2002-2003 - Basketball schedule/results
25-9 Overall, 10-6 GPAC
NOVEMBER | |||
| Nov. 8 | Benedictine College | Atchison, Kan. | W 72-62 |
| Nov. 9 | Bellevue University | Bellevue, Neb. | L 67-57 |
| Cattle Classic: | |||
| Nov. 21 | vs. York College | Seward, Neb. | W 87-55 |
| Nov. 22 | vs. Benedictine College | Seward, Neb. | W 78-43 |
| Pepsi Challenge: | |||
| Nov. 29 | vs. St. Ambrose University | Davenport, Iowa | W 70-58 |
| Nov. 30 | vs. Mount St. Clare College | Davenport, Iowa | W 84-46 |
DECEMBER | |||
| Dec. 3 | Doane College* | Crete, Neb. | W 70-65 |
| Dec. 7 | Briar Cliff University | Sioux City, Iowa | L 70-61 |
| Dec. 10 | York College | York, Neb. | W 70-56 |
| Dec. 14 | Northwestern College* | Seward, Neb. | L 75-71 |
| Grand Canyon Classic: | |||
| Dec. 28 | vs. Westminster | Phoenix, Ariz. | L 63-60 |
| Dec. 30 | vs. Grand Canyon University | Phoenix, Ariz. | W 74-69 |
| Dec. 31 | vs. Tiffin University (Ohio) | Phoenix, Ariz. | W 87-69 |
JANUARY | |||
| Jan. 8 | Dana College* | Seward, Neb. | W 62-52 |
| Jan. 11 | Dordt College* | Sioux Center, Iowa | L 76-55 |
| Jan. 14 | Nebraska Wesleyan* | Lincoln, Neb. | L 69-67 (2OT) |
| Jan. 18 | Hastings College* | Seward, Neb. | W 87-65 |
| Jan. 22 | Midland Lutheran College* | Fremont, Neb. | L 74-67 |
| Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT): | |||
| Jan. 24 | vs. Concordia River Forest | Ann Arbor, Mich. | W 86-61 |
| Jan. 25 | vs. Concordia Mequon | Ann Arbor, Mich. | W 76-70 (OT) |
| Jan. 28 | Doane College* | Seward, Neb. | L 89-74 |
FEBRUARY | |||
| Feb. 1 | Dana College* | Blair, Neb. | W 86-65 |
| Feb. 5 | Nebraska Wesleyan* | Seward, Neb. | W 78-62 |
| Feb. 8 | University of Sioux Falls* | Seward, Neb. | W 75-68 |
| Feb. 11 | Hastings College* | Hastings, Neb. | W 87-82 |
| Feb. 15 | Dakota Wesleyan University* | Seward, Neb. | W 74-48 |
| Feb. 19 | Midland Lutheran College* | Seward, Neb. | W 82-74 |
| Feb. 22 | Mount Marty College* | Yankton, S.D. | W 75-65 |
| GPAC Tournament: | |||
| Feb. 25 | vs. Midland Lutheran College | Seward, Neb. | W 83-74 (OT) |
| Feb. 28 | vs. University of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls, S.D. | W 87-79 |
MARCH | |||
| March 1 | vs. Dordt University | Seward, Neb. | W 90-82 |
| NAIA National Tournament: | |||
| March 12 | vs. Dominican (Calif.) | College of the Ozarks | W 73-62 |
| March 14 | vs. Cardinal Stritch | College of the Ozarks | W 68-54 |
| March 15 | vs. Bethany College | College of the Ozarks | L 77-72 |
*Indicates Great Plains Athletic Conference Games
All Home Games in BOLD
Bulldogs win opener at Benedictine, 72-62
8 NOV 2002
Rick Dietze scored 23 points to lead Concordia to a 72-62 victory over Benedictine in the season opener Friday night at Atchison, Kan. Mark Duitsman added 18 and Drew Olson nine. Duitsman and Heath Knight led the rebounding department with six apiece. Olson turned in seven assists and David Ford and Dietze each had three steals. It was 42-28 at half. The Bulldogs hit 47 percent of their field-goal attempts. Mike Carrington led the Ravens with 19 while Harry Ramierez had 14, Matt Muller 11 and Jordan Marx 10.
4-0 Bellevue tips Bulldogs, 67-57
9 NOV 2002
Concordia struggled from the field, shooting only 33 percent, as they lost 67-57 at Bellevue on Nov. 9.
In their first night in a newly renovated gym, Bellevue improved their record to a perfect 4-0 while the Bulldogs dropped to 1-1. It was 39-26 at half.
The Bulldogs made the game interesting at the end, but were unable to close the deal as the Bruins pulled away.
Drew Olson had a game-high 23 points, shooting 14-14 from the charity stripe. Heath Knight added 11 and Mark Duitsman nine. Bellevue was led by TJ Flanagan with 18.
Bellevue shot 51 percent and outrebounded the Bulldogs, 42-24.
