2004-2005 - Basketball schedule/results
32-6 Overall, 14-4 GPAC
NOVEMBER | |||
| Nov. 6 | Bellevue University | Bellevue, Neb. | W 76-78 |
| Nov. 9 | York College | York, Neb. | W 66-51 |
| Nov. 11 | Concordia Seminary | St. Louis, Mo. | W 108-66 |
| Nov. 12 | St. Louis Pharmacy | St. Louis, Mo. | W 91-48 |
| Nov. 13 | Johnson & Wales | Seward, Neb. | W 91-85 |
| Nov. 17 | Bellevue University | Seward, Neb. | W 56-54 |
| Nov. 20 | Dana College* | Seward, Neb. | W 81-65 |
| Nov. 23 | Hastings College* | Seward, Neb. | W 74-55 |
| Nov. 26 | Southern Nazarene | Bethany, Okla. | W 85-72 |
| Nov. 27 | Southwestern Christian | Bethany, Okla. | W 101-66 |
| Nov. 30 | Midland Lutheran* | Fremont, Neb. | W 84-73 |
DECEMBER | |||
| Dec. 4 | University of Sioux Falls* | Seward, Neb. | W 66-53 |
| Dec. 8 | Doane College* | Seward, Neb. | W 71-60 |
| Dec. 11 | Briar Clliff University* | Sioux City, Iowa | L 77-70 |
| Grand Canyon Classic: | |||
| Dec. 29 | vs. Northwestern Oklahoma | Phoenix, Ariz. | L 73-69 |
| Dec. 31 | vs. Montana Wesleyan | Phoenix, Ariz. | W 85-68 |
JANUARY | |||
| Jan. 6 | Nebraska Wesleyan* | Lincoln, Neb. | W 71-46 |
| Jan. 8 | Dordt College* | Seward, Neb. | W 85-77 |
| Jan. 12 | Morningside College* | Seward, Neb. | L 75-71 |
| Jan. 16 | Dakota Wesleyan* | Mitchell, S.D. | W 61-40 |
| Jan. 18 | Dana College* | Blair, Neb. | W 78-75 |
| Jan. 22 | Mount Marty College* | Seward, Neb. | W 72-51 |
| Jan. 26 | Midland Lutheran* | Seward, Neb. | W 71-56 |
| Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT): | |||
| Jan. 28 | vs. Concordia River Forest | W 66-43 | |
| Jan. 29 | vs. Concordia Ann Arbor | W 49-47 | |
FEBRUARY | |||
| Feb. 1 | Doane College* | Crete, Neb. | W 74-61 |
| Feb. 5 | Northwestern College* | Orange City, Iowa | L 65-79 |
| Feb. 9 | Hastings College* | Seward, Neb. | W 74-65 |
| Feb. 15 | Nebraska Wesleyan* | Seward, Neb. | W 61-59 |
| Feb. 19 | Morningside College* | Sioux City, Iowa | L 66-74 |
| GPAC Tournament: | |||
| Feb. 22 | vs. Doane College* | Seward, Neb. | W 78-67 |
| Feb. 25 | vs. Morningside College* | Seward, Neb. | W 74-67 |
MARCH | |||
| March 1 | vs. Sioux Falls* | Seward, Neb. | W 62-58 |
| NAIA National Tournament: | |||
| March 10 | Trinity Christian | Point Lookout, Mo. | W 75-69 |
| March 11 | Flagler | Point Lookout, Mo. | W 70-63 |
| March 12 | Cornerstone | Point Lookout, Mo. | W 71-68 |
| March 14 | Cedarville (Final Four) | Point Lookout, Mo. | W 62-56 |
| March 15 | Walsh (Championship) | Point Lookout, Mo. | L 81-70 |
*Indicates Great Plains Athletic Conference Games
All Home Games in BOLD
2004-05 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Yr. | Hometown |
| 10 | Garrett Rathke | G | 5-11 | So. | Cairo, Neb. |
| 12 | Scott Beck | G | 6-1 | Jr. | Scribner, Neb. |
| 14 | Steve Carretto | G | 6-0 | Sr. | Wisner, Neb. |
| 20 | Alex Michel | G | 6-0 | Fr. | Billings, Mont. |
| 22 | Eric Brown | G | 6-2 | So. | Rochester, Minn. |
| 24 | Wes Gehring | F | 6-6 | So. | Columbus, Neb. |
| 30 | Thad Sankey | G | 6-3 | Jr. | Collinsville, Ill. |
| 32 | Jon Ziegler | G | 6-2 | So. | Lincoln, Neb. |
| 40 | David Anderson | F | 6-4 | Jr. | Kearney, Neb. |
| 42 | Jason Jisa | F | 6-4 | Sr. | Seward, Neb. |
| 44 | Benjamin Buhr | G | 6-3 | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. |
| 50 | Marcus Wernke | F | 6-9 | Sr. | Phoenix, Ariz. |
| 52 | Reggie Corbin | G | 6-5 | So. | Beaumont, Texas |
| Brian Beerman | G | 6-3 | Fr. | Concordia, Mo. | |
| Trevor Osten | G | 6-0 | So. | Columbus, Neb. | |
| Heath Hansen | G | 6-1 | Fr. | Herman, Neb. | |
| Ben Jury | G | 6-1 | Fr. | Longmont, Colo. | |
| Jimmy Boeder | G | 6-3 | Fr. | Nampa, Idaho |
Bulldogs by 76-68 stop Bellevue win streak in opener
6 NOV 2004
Concordia University on Nov. 6 upset NAIA 11th-rated Bellevue University, 76-68, ending the Bruins’ 33-game home winning streak. Jon Ziegler for Concordia had a game-high 22 points, hitting five of 10 field goals and 10 of 16 free throws. The Bulldogs also had double-digit scoring from Scott Beck with 16, Jason Jisa 14 and Wes Gehring 10. Marcus Wernke had a game-high nine rebounds for the Bulldogs, who won their season opener. James Mills led the 1-1 Bruins with 21 points.
