SEWARD, Neb. – A 12-0 first-half run provided the lift the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team needed in an anticipated showdown with third-ranked Northwestern on Saturday (Jan. 18). The Bulldogs limited the visiting Red Raiders to 37.1 percent shooting while claiming the 85-70 victory inside Friedrich Arena, a venue unfriendly to the opposition. The matchup featured a frontcourt battle between Concordia stars Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith and Northwestern’s Van Kalsbeek brothers, Alex and Jesse.
At No. 3 in the NAIA coaches’ poll, Northwestern represented the highest ranked opponent that the Bulldogs have defeated in Head Coach Ben Limback’s 12-year tenure. Concordia (15-4, 10-3 GPAC) has pushed its GPAC winning streak to nine.
“Special, special night,” Limback said. “Tristan Smith continues to do all these things – rebounding and defense. What a battle between him and (Alex) Van Kalsbeek. Those are two All-America guys. The bench was great – Zac Kulus, Brooks Kissinger and Eli (Gaeth). Eli just does so many things for our offense. Jaxon Stueve’s defense (was terrific). There were so many contributions by so many guys. I know I’m forgetting guys.”
The contributions made across the board paved the way for Concordia to win this one without any late game drama. The Red Raiders had one last gasp in the final minutes when Kaleb Booth’s trey got the visitors within eight (75-67) with 2:13 remaining on the clock. However, the Bulldogs were a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line the rest of the way and Northwestern managed only one more basket. The lack of production on the Red Raider offensive end became the story.
Northwestern (17-2, 9-2 GPAC) was held well below its season scoring average of 91.1. As expected, the Van Kalsbeeks, Alex (22 points and 12 rebounds) and Jesse (12 points and 10 rebounds) were a load inside. However, the 15-point margin of victory came in part because Concordia managed to hold freshmen Jesse Van Kalsbeek and Jalen Langsy (14 points) to a combined 8-for-31 from the floor.
Said the Millard North High School product Gaeth, “I would say the defensive side and focusing on our defense (was the key). We know they have a lot of good bigs and guys who can shoot. So we focused on our defense and that led to our offense, playing fast and getting in transition. It turned out well for us.”
Smith has made a major push in terms of his GPAC Player of the Year candidacy. He stuffed the box score with 17 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gaeth turned in a career high 16 points (5-for-9 from the floor) in a starring role off the bench. Gaeth knocked down two triples as part of a coming-of-age breakout afternoon. Other double-figure scorers were Schutte (15) and Kissinger (10) with Stueve (nine) and Hayden Frank (seven) close behind. Stueve continues to expand his game as one of the team’s better defenders.
As a team, Concordia shot 50 percent (27-for-54) from the floor and netted 25-of-30 (.833) from the foul line. The Bulldogs also had the rebound edge over a dominant Red Raider frontcourt, 40-36. Northwestern fell twice this week (78-75 at home to No. 12 Dordt on Wednesday) and has been beaten in each of its past seven visits to Friedrich Arena. As a program, Concordia is 53-5 in its past 58 home games. The nine-game GPAC win streak dates back to Dec. 7.
Said Limback, “I think Northwestern’s an amazing team. We told the guys in the locker room that if you don’t believe we’re just as good if not better, then you shouldn’t walk out here today. I think we had the belief that we could beat this team, but that’s an amazing team. They didn’t shoot well at times. Certainly, we’ll have another chance at them. Two really good basketball teams, and what a fun environment.”
The Bulldogs will take a break from conference play for the entirety of next week. The next time Limback’s squad takes the court it will be at the 72nd Concordia Invitational Tournament (Jan. 24-25) in Ann Arbor, Mich. On day one of the event, CUNE will take on Concordia University Ann Arbor at 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET. More details on CIT can be found HERE.