Defense prevails in two wins at Cattle Classic
21-22 NOV 2002
Defense prevailed as Concordia won two games in the first appearance of men’s basketball in the third annual Cattle Classic. Concordia held Benedictine to 43 points, only 18 the second half, to win a 78-43 contest Saturday afternoon after a 12-0 run midway in the first half helped put York away, 87-55, on Thursday night.
Proceeds from the classic provide help in the battle against hunger with the Blue Valley Community Action Food Pantry the beneficiary. The Cattle National Bank and Trust Co. in partnership with Concordia sponsored the classic, with donations of canned goods for admission.
The Pepsi Challenge in Davenport, Iowa, on Friday and Saturday will be the next outing for the 3-1 Bulldogs. They will take on the St. Ambrose University Fighting Bees at 7:30 p.m. on Friday after a 5:30 p.m. game between St. Xavier and Mount St. Clare. The second day features Mount St. Clare against Concordia at 1 p.m. with St. Xavier vs. St. Ambrose at 3. Games will be played at the Lee Lohman Arena on the St. Ambrose campus.
The GPAC season opens for the Bulldogs at Crete on Dec. 3 against Doane at 7:30 p.m.
Concordia’s defense was so awesome against Benedictine that the Ravens were limited to six points in the opening 12 minutes of the second half. “That was the key to the game and I really praised my guys for the effort,” Coach Grant Schmidt said. “We were relentless in our ability to cut off passing lanes and get a hand on so many passes that we completely frustrated any attack that they were trying to set up.”
Concordia built an early 10-point lead only to see Benedictine get back within four. The Bulldogs pulled out to a 38-25 lead at half.
Drew Olson with 22 and Rick Dietze with 20 paced the Bulldog attack, both seven for 10 in field-goal attempts. “Drew again was the best player on the floor,” Schmidt said. “He was so instrumental in running the team and getting to the hoop that he made things look very easy. That is exactly what a good point guard can do. And Dietze again shot the ball well.”
Olson also had six assists and five steals. Mark Duitsman and Jared Calver each pulled down six rebounds. Chad Henningsen led Benedictine with eight points, but the Ravens turned the ball over 29 times.
“We came out and scored on our first possession and never looked back,” Schmidt said of the York romp. “After having 13 days off from our last game we were either going to look fresh and be aggressive or come out flat. Fortunately, it was anything but the latter.”
The Bulldogs collected 55 rebounds, matching the most for Concordia since November 1993 in a win over Wisconsin Lutheran.
Olson added 15 and Heath Knight recorded his first "double-double" of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. “Credit should go to Jared Calver and Daryl Werner in the post,” the coach said, “limiting their top scorer to only 10 points, 11 below his average.” Adam Moore led York with 10.
York was the winner in Concordia’s home opener last year, which Schmidt said got the Bulldogs off to a poor start for the season. “We were determined to not allow that to repeat itself,” he said, “and the guys were tremendous with their effort.” They hit 46.4 percent of their shots.
York trailed Benedictine, 72-71, with less than two minutes remaining but turned success at the free-throw line into a 79-73 in a Friday Cattle Classic contest. York led at intermission, 36-33.
Olson was named the classic's MVP and Dietze was named to the all-classic team. “I felt these were two of the best games that Drew has ever played for us,” the coach said. Other all-classic team picks were Moore and Jon Mierau of York and Mike Carrington and Jordan Marx of Benedictine.
Concordia 70, St Ambrose 58 at Pepsi Challenge
29 NOV 2002
Rick Dietze poured in 23 points as Concordia earned a 70-58 Friday night victory over St. Ambrose, the host school at the Pepsi Challenge at Davenport, Iowa. The Bulldogs play Mount St. Clare on Saturday at 1 p.m. Concordia held a 32-26 halftime margin. Daryl Werner added 12 points, Drew Olson 10, David Ford eight and Mark Duitsman seven. Matt Fitzpatrick totaled 21 for the Fighting Bees. Dietze and Duitsman each pulled down six rebounds and Jared Calver and Olson each five as the Bulldogs outrebounded their opponent, 37-32. Olson had six assists and Dietze four steals.
Bulldogs roll over Mount St. Clare, 84-46
30 NOV 2002
Four players scored in double figures as Concordia defeated Mount St. Clare, 84-46, Saturday afternoon at the Pepsi Challenge in Davenport, Iowa. Concordia hit 53.4 percent of its field-goal attempts, including 41.7 from three-point range. It was 41-20 at half. Mark Duitsman with 17, Rick Dietze with 15, David Ford with 11 and Drew Olson with 10 led the barrage. Heath Knight grabbed seven rebounds and Dietze five. Olson turned in seven assists and four steals.