Concordia wins at York, 66-51
9 NOV 2004
Jon Ziegler scored 18, Jason Jisa 17 and Marcus Wernke 10 as Concordia defeated York College, 66-51, at York on Nov. 9. The Panthers kept the pace in the first half, which ended with the Bulldogs in front by 31-28. Concordia outscored York, 35-23, in the second half. Scott Beck and Wernke each pulled down nine rebounds and Ziegler grabbed eight as the Bulldogs controlled the boards, 48-29.
Bulldogs hit 18 three's in 108-66 win at St. Louis
11 NOV 2004
Eighteen three-pointers were in the scorebook as Concordia defeated Concordia Seminary, 108-66, at St. Louis on Nov. 11. Jason Jisa led the Bulldogs with 20 points, followed by Steve Carretto with 16, Jon Ziegler 13, Wes Gehring 12 and Benjamin Buhr 10.
Bulldogs roll over St. Louis Pharmacy, 91-48
12 NOV 2004
Five players scored in double figures for Concordia as the Bulldogs defeated St. Louis Pharmacy, 91-48, at St. Louis on Nov. 12. Jon Ziegler put in 13 points while scoring 12 each were Scott Beck, Steve Caretto, Wes Gehring and Benjamin Buhr. It was 45-25 at half.
Three games in three days doesn't slow Bulldogs, 91-85
13 NOV 2004
A late surge pushed the Concordia men's basketball team past Johnson & Wales, 91-85, in a Nov. 13 game at Seward.
It was the third game in three days for the Bulldogs as they advanced to 5-0, which included a road trip to St. Louis.
The quick and driving Denver team moved out to a 21-8 lead in the first five minutes and the Bulldogs did not lead until 62-61 with 13:22 remaining in the game. It was 49-49 at half. The Wildcats led, 85-80, with 2.5 minutes left when Jon Ziegler answered with two field goals and two free throws, including a driving layup with 55 seconds to give Concordia the lead for good at 86-85. Jason Jisa blocked a three-point attempt in the final seconds.
Five Bulldogs scored in double figures with Ziegler popping in 21, Jisa 20, Wes Gehring 17 and Steve Carretto and Scott BecK each 13. Ziegler had 10 rebounds and Beck picked off eight while also leading in assists with seven.
Mike Gomez scored 19 and Donald Whitfield 18 for the Colorado team.
Concordia's late comeback nips Bellevue, 56-54
17 NOV 2004
Concordia didn't lead until Steve Carretto hit a three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining, but it counted big as the Bulldogs defeated Bellevue, 56-54, at Seward on Nov. 17. Caretto followed with a steal and layup to make it 54-51. Clint Duis' three with 19 seconds tied it until Scott Beck found an opening to drive for a short shot with four seconds on the clock for the final tally. It was Beck's only basket of the game.
It was the sixth straight win for the Bulldogs with Bellevue dropping to 4-2 with both losses to Concordia.
Concordia only hit 29 percent of 24 field goal attempts in the first half. It ended with the Bruins in front, 27-18, their biggest lead of the game. Carretto led the Bulldog scoring with 16 points, with 12 coming on three-pointers. Jason Jisa scored 15 points, most in the early stages to keep Concordia within range. Jon Ziegler added 12. Arthur Boults led Bellevue with 10.
Bellevue led in rebounding with 35, led by Ben Holling with seven, while Concordia pulled down 30, led by Beck and Marcus Wernke each with six. Beck also led with six assists and four steals.
Concordia's second-half comeback dumps Dana, 81-65
20 NOV 2004
Concordia won its GPAC opener over Dana, 81-65, at home on Nov. 20. Dana led at half by 39-36, but the Bulldogs outscored the Vikings, 46-26, in the final period. Jon Ziegler led the Bulldog scoring with 24 points while Jason Jisa added 17, Scott Beck 15 and Wes Gehring 10. Dana only hit two of 10 shots from three-point range while the Bulldogs connected on 12 of 33. Both teams recorded 25 rebounds with Gehring leading the Bulldogs with nine and Beck eight. Beck also turned in 11 assists. Dana is 2-4 for the year.
