SEWARD, Neb. – The star power of Tristan Smith defined the GPAC quarterfinals while rugged and physical defensive play characterized the GPAC semifinals. In the end, Hayden Frank rang the bell to signal a hard-earned semifinal victory for the 11th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team on Saturday (March 1) afternoon. The Bulldogs won by a final of 67-61 while limiting No. 13 Northwestern to 32.8 percent shooting inside Friedrich Arena.
Head Coach Ben Limback has led the program to the GPAC tournament title game for the third time in six seasons. Second-seeded Concordia will carry a 25-5 record into Tuesday’s championship clash.
“They did a great job of being physical and mucking up the paint,” Limback said of the Red Raiders. “They were running doubles and triples at Tristan. We didn’t shoot well, and I thought we started to panic a little bit. Then we stopped being aggressive, and it’s hard to run offense when you’re not being aggressive. Thankfully, down the stretch, we made enough free throws to put the game away. We’re in the position we are this time of year because we’ve guarded a lot better over the course of these last few months.”
A slugfest ensued between two sides that typically aspire to get up and down the court and score points in bunches. Smith got loose with a steal and one-hand dunk in the opening minutes, exactly the type of play Northwestern worked doggedly to avoid. In the face of swarms of Red Raiders, Smith turned it over six times in the first half. The rugged nature of the contest combined with Northwestern guard Jalen Langsy’s hot early shooting kept Northwestern tight until the Bulldogs ended the first half on a 12-2 run for a 37-28 lead.
Ultimately, Concordia got it done on the defensive end. With the Bulldogs nursing a 61-56 lead with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the contest, they held the Red Raiders to just one basket the rest of the way. A layup apiece from Noah Schutte and Brooks Kissinger stretched the lead to nine (65-56) heading into the final minute-and-a-half. For Concordia, 42.6 percent (23-for-54) shooting was just good enough, and its 45-32 rebound advantage helped it overcome 17 turnovers.
The matchup down low between Smith and freshman Jesse Van Kalsbeek played a major role in the outcome. The younger Van Kalsbeek is on his way to a fine career, but he struggled on Saturday while frequently bodied up by Smith. Van Kalsbeek went 4-for-18 from the floor and 4-for-11 from the foul line in a 12-point, 15-rebound effort. Two others for the Red Raiders (25-5) reached double figures: Langsy (18) and Conner Geddes (16).
This one wasn’t for the faint of heart. As the sophomore Frank said afterwards, “Tegts (Assistant Coach Ryan Tegtmeier) told us it was going to be physical. You just have to play through it. We lift for this – we work out for this. You see Noah and Tristan on the floor. They’re not small guys. We were ready for it. We had to come out and battle.”
Frank jumped back into the starting lineup on Saturday and poured in 17 points while netting 4-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc. Smith posted 20 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots for his ninth double-double of the season. In addition, Schutte added 16 points and six rebounds and Kissinger came off the bench to supply eight points and seven rebounds. Zac Kulus drained a trey during the late first half run.
Both sides were without key players as Northwestern All-American Alex Van Kalsbeek remains sidelined by injury and Concordia missed Elijah Gaeth and Lukas Helms. The latter is out for the season while Gaeth is expected to return as early as next week.
At this point, the constant for the Bulldogs remains its effort defensively and on the glass. Said Limback, “When you can hang your hat on defense and rebounding, that will carry you in every game. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting well or not shooting well. I feel like this is only going to prepare us better for Tuesday night against one of the best offensive teams in the country … Tristan had a tough day, but then you look at the stats and he scores 20. They did an outstanding job of making him uncomfortable. We just didn’t move the ball very well.”
Thanks to Morningside’s 109-106 overtime upset of sixth-ranked Dordt on the other side of the bracket, Concordia will host the GPAC Championship Game. The Bulldogs and Mustangs will square off inside Friedrich Arena at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Concordia also hosted the conference final in 2022 when it defeated Jamestown, 77-70.