Concordia opens GPAC with 70-65 win at Doane
3 DEC 2002
Concordia came back after trailing 44-36 early in the second half to win its GPAC opener Tuesday night by 70-65 at Doane. The see-saw second-half battle still had the Tigers on top at 65-64 with two minutes remaining. Mark Duitsman hit a turnaround in the key to make it 66-65 and the possession clock ran out on Doane's next possession. Drew Olson connected on two free throws for a three-point margin and Doane failed to score on two trips down the floor. It was 37-32 in favor of Doane at the break with the Tigers in control the first half although the Bulldogs opened the game with a 7-0 run. Rick Dietze led the Bulldog scoring with 25 with Duitsman adding 14 and Olson 10. Heath Knight kicked in eight and Jason Jisa six in his first action of the year. Brandon Wiese topped the Doane attack with 17, B.J. Blase 12 and Clete Samson 10. Wiese's 15 dominated the rebounding department with Knight getting eight, Daryl Werner seven, Dietze six and Duitsman five for the Bulldogs. Olson had six assists.
Bulldogs cold from field in 70-61 loss to Briar Cliff
7 DEC 2002
Concordia managed to hit only 34 percent of its field-goal attempts as they fell short, 70-61, to Briar Cliff in a GPAC game Saturday afternoon in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs connected on only three of 20 from three-point range while Briar Cliff his 59 percent of its 41 shots, including 64 percent (7-11) from three. It was 33-26 at half. Drew Olson led the Bulldog scoring with 19 with Jared Calver adding 16 and David Ford 10. Josh Winston had 23 for the Chargers with Jason Isaacson and Earl Lewis each adding 15. Briar Cliff dominated the board play with 41 to 24 for Concordia, which had Calver with eight and Daryl Werner six. Olson had three assists and five steals.
Concordia trips York, 76-50
10 DEC 2002
Rick Dietze scored 22 as Concordia defeated York, 76-50, at York on Dec. 10. The Bulldogs took control of the game from the outset and raced to a 42-24 halftime lead, which they continued to build in the second half. Drew Olson scored 13 while David Ford added 10, Daryle Werner nine and Jared Calver eight. E.J Jones led York with 19. The Bulldogs dominated board play, 50-25, with Jason Jisa pulling down nine and Werner six. Concordia ripped the nets to a tune of 53 percent, (32-of-60) from the field while York hit 34 percent.
Northwestern escapes with 75-71 victory
14 DEC 2002
Northwestern, rated at No. 2 in the NAIA last week, came away with a 75-71 GPAC victory after a tough test in Seward on Saturday. The Red Raiders outscored the Bulldogs 13-6 in the final 2:21 to earn the victory. Concordia had led 62-57 with 5:43 on the clock.
It was the Bulldogs only home game in December. Northwestern spurted to a 39-32 advantage in the opening minutes of the second half after Concordia led at the break, 32-29. Drew Olson's three-pointer put the Bulldogs in front 50-49 with about 11 minutes remaining.
Northwestern, which had been averaging 93.9 points per games, went more than four minutes without a field goal until Keith Ranschau's three at 3:32 broke the spell. Jerod Hoegh's three tied it at 65 with 2:21 remaining.
Rick Dietze's 16 led four Concordia players in double figures -- Olson, who had four assists, added 14 and Jared Calver and Jason Jisa each 11. Calver had six rebounds and Dietze and David Ford each five. Hoegh's 23 paced the Red Raiders with Brandon Woudstra adding 18 and Ranschau 14. Jeff Schaap had five rebounds. Woudstra threw in seven assists.
Westminster prevails, 63-60, in Phoenix game
28 DEC 2002
Concordia lost to Westminster, 63-60, on Saturday afternoon after a 36 percent shooting performance, including only three of 26 from three point range. At the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., they next face Grand Canyon University at 6 p.m. on Monday and Tiffin University at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Jason Jisa led the Bulldog attack with 17 points while Jared Calver added 10 and Drew Olson nine. The Bulldogs led, 28-27, at half. Calver and David Ford each grabbed eight rebounds and Heath Knight had three steals. Calver and Olson each made three assists. Westminster, had one less field goal, but hit 16 of 25 from the free-throw line to 11-14 for the Bulldogs.
Grand Canyon falls to Bulldogs, 74-69
30 DEC 2002
Concordia hit 60.4 percent of field-goal attempts Monday evening as they defeated Grand Canyon, 74-69, at the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. Tiffin (Ohio) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday is the final game for the Bulldogs at the Grand Canyon Classic. Grand Canyon led by as many as 10 points in the first half before Concordia tied it up with three minutes left, taking a 36-32 lead at the break. The Bulldogs came out running in the second half, leading by 17 points with 13 minutes left. The Antelopes reduced their deficit to three points on four different occasions before Concordia prevailed.Rick Dietze hit for 21 points, Drew Olson 19, Heath Knight 12 and Jared Calver eight while Del Somers tossed in 21 for Grand Canyon. Calver had eight rebounds with Mark Duitsman grabbing five and Dietze four. Knight made four steals and Jason Jisa blocked three shots.
