VIDEO: Tristan Smith alley-oop slam 'wows' CIT crowd
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – When it took care of the ball, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team torched the nets on day one (Jan. 24) of the 2025 Concordia Invitational Tournament. Another eye-popping alley-oop slam by Tristan Smith highlighted a comfy 90-71 Bulldog victory over Concordia University Chicago in Ann Arbor, Mich. CUNE easily overcame a rash of turnovers by shooting 61.0 percent from the floor.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won nine-straight games while jumping to 16-4 overall. The Bulldogs are aiming to defend their string of three-consecutive CIT championships.
“I didn’t even have to really say it (in regard to the turnovers) – I think they knew it,” Limback said. “The best part about this team is they understand what needs to happen. A large part of the game is making mistakes and learning from it and growing. Hats off to Concordia Chicago. I thought they played really hard on defense. They were scrappy and made us turn it over. We’re really good offensively when we can play our speed and we had a tough time doing that tonight.”
Smith brought gasps late in the contest when he one-hand jammed a fast-break alley-oop off the dish from Brooks Kissinger. Smith reached behind his head with his off hand (right) before no-look punching the ball through the rim. The Elizabeth, Colo., native starred with 22 points (10-for-13 from the field), 12 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals. The top three scorers, Smith included, were all efficient for CUNE as Hayden Frank poured in 17 points (6-for-8 from the field) and Noah Schutte added 13 points (6-for-9 shooting).
The lead ballooned to 26 points with just under 6:30 remaining in the contest. The Bulldogs managed to run away with it despite 26 turnovers that led to 27 points for the Cougars. CUNE simply had more weapons. Brad Bennett added nine points while budding freshman Elijah Gaeth posted 10 points and seven rebounds. In addition, Kissinger chipped in with eight points and Jaxon Stueve supplied six points and four boards. In continuing a season long theme, the Bulldogs won the rebound battle decisively, 39-24.
CUC (6-11) got a team high 15 points from Jacob Collicott (5-for-19 from the floor), who was especially active on the defensive end with eight steals. The Cougars shot only 43.9 percent from the floor and led only briefly in the opening minutes of the game.
The atmosphere figures to ramp up on Saturday night. Said Frank of playing at CIT, “I think it’s pretty cool how much it means to all the dads and grandpas here. They truly love CIT. It’s cool to get all the Concordia teams here. I think it’s cool seeing the atmosphere. Everyone’s cheering and everyone’s loud. Everyone’s here to see good basketball.”
In a winning effort, CUNE learned something about itself. Limback expects his side to be sharper if faced with full-court pressure as the season wears on. The Bulldogs also showed they can overcome shortcomings in certain areas thanks to the star power of the likes of Smith and Schutte.
Said Limback, “Any time you can see different styles (it’s a good thing). We knew that was going to be part of it coming into this – the running and the trapping. I think seeing that prepares you for those moments at the end of games … but I liked our defense in the half court. We’ll learn a lot from this game.”
The goal for the Bulldogs on Saturday will be to add to the program’s 30 all-time CIT titles. The 2025 championship game is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET from Cardinal Fieldhouse. CUNE is set to play the winner between Concordia University Ann Arbor and Concordia University Wisconsin.