 1,200 points in his career at Benedictine.
Overview: Head Coach Ryan Moody has an experienced squad that returns all 16 players who appeared in a varsity game last season. That group of returners includes five players who averaged in double figures in scoring. Senior guard Matt Austin enjoyed a 26-point performance in Saturday’s 90-76 win over Briar Cliff. Benedictine was picked by league coaches to finish second in the Heart of America Athletic Conference preseason poll. Concordia edged the Ravens, 66-65, at the 2019 Cattle Classic.
Hastings College
Head Coach: Bill Gavers, 9th season
2021-22 Record: 3-0
2020-21 Record: 6-19
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Hastings, Nebraska
Top Player: Junior guard Karson Gansebom picked up Honorable Mention All-GPAC accolades last season when he averaged 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Gansebom is off to a strong start this season in averaging 20.0 points per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor. He poured in 31 points in the season opening win over Sterling College (Kan.).
Overview: The Broncos are hoping to bounce back from a 6-19 campaign in 2020-21. Though picked at the bottom of the GPAC preseason poll, Head Coach Bill Gavers’ squad has opened this season with three-straight wins, defeating Sterling, Presentation and Friends. Gansebom and Deshawn Walker are the headlining returners for Hastings, which struggled mightily on the defensive end last season. It allowed opponents to average 87.2 points and shoot 48.1 percent from the floor.
Waldorf University
Head Coach: Nigel Jenkins, 11th season
2021-22 Record: 0-1
2020-21 Record: 5-17
Conference: North Star Athletic Association
Location: Forest City, Iowa
Top Player: Senior guard Quincy Minor Jr. was named first team all-conference in the North Star Athletic Association last season. Minor Jr. averaged 19.4 points and shot 48.5 percent from the field in 2020-21. Minor Jr. put up a team high 17 points in the team’s 73-62 season opening loss to Iowa Wesleyan University.
Overview: The Warriors struggled to a 5-17 record last season despite the scoring ability of Minor Jr. Waldorf was picked to place seventh out of eight teams in the North Star’s preseason coaches’ poll. Head Coach Nigel Jenkins is the winningest coach in program history with 121 career victories. The Warriors are aiming for their first winning season since going 16-14 in 2015-16.