Bulldogs take out Tiffin in Phoenix, 87-69
31 DEC 2002
Four players scored in double figures at Concordia defeated Tiffin (Ohio), 87-69, in the final day of the Grand Canyon Classic at Phoenix, Ariz. The Tuesday evening game found Rick Dietze hitting four of five from three-point range and 9-12 overall to total 23 points. David Ford and Drew Olson each added 13 points, Heath Knight 10, Anthony Elias nine and Mark Duitsman eight. Knight was strongest on the boards with six grabs while Jared Calver, Daryl Werner and Duitsman each had four. The Bulldogs hit 58 percent of their shots from the field and 65 percent (24-37) from the charity stripe. It was 36-30 at half. Olson turned in five assists and Calver four.
Concordia opens GPAC with 70-65 win at Doane
Concordia came back after trailing 44-36 early in the second half to win its GPAC opener Tuesday night by 70-65 at Doane. The see-saw second-half battle still had the Tigers on top at 65-64 with two minutes remaining. Mark Duitsman hit a turnaround in the key to make it 66-65 and the possession clock ran out on Doane's next possession. Drew Olson connected on two free throws for a three-point margin and Doane failed to score on two trips down the floor. It was 37-32 in favor of Doane at the break with the Tigers in control the first half although the Bulldogs opened the game with a 7-0 run. Rick Dietze led the Bulldog scoring with 25 with Duitsman adding 14 and Olson 10. Heath Knight kicked in eight and Jason Jisa six in his first action of the year. Brandon Wiese topped the Doane attack with 17, B.J. Blase 12 and Clete Samson 10. Wiese's 15 dominated the rebounding department with Knight getting eight, Daryl Werner seven, Dietze six and Duitsman five for the Bulldogs. Olson had six assists.
Concordia holds off Dana, 62-52, in GPAC action
8 JAN 2003
Concordia built a 45-24 lead early in the second half and then survived a cold shooting spell and a Dana rally to earn a GPAC victory, 62-52, at Seward on Wednesday night. Dana pulled within 56-49 with 3:21 left.The win left the Bulldogs at 10-4, improving to 2-2 in the GPAC while Dana left at 8-9, 1-2 in GPAC play.Rick Dietze with 21 and David Ford with 15 paced the Bulldog attack while Bruce Erdmann hit four of eight from three-point range to lead Dana with 16. Derek Hack added 14. Jared Calver was a force on the boards for Concordia with 12 rebounds. Mark Duitsman had five assists and five steals.
Bulldogs dropped at Dordt, 76-55, in GPAC action
11 JAN 2003
Concordia managed to hit only two of 18 field-goal attempts from three-point range as Dordt won, 76-55, at Sioux Center, Iowa, on Saturday afternoon. The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 10-5, 2-3 in GPAC play. It was 37-25 at half. Dordt put up 17 more shots than Concordia, hitting nine of 19 from beyond the arc. The Defenders also controlled the boards, 42-28. Drew Olson led Concordia scoring with 22 points with Rick Dietze and Scott Beck each adding eight. Daryl Werner had six rebounds and three steals to lead those departments. Luke Ruter had 16 and Kyle Van Arendonk 14 to lead Dordt, 9-6, to its first GPAC victory after three losses.
Wesleyan edges Bulldogs, 69-67, in two overtimes
14 JAN 2003
Drew Snyder was credited with blocking a Concordia layup attempt with two seconds remaining to allow Nebraska Wesleyan a 69-67 GPAC victory in two overtimes at Lincoln on Jan. 14.The Bulldog comeback fell short after the Prairie Wolves had taken a 67-62 lead with 1:27 remaining. Scott Beck was fouled when he hit a backet off a drive and his free throw put the Bulldogs within 68-67 with :30 remaining. Strong defensive play by the Bulldogs kept the first overtime tight, ending at 58-58. It was tied at 52 at the end of regulation.Despite struggling in the first half, the Bulldogs remained with 33-26 at the break. A flurry by Jason Jisa tied it at 33-33 five minutes into the second half and his basket a minute later gave Concordia its first lead. Wesleyan did not score in the first seven minutes of the second half. The Bulldog built their biggest lead at 50-43 with five minutes remaining. Wesleyan held an 17-7 advantage midway in the first half. Jisa led Concordia scoring with 20 and rebounding with nine as well as blocking five shots. Drew Olson scored 11 and Rick Dietze and Calver each 10. Dietze and Calver each had seven rebounds. Wesleyan hit 17-26 free throws off of 22 Bulldog fouls while Concordia was 12-16 from the line on 16 Prairie Wolf fouls. Both teams connected on 39 percent of field-goal attempts. Brandon Hansen led Wesleyan scoring with 13.
Strong second half propels Bulldogs, 87-65
18 JAN 2003
Hastings led 33-29 with about three minutes left in the first half, but that was the only glimmer for them. Concordia came back to lead, 36-33, at the break. The Bulldogs used 62 per cent shooting in the second half to outscore the Broncos, 48-32, and come up with a GPAC victory at Seward on Jan. 18. Rick Dietze led the way with 23 points while Drew Olson added 16 and David Ford 15. Jason Jisa led rebounding with 10. Luke Olson scored 17 and Dave Murtha 14 for Hastings.
