ORANGE CITY, Iowa – With All-American Alex Van Kalsbeek sidelined, freshmen Jalen Langsy and Jesse Van Kalsbeek rose to the occasion on Saturday (Feb. 8) as 16th-ranked Northwestern handed the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team its first defeat in 50 days. The 13th-ranked Bulldogs were limited to 44.1 percent shooting as they fell in Orange City, 87-70, in a score that was essentially the reverse of the one from the first meeting between the two sides. Tristan Smith led Concordia with 22 points.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad sorely needed this one to keep pace with Dordt (15-2 GPAC) at the top of the league standings. The Bulldogs (19-5, 12-4 GPAC) slipped two games out of first in the loss column after Saturday’s results.
“They had big Van Kalsbeek out and that’s obviously something we didn’t game-plan for,” Limback said. “So then you’re scrambling at the beginning the game. We told our guys, it doesn’t matter. They’re still a very talented team. We needed to get off to a better start. They started to feel good and got in a rhythm. It was a game. We got outplayed in the first half. I thought we would respond better, but we couldn’t get the stops or string together consistent offense. Hats off to Northwestern. They’ve been through a lot.”
Langsy and Jesse Van Kalsbeek experienced inefficient offensive performances in Seward on Jan. 18, but they led the charge on Saturday by splurging for 22 points apiece. Successive layups by Langsy and Van Kalsbeek early in the second half made it a 16-point hole (58-42) and had Concordia playing catchup. Spurred by Brooks Kissinger, the Bulldogs got back within six (60-54) before Northwestern responded emphatically.
In turning the tide in a series that featured 10 Concordia wins in the past 13 matchups, the Red Raiders flipped the script on a Bulldog team that had been rebounding well and playing lockdown defense. Northwestern shot 55.7 percent (34-for-61) from the floor and owned the boards, 40-25, behind eight rebounds from Jesse Van Kalsbeek. From the perimeter, Langsy knocked down four of the team’s eight triples.
Smith had to work for his 22 points (9-for-16 from the floor). He added six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots to his stat line. The Elizabeth, Colo., native was joined in double figures by teammates in Kissinger (15) and Noah Schutte (13). Freshman Elijah Gaeth made his second-straight start in place of Hayden Frank and supplied eight points. However, early turnovers, poor shooting and an inability to get key stops doomed the Bulldogs.
Said Limback, “Brooks Kissinger continues to play with confidence and toughness. He got to the free throw line a number of times and really sparked us in the second half. We had a nice flurry. I thought Dane Jacobsen defensively really helped us to get out in transition. It wasn’t enough. Tristan was getting loaded up on in the paint and we weren’t good enough from three today. Brooks was certainly a bright spot.”
The GPAC standings are tightly packed after Dordt at the top. Northwestern (13-4), Morningside (13-4) and Concordia (12-4) all have four GPAC losses apiece with Dakota Wesleyan (10-5) lurking not far behind. All five teams appear primed to play in the national tournament in March.
Another road contest is coming up on Wednesday when the Bulldogs will be at Hastings (3-20, 2-14 GPAC) for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff. Concordia won the first meeting with the Broncos, 101-82, in Seward. In Saturday’s action, Hastings fell at Morningside, 69-58. The Broncos are situated near the bottom of the league standings after sharing the GPAC regular season title last season.