LINCOLN, Neb. – In a first-time experience at Pinnacle Bank Arena for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program, Noah Schutte and the Bulldogs went toe-to-toe with fifth-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Concordia led by as many as five points in the second half but could not overcome the Eagles’ sizeable advantage in points in the paint (56-34). The visitors from Bartlesville came out on top, 79-74, on the home hardwood of the Cornhuskers on Tuesday (Dec. 20) afternoon. This was the first of three games set to be played at the Battle in the Vault.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad again proved it could hang with the very best the NAIA has to offer. The Bulldogs (9-4, 6-3 GPAC) can take away some lessons heading into a few off days for Christmas.
“I already felt like we had a pretty good team,” Limback said. “Then you get a challenge like this in a wonderful environment in Pinnacle Bank. Our fans and alums get to come out. It was a great test for us. We had a great overall effort. We shot really well in the first half and got beat up on the glass a little bit. Second half, we weathered some storms before their run. Against tough teams like this, you just can’t make many mistakes. We’ll learn from it.”
Spurred by Schutte, Concordia felt like it was making some traction when it ended the first half on a 7-0 run (37-34 lead at the break) and then put together an 8-0 spurt early in the second half. Schutte’s offensive board and dish to Gage Smith for two made it a 45-40 Bulldog lead with just under 16 minutes remaining. The contest stayed tight until Oklahoma Wesleyan (13-1) went on a 12-2 run that staked it to a 72-61 lead with fewer than four-and-a-half minutes to play. That run was punctuated by Austin Poling’s trey.
To their credit, the Bulldogs chiseled the deficit back down to four (78-74) in the final minute as the Eagles left the door open a crack with poor free throw shooting (9-for-22 for the game). A starting five that handled most of the minutes pulled it out for OKWU. Lightning quick guard Derrick Talton Jr. tallied 17 points, seven steals and five assists. Down low, Eagle big man Jaden Lietzke is a load to handle. He wound up with 23 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.
During times when Concordia got a big stagnant, Schutte persevered. He equaled a game high with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds and handed out four assists. Gage Smith moved up to No. 4 on the program’s all-time rebound list in the process of totaling 17 points and 15 rebounds. Two others reached double figures: Payson Gillespie (12) and Tristan Smith (10). Foul trouble for Tristan limited him to 20 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Payson’s outside shooting stroke (4-for-8 from beyond the arc) kept the Bulldogs close in the second half.
Oklahoma Wesleyan won this game by getting good looks around the rim. It led to 58.6 percent (34-for-58) shooting from the floor. On the other end, the Bulldogs shot 42.9 percent (27-for-63). Lietzke and Talton Jr. combined to go 19-for-28 from the floor. Both programs were NAIA national quarterfinalists this past March.
Even in defeat, Schutte was as impressive as ever. Said Limback of Schutte, “He’s really good. He continues to step up when we need him to. With guys like that, you always have a chance to compete against the best. That certainly showed tonight. I’m really proud of him. I think half his family was courtside, which makes it even better.”
The Bulldogs will take a break for Christmas before shifting their focus towards a trip south next week. Concordia will be in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 28 to take on Texas Wesleyan University and will then head to Chickasha, Okla., to challenge the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 30. Conference play will resume after New Year’s.
Said Limback, “We get a little break, which is good. Now we go on the road and play against two nonconference opponents that are good teams. That’s going to make us battle-tested and hopefully prepare us for making a run.”