Midland Lutheran tops Bulldogs, 74-67, at Fremont
22 JAN 2003
Concordia connected on only 34 percent of field-goal attempts, 24 percent from three-point range, as they lost a GPAC battle at Midland Lutheran, 74-67, on Wednesday night. Four Warriors scored in double figures with Andy Ketelsen 18, Luke Worth and Jacob Lentfer each 15 and Adam Lamprecht 12. Rick Dietze paced the Bulldog attack with 20 while Drew Olson added 18 and Jared Calver 14. Mark Duitsman had 11 rebounds and Dietze 10 with Olson contributing six assists. It was tied 32-32 at half. It was the fifth straight win for Midland.
First-half surge drops River Forest, 86-61
24 JAN 2003
The Bulldogs went on a 16-0 run midway in the first half to outdistance Concordia River Forest, 86-61 in the first half of the Concordia Invitational Tournament contest at Ann Arbor, Mich. Rick Dietze with 24, Jason Jisa with 17 and David Ford with 10 paced the Bulldog attack. It was 48-23 at half.
Bulldogs drop Mequon in overtime to win CIT
25 JAN 2003
Jared Calver scored eight points in overtime to help propel the Bulldogs to a 76-70 overtime win over Concordia Mequon to capture the Concordia Invitational Tournament title Saturday night in Ann Arbor, Mich.Nick Leibham's basket for Mequon with 28 seconds left in regulation tied it at 64-64. It was 30-30 at half.Calver, who was named the tournament's MVP, scored 18 while Jason Jisa and Rick Dietze each added 17 and Anthony Elias 10. Drew Olson had five assists and David Ford made three steals. Dietze also was named to the all-tournament team.
Hot-shooting Doane drops Concordia, 89-74
28 JAN 2003
Doane used some torrid shooting Tuesday night to blow past Concordia, 89-74, in a GPAC game at Seward. The Tigers hit 69 percent of their field-goal attempts (18-26) in the second half and 58 percent for the game. The Bulldogs, playing their fourth game in seven days, only connected on a third of their field-goal attempts in the first half to fall behind, 33-29. Doane came out after the break to open a 45-31 margin in the first four minutes. Concordia was unable to come any closer than 64-58 with seven minutes left. The Bulldogs did warm up to shoot 54 percent in the second half, 45 percent for the game. Four players scored in double figures for the Bulldogs -- Rick Dietze with 24, Jared Calver 18, Jason Jisa 12 and David Ford 11. Dietze also rebounded eight shots. Ford had seven rebounds and three steals. Anthony Elias took the ball from the Tigers four times.Brian Jakubowski's 28 topped the Doane total with Brandon Wiese adding 25 as well as pulling down 11 rebounds. Chris Wittgren, who scored his 1,000th career point, scored 11.
Five score in double figures in 86-65 win at Dana
1 FEB 2003
Five scored in double figures as Concordia advanced its record to 14-8, 4-6 in the GPAC, with an 86-65 victory at Dana on Saturday afternoon. Rick Dietze with 18, David Ford 16, Drew Olson and Scott Beck each 15 and Mark Duitsman 11 led the attack with the Bulldogs hitting 41 percent. It was 40-30 at half.Beck had nine rebounds with Jason Jisa and Daryl Werner each pulling down seven as Concordia controlled the boards, 57-47. Olson had six assists and four steals. A cold-shooting Dana team (29 percent) was led by Derek Hack's 16.
Olson's torrid start fires 78-62 win over NWU
5 FEB 2003
Drew Olson scored 13 of Concordia's first 19 points to fire up the Bulldogs in a 78-62 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan. The Wednesday GPAC game played at Seward left Concordia at 15-8, 5-6 in the GPAC. The Prairie Wolves managed only five points in the first six minutes as Concordia forged ahead, 20-5, and never let up in maintaining the margin. Nebraska Wesleyan, now 11-8, 6-5 in the GPAC, has won in double overtime, 69-67, over the Bulldogs in mid-January. Olson failed to score in the second half after canning 23 before the break, hitting six of 12 field-goal tries and nine of 10 free throws. Rick Dietze scored 22 points as the Bulldogs hit 47 percent of their shots. Matt Harms, who had seven rebounds, led Wesleyan with 16 with Kyle Rohrig adding 12. The Bulldogs, who had 24 points off of 16 Wesleyan turnovers, were outrebounded, 39-33.
Bulldogs upset #17 Sioux Falls, 75-68
8 FEB 2003
Concordia outscored Sioux Falls, 13-6, in the final four minutes for a 75-68 win over the NAIA #17 team on Feb. 8. The Cougars (17-9, 8-4 in GPAC) led at half, 36-29, after holding as much of a margin as 12 in the first half. Concordia, trailing 36-29 at half, took its first lead five minutes into the final period at 45-44. The Cougar rallied for a 56-49 advantage of the Bulldogs tied it at 59. David Ford hit a free throw after a driving layup, Jason Jisa blocked a Cougar shot and Drew Olson followed with a driving layup for a 69-64 lead they never again relinquished. Dietze, held to two points in the first half, led Bulldog scoring with 22 while Jisa added 13, Ford 11 and Jared Calver 10. Dietze and Jisa both grabbed five rebounds. Olson had four assists. Adam Burnison led Sioux Falls with 23.
