VIDEO: Noah's record-breaking bucket
CRETE, Neb. – No one in the history of Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball has scored more points than the All-American Noah Schutte. The understated Schutte made noise on the court with a game-high 24 points on a record-setting Wednesday (Jan. 8) as the Bulldogs blew out rival Doane, 81-60, on the blacktop in Crete. Schutte and fellow star Tristan Smith had a field day against the Tiger zone and led an offensive attack that shot 55.8 percent from the floor.
Head Coach ben Limback’s surging squad has won six-straight within conference play and has triumphed in eight of its past nine outings. Concordia moved to 12-4 overall (7-3 GPAC).
“It’s a good win. Obviously, they just had a big win on Saturday, and it’s a tough place to play,” Limback said. “They guard and they’re gritty. It got a little bit chippy here, but it’s a competitive battle and we knew it would be that way. I was pleased with our ability to sustain runs and keep the lead where it was in the second half. Noah Schutte had a big start to the game. We talk about the big scoring accolade, but we needed it right out of the gate, and I think that eased everybody’s nerves.”
At the same venue where 14th-ranked Morningside fell victim to the upset four days earlier, the Bulldogs rolled behind another stellar effort from Schutte. The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School alum amassed 24 points and 10 rebounds while making 10-of-14 shots from the floor. Schutte moved past the legendary Jon Ziegler (2,099 career points) for No. 1 on the school’s all-time scoring list when he drove to the rack and kissed the ball off the glass at the 13:48 mark of the second half.
That bucket pushed the Concordia lead to 57-41 at the time and inspired an uproar from Schutte’s teammates and the strong contingent of family members and Bulldog fans who made the short road trip. By night’s end, Schutte’s career point total stood at 2,105. Schutte reached that number while playing in the 131st game of his college career.
Said Schutte in response to breaking the scoring record, “I was more focused on getting the win. Doane’s a gritty team. There was a lot of game left when I reached that milestone. After the game, my teammates and coaches embraced me and congratulated me in the locker room. I got a little emotional celebrating with them.”
Schutte and Smith teamed up to get the Bulldogs out of the gates quickly on Wednesday. The Bulldogs never trailed for a single second and built a cozy 40-25 halftime lead that was propped up by a Smith jumper just before the buzzer. Smith finished his evening with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Coming off an eight-trey outing in the demolition of previously undefeated Dordt, Brad Bennett helped grow the lead in the second half by knocking down a trio of 3-point field goals. Jaxon Stueve also reached double figures with 10 points and Hayden Frank added six.
With the game already decided in the second half, things got heated with Doane (8-9, 3-6 GPAC) being whistled for three technical fouls (and one on the Bulldogs). It merely delayed the inevitable. Concordia dominated by scoring in the paint and by outrebounding the Tigers, 39-24, allowing it to easily overcome its 18 turnovers. On the other side of the court, Doane shot only 37.5 percent while getting 23 points from standout guard Brady Timm.
Concordia has won six in a row and nine of the past 10 in the series with Doane. The latest installment of the rivalry will be remembered as the night Schutte became the program’s all-time leading scorer. He did so with Ziegler in attendance. Schutte and Ziegler had the opportunity to meet after the game. Said Limback of Schutte, “He does his thing, and he just wanted to beat Doane. I know there was some pressure, but he handled it like a champ.”
Life on the road will continue with a Saturday road trip to Sioux City, Iowa, home to Briar Cliff (9-7, 4-4 GPAC). The Bulldogs and Chargers will tip off at 3:45 p.m. CT from the Newman Flanagan Center. Concordia won the Dec. 7 matchup played in Seward by an 87-74 score. Briar Cliff had a bye on Wednesday night.