KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Just as anyone who followed the team throughout the 2021-22 season would have expected, Concordia University Men’s Basketball did not go down without a fight. A storybook season concluded on Saturday (March 19) as the Bulldogs were taken out by second-seeded Talladega College (Ala.), 77-69, in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship held in Kansas City, Mo. The size and length of the Tornadoes presented Concordia with matchup challenges and the GPAC champions shot only 3-for-20 from 3-point range.
In the immediate aftermath, the result stings. With time, members of the Bulldogs will come to appreciate what they accomplished even more. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad wrapped up the campaign at 28-7 overall for the third most wins in program history.
“We knew their size was going to be an issue and they shot it really, really well,” Limback said. “When they’re doing that, they’re a tough team to stop. We just couldn’t get it going offensively. I thought we had really good looks in the first half. We missed some front ends of one-and-ones in the first half. We miss a three and they hit a three – that was a big momentum shift heading into the locker room at halftime. I thought we’d regroup and we would come out fighting. We just couldn’t get that easy bucket to go … I’m proud of how we finished the game. There was some fight in them.”
With a spot in the national semifinals on the line, Concordia played Talladega to a near stalemate through the first 11 minutes. That’s about the time when things went awry for the Bulldogs. A long 3-point shot at the first-half buzzer by Markel Williams staked the Tornadoes to a 45-34 lead at the break. Talladega, ranked sixth in the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll, then went on a 9-0 run to begin the second half. It was an extreme uphill battle the rest of the way. The Tornadoes built a lead as large as 22 (70-48) while netting 11 treys.
The Bulldogs switched things up and turned on the press, went to zone looks and made things just a bit interesting down the stretch. Turnovers and missed free throws by Talladega provided a sliver a of hope that was eventually stamped out. It just wasn’t in Concordia’s DNA to stop playing. It simply fell victim to a talented squad led by a trio of double-figure scorers: Kamron Brice (20), Cam Potts (15) and Darryl Baker (10).
Noah Schutte continued an incredible tournament by totaling 15 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday. If NAIA basketball observers nationally were unaware of Schutte before, they shouldn’t be anymore. The Laurel, Neb., native went for 24 points and 12 rebounds in Friday’s win over Indiana University Kokomo. Meanwhile, AJ Watson sliced and diced his way to a career high 21 points in his hometown of Kansas City and Carter Kent notched 12 points and six rebounds in his final game as a Bulldog.
It wasn’t just the trophies, the championships or the national tournament run that made this team special. There was a special bond shared between a group that never wavered in its commitment to each other, its maturity and its Christian principles. There was a reason why Ryan Holt and Sam Scarpelli came back for a fifth season and why it was going to be impossible to hold back the tears when the run eventually did come to a halt.
Said Limback, “I think everybody’s going to remember the SportsCenter moment and some of the trophies and the elite eight run. I think what they’re going to remember most is the brotherhood. That’s what the people saw when they watched them play. That’s what I saw when I got to coach them and enjoy it with them. God truly blessed this team with a lot of fun memories, but I think what they’re going to take away is the brotherhood and the love they share. That’s what made them special.”
This was also the end of the line for Holt and Scarpelli and four-year players such as Justin Wiersema and Klay Uher and possibly Gage Smith as well. Gage Smith tallied eight points and eight rebounds on Saturday while Wiersema notched six points and three rebounds. Tristan Smith chipped in with six points off the bench. As for Kent, he departs as the fifth leading scorer in program history with 1,699 career points.
For so many reasons, the 2021-22 squad has etched its place in Concordia Bulldog Basketball lore. Said Limback, “What a joy it was to be a part of it. It was a season I don’t think any of us will ever forget. It will be fun to reflect on that. I told my wife that this last game was going to be one of the hardest for me as a coach just because of who they are as people. It’s truly an amazing group of guys.”
The run this season marked the program’s fifth all-time national quarterfinal appearance (and first since 2005). The 2021-22 Bulldogs had hoped to become the program’s third semifinalist (semifinal appearances were achieved in 1992 and 2005). One thing it will always be able to claim – the first team in program history to win the GPAC regular season title.