Dietze scores 34 in 87-82 win over Hastings
11 FEB 2003
Rick Dietze scored 34 and Drew Olson 19 points as Concordia defeated Hastings, 87-82, in a GPAC game at Hastings Tuesday night. It was 42-38 at half. The Bulldogs hit 54 percent from the field (27-50), including 7 for 17 from three-point land. Dietze connected on 13 of 17 shots, including 5-8 three-pointers and didn't miss in three free throws. Olson hit 13 of 18 free throws. Olson added five assists and Jason Jisa and Daryl Werner each blocked two shots. Dietze and Mark Duitsman each grabbed six rebounds. Luke Olson led the Broncos with 20 points and eight assists.
Bulldogs prevail over Dakota Wesleyan, 74-48
15 FEB 2003
Concordia jumped off to a 23-11 lead, increased it to 37-19 at half, and went on to a 74-48 victory over Dakota Wesleyan on Feb. 15. The game start was pushed back to 8 p.m. because of weather conditions. The Bulldogs held a 32-point margin with 1:52 remaining, 72-40. A balanced scoring attack found three players scoring 13 points -- Scott Beck, David Ford and Jason Jisa -- with Drew Olson adding 12. as the Bulldogs connected on 45 percent from the field. Jisa had eight rebounds, Olson seven and Beck 6. Three assists were added each by Anthony Elias and Mark Duitsman. Jacqson Collins led the Tigers with 13 points. The Bulldogs entertain Midland Lutheran at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday with implications for the final GPAC standings. Both are 8-6 in GPAC play.
Concordia seniors shine in final home game, 82-74
19 FEB 2003
Concordia won its sixth game in a row as the seniors came out to "shine" on their night. The Bulldogs defeated Midland Lutheran, 82-74, at Seward to post a season record of 19-8. A 9-6 GPAC record ties them with Dordt and Mount Marty, the Bulldog opponent in the final regular-season game Saturday at 4 p.m. at Yankton, S.D. A win ensures a home game for the first round of the GPAC tournament, which will be Tuesday.Seniors honored were Drew Olson, Mark Duitsman, Jared Calver and David Ford. Calver poured in 21 points, Olson added 17 and Duitsman came up with six defensive rebounds. The Bulldogs did not catch up with the fast-starting Warriors (14-13, 8-7 in GPAC) until 7:34 was left in the first half. Midland led by 14-4 with less than five minutes gone. The Bulldogs caught them at 23-22 and never trailed. It was 38-34 at half.Concordia was up by 63-54 when Olson was fouled while making a driving layup and the free throw. It was 74-72 with 2:23 left, but Midland got only a "gimme" basket in the final seconds. Rick Dietze paced the Bulldog attack with 23 points while pulling down 10 rebounds. Jason Jisa had "8s" in both points and rebounds. Failure to connect on more than 21 of 36 free-throw attempts was almost the downfall for the Bulldogs as Midland hit on 19 of 22. Concordia hit 29 of 64 field goal attempts (45 percent) while the Warriors connected on 26 of 63 (41 percent). The Bulldogs scored 18 points off of 11 Midland turnovers.
Bulldogs close GPAC schedule with 75-65 win
22 FEB 2003
A balanced scoring attack with four players scoring 17 points allowed Concordia to end the regular season schedule with a 75-65 win Saturday over Mount Marty at Yankton, S.D. Concordia will be seeded #3 and play host to Midland at 7:30 on Tuesday night in the first round of the GPAC tournament. The seventh victory in a row left the Bulldogs with a 10-6 GPAC record and 20-8 overall.Jason Jisa, Jared Calver, Rick Dietze and Drew Olson each scored 17. Olson had four assists and David Ford three while Scott Beck recorded three steals. The Bulldogs hit 46 percent of their field-goal attempts despite connecting on only three of 15 tries from beyond the arc. Accuracy of 20-29 at the free-throw line paid off with the Lancers getting only five of 14 while scoring one more field goal than the Bulldogs. Concordia led, 31-29, at half.
Concordia advances with overtime victory, 83-74
25 FEB 2003
It took overtime on Tuesday night for the Concordia men's basketball team to advance to the semifinals of the GPAC playoffs. The three-seeded Bulldogs outscored Midland Lutheran, 16-7, in the extra period for an 83-74 victory.Jason Jisa and David Ford hit three-pointers in the first two minutes of overtime before Midland could score to give the Bulldogs the edge they never relinquished. The Warriors overcame a 67-62 deficit with 30 seconds remaining to knot it at 67-67 and force the extra period. Midland only led once in the first half, 41-40, with 17:12 remaining although they came back to tie it at 60-60 and 62-62. The Bulldogs jumped off to a 12-0 lead in the first three minutes and it was 38-31 at half. Four scored in double figures for the Bulldogs -- Jisa with 22, Rick Dietze 18, Ford 13 and Jared Calver 12. Dietze and Calver each had eight rebounds and Drew Olson contributed seven assists. Adam Lamprecht led Midland with 19 while Chris Wagner and Jacob Lentfer each scored 13. Lambrecht and Lentfer each grabbed eight rebounds. Luke Worth had five steals and six assists. Concordia advances to the GPAC semifinals at Sioux Falls on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
It's Bulldogs vs. Dordt in GPAC finals on Tuesday
Five Concordia players scored in double figures to push the Bulldogs past Sioux Falls, 87-79, and into the GPAC finals at Seward Tuesday night. The opponent will be Dordt, an 92-84 upset winner over NAIA #1 Northwestern, with the victor going to the NAIA national tournament. A Northwestern victory would have ensured a tourney berth for the Bulldogs with the Red Raiders already in the meet with the regular-season championship. Dordt won the regular-schedule matchup with Concordia, 75-64, at Sioux Center, Iowa, on Jan. 11. If the Lady Bulldogs win against Sioux Falls at home on Saturday night there will be two championship games on March 4, 6 and 8 p.m. A one-game schedule calls for a 7:30 p.m. start.
The Bulldogs increased a 37-35 halftime margin to double digits and they maintained that margin the second half. Rick Dietze scored 22, David Ford 19, Drew Olson 17, Jason Jisa 11and Jared Calver 10. Ford was 5-5 from three-point range as the team totaled 7 for 11. Calver dominated the boards with 11 rebounds, 10 on the defensive end, as well as blocking two shots and leading in assists with four. The Bulldogs overcame turning over the ball 17 times and connected on 24 of 33 free throws.
Both teams had 28 field goals, but the Cougars only had 18 of 27 free throws and two less (five) three-point buckets. It was only the three home loss for Sioux Falls in 15 games, but Concordia has beaten the Cougars four times in three years.
GPAC finals: Concordia 90, Dordt 82 (OT)
1 MAR 2003
Concordia hit 12 of 14 free throws in overtime to help in a 90-82 victory over Dordt College in the GPAC tournament finals at Seward on Tuesday night. In fact, 12 of the 15 overtime points were at the line. The Bulldogs advance to the NAIA national tournament March 12-18 at College of the Ozarks. Dordt finishes 19-11 with the possibility of an at-large bid, while Concordia is 23-8 with a win string of 10 games. The Defenders jumped off to 8-0 and 13-4 leads and led, 34-39, at half. Concordia's short-lived first lead was at 42-40 four minutes into the second half, and Dordt went ahead, 56-45, with 11 minutes remaining. The Bulldogs caught up at 58-57 at 7:32 to set up the stretch battle. Rick Dietze, who hit 23 second-half points and four of nine from three-point range in the second half, led the Bulldog scoring with 27. Drew Olson added 22, Jared Calver 14 and Jason Jisa 12. Evan Beimers hit 26 and Eric Maas 23 for Dordt.
Bulldogs face Dominican at national tournament
Dominican is the next challenge for the Concordia men’s basketball team. But the Bulldog fans’ eyes remain wide with the berth in the NAIA Division II national basketball tournament to top off a 10-game winning streak. It was the climax of an amazing stretch run for the Bulldogs, who earned the spot as the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament champion with two overtime wins (Midland Lutheran, 83-74, and Dordt, 90-82) and a third victory on the road (Sioux Falls, 89-79). They qualified for the 32-team, single-elimination tournament at Point Lookout, Mo., as the GPAC’s tournament champion.The 23-8 Concordia team faces the California Pacific Conference champion (24-9) at 9:45 p.m. on Thursday on the College of the Ozarks campus. A victory would put them into the quarterfinals against the winner of the Virginia Intermont-Cardinal Stritch game on Friday at 9:45 p.m. Dominican was seeded 15th.
“To finish the season this way in front of our fans was certainly a thrill,” Coach Grant Schmidt said, “and quite a special moment. I just can't praise these guys enough. Their perseverance was a lesson that we all can learn from, and certainly a quality that I will always remember and admire about them.”
The Bulldogs hit 12 of 14 free throws in overtime to help in a 90-82 victory over Dordt College in the GPAC finals at Seward on March 4. In fact, 12 of the 15 overtime points were at the line. Dordt finished 19-11 after upsetting NAIA #1 Northwestern, 92-84, in the GPAC semifinals.“This was an outstanding college basketball game,” Schmidt said. “The execution on offense by both teams was exceptional and it finally came down to one or two possessions that won the game.”
The Defenders jumped off to 8-0 and 13-4 leads and led, 34-39, at half. Concordia's short-lived first lead was at 42-40 four minutes into the second half, and Dordt went ahead, 56-45, with 11 minutes remaining. The Bulldogs caught up at 58-57 at 7:32 to set up the stretch battle. Scoring the first points in overtime seemed to rattle Dordt, the coach said, and got them out of their rhythm offensively. “They began to force shots and we took advantage of that.”Rick Dietze, who hit 23 second-half points and four of nine from three-point range in the second half, led the Bulldog scoring with 27.
Drew Olson added 22, Jared Calver 14 and Jason Jisa 12. Evan Beimers hit 26 and Eric Maas 23 for Dordt. “Drew and Rick were very impressive in this game,” Schmidt said. “Drew stayed so composed and really did a great job of keeping the team and the game under control. Rick, on the other hand, simply hit the big three-point shots that eventually forced Dordt out of their zone.” He also converted some critical 1-and-1 free-throw opportunities that kept the Bulldogs in command of the game, he said.Dominican is an independent university of Catholic heritage located in San Rafael, Calif., just 11 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Its enrollment is 1,653, including 657 graduate students.
The Penguins rank second in the nation in team defense, allowing 59 points a game, just ahead of Concordia in that statistic. The Bulldogs are fourth in the NAIA stats, allowing just 64 points per game. Domincan is making its first trip to the national with its first-ever conference championship at 14-1. The Bulldogs made it to the NAIA quarterfinals in 2001, losing to Cornerstone, 85-77, after a first-round win over Cardinal Stritch, 88-70.
The Penguins present a balanced scoring attack with eight players averaging five or more points per game, led by 6-5 Australian David Moore, averaging 10.7. Dietze, who has hit on half of his field-goal attempts this season, averages 18.7 points per game for Concordia, followed by Olson 13.8 and Jisa’s 10.8. Calver pulls down 5.8 rebounds per game, followed by Jisa with 5.3 and Dietze with five.
Dominican first-round victim of Bulldogs, 73-62
12 MAR 2003
Drew Olson hit nine of 10 free throws in the final 2.5 minutes to help Concordia upset Dominican, 73-62, in the first round of the NAIA national tournament Thursday night in Point Lookout, Mo. The California team, seeded #15, had threatened by pulling within 55-51 with four minutes remaining after trailing, 28-22, at half.Concordia faces Cardinal Stritch in second-round play Friday at 9:45 p.m. The Wisconsin team advanced with a 94-79 win over Virginia Intermount. Northwestern, the other GPAC team in the tournament, defeated Presentation, 99-72.Rick Dietze, who ended the night leading the Bulldog scoring with 23 points, sparked the start by scoring 12 points as the Bulldogs went ahead, 20-12.Olson ended with 16 of 18 at the charity stripe as he added 20 points. David Ford scored 13 and Jason Jisa nine. Trey Putnam led Dominican with 26. The Californians had six more field goals than the Bulldogs, but only made six of 14 free throws while Concordia hit 30 of 35. They also outrebounded Concordia, 32-25, but committed 24 fouls to 12. The Bulldogs stole the ball 16 times. Dietze led the rebounding with six while Ford and Olson each made three assists.
#2 seed Cardinal Stritch falls to Bulldogs, 68-54
14 MAR 2003
Concordia hit 17 of 21 free throws, eight in a row in the final two minutes, to knock off Cardinal Stritch, 68-54, in the second round of the NAIA national tournament in Point Lookout, Mo. The 25-8 Bulldogs face Bethany College (24-9), the only other unseeded team in the running.
The Bulldogs were never behind as they moved to a 32-21 halftime margin. The Wisconsin team got within 48-43 with 8:49 remaining.Concordia got only one more field goal than Stritch, 24-23. Both teams only hit three three-point goals. Rick Dietze with 21 led the Bulldog attack with Jared Calver adding 11 and Mark Duitsman and Drew Olson each nine. Jason Jisa grabbed seven rebounds with four other players each pulling down six. It was the 12th consecutive win for Coach Grant Schmidt's squad. Cardinal Stritch ended the year at 33-3 with Brian O'Neal the leading scorer with 12. The loss broke a 17-game winning streak. The Bulldogs defeated Cardinal Stritch in the first round of the 2001 national tournament.
Bulldogs fall in overtime, 77-72, in quarterfinals
15 MAR 2003
The Concordia Bulldogs' miraculous journey in the NAIA national tournament came to an end in overtime, 77-72, when they lost to Bethany College on March 15 in a quarterfinal match. Both teams were unseeded and the loss ended a 12-game Bulldog winning streak. Nathan Hiebert's three-point basket put the Swedes in front, 63-62, with 32 seconds left in regulation. Drew Olson's free throw with time run out sent it into overtime. Coach Grant Schmidt's Bulldogs were in control until Bethany tied it at 60 with 1:35 remaining. It was 34-26 at half after the Bulldogs once held a 31-15 margin. Bethany went on a 10-0 run to tie the game on a field goal by Hiebert with 1:39 to go. Rick Dietze scored 19, Olson 15 and David Ford 13 to lead the Bulldog attack. Jared Calver pulled down 13 rebounds. Both team shot 45 percent from the field, but Bethany made the difference with 21-30 at the free-throw line while the Bulldogs were 16-20. Concordia outrebounded the Swedes, 40-29. Dustin Hildebrand led Bethany with 27 points.