Concordia rolls to 74-55 win over Hastings
23 NOV 2004
Five players scored in double figures at Concordia defeated Hastings, 74-55, in a GPAC game at Seward on Nov. 23. Scott Beck scored 17, Benjamin Buhr 16, Jason Jisa 14, Jon Ziegler 11 and Wes Gehring 10. Mike Synder dominated the Hastings offense with 25 points.The Bulldogs went on a 10-point run in the third minute of play to take a 17-7 lead and were never threatened. It was 42-29 at half. In rebounding, Beck pulled down 11 and Jisa 10. They also led in assists, Beck six and Jisa five. Marcus Wernke blocked three shots. It was the eighth win in a row for the Bulldogs, the second in GPAC play.
Bulldogs go 9-0 with 85-72 win Friday at Southern Nazarene
26 NOV 2004
The Concordia men's basketball team matched the 9-0 start of its 2003 season with an 85-72 victory over Southern Nazarene on Nov. 26 at Bethany, Okla. The Bulldogs took a 36-32 lead and maintained control by outscoring the Crimson Storm, 49-40, in the second half.
"It was a great win," Coach Grant Schmidt said. Individually, the Bulldogs were led by 24 points from Jason Jisa. Jisa hit seven of 10 from the field, two of three from three and eight of 11 from the free-throw line. Scott Beck finished with 15 points and Benjamin Buhr and Jon Ziegler added 13 apiece. Ziegler led in rebounding with eight while Marcus Wernke had six as well as blocking two shots. The Bulldogs hit 28 of 37 free throws while Southern Nazarene only hit 16 of 28.
Red-hot Bulldogs roll over Southwestern Christian, 101-66
27 NOV 2004
Shooting almost 70 percent from the field, the Concordia men's basketball team defeated Southwestern Christian, 101-66, at Bethany, Okla., on Nov. 27. It was 50-33 at half as the Bulldogs won their 10th game of the season without a loss. Five players scored in double figures, led by Wes Gehring with 23 points. Benjamin Buhr added 20, Scott Beck 15, Marcus Wernke 12 and Jason Jisa 10. Wernke blocked four shots and led the rebounding department with eight grabs. Jon Ziegler, who scored eight points, led in assists with five.
Buhr's 24 leads Concordia attack at Midland Lutheran, 84-73
30 NOV 2004
Freshman Benjamin Buhr hit six of seven three-point shot attempts to lead Concordia to an 84-73 GPAC victory over Midland Lutheran on Nov. 30 at Fremont. Buhr's 24 points was one of five in double figures with Jon Ziegler scoring 16, Scott Beck and Jason Jisa each 15 and Marcus Wernke 10. It put the Bulldogs at 11-0 for the season and 3-0 in the GPAC. Concordia led at half, 50-38.
Strong second half start puts Bulldogs past Sioux Falls, 66-53
4 DEC 2004
After leading 27-23 at half, the Concordia men's basketball team came out strong to earn a 66-53 GPAC victory over Sioux Falls at Seward on the afternoon of Dec. 4. The Cougars didn't score until a free throw after six minutes were gone in the final period. The Bulldogs held off a late challenge after Sioux Falls pulled within 55-44 with five minutes remaining. Scott Beck led the Bulldog scoring with 22 while Jon Ziegler added 14 and Steve Carretto and Jason Jisa each 10. Beck and Ziegler both had 11 rebounds as the Bulldogs controlled the boards, 38-24. Beck turned in six assists. J.D. Roberts scored 12 points and Ryan Millsap 11 for the Cougars. Roberts pulled down eight rebounds.
Late surge allows Bulldogs to beat Doane, 71-60
8 DEC 2004
The 71-60 final score was the largest margin of the night for the Concordia men's basketball team as they defeated Doane on Wednesday night.
The fast-paced GPAC contest at Seward found Doane leading, 49-45, six minutes into the second half before the Bulldogs used a six-point burst at the nine-minute mark to take control for good at 57-50. Concordia led at half, 39-37, after trailing, 22-15, at 11:56.
Balanced scoring again helped the Bulldogs with Benjamin Buhr hitting for 19, Scott Beck 16, Steve Carretto 11 and Jason Jisa 10. Buhr got all his points in the first half before leaving with a nose injury midway in the final period. Beck had 12 rebounds and nine assists while Jisa pulled 11 off the boards and three steals. Marcus Wernke blocked three Tiger shots.
Mike Stoynev scored 25 and Jarred Royal 13 for Doane. The win was the 13th in a row without a loss for the Bulldogs, who are 5-0 in the GPAC, the best start of a season since 12-0 by the 1995-96 team.
Bulldog winning streak ends at Briar Cliff, 77-70
11 DEC 2004
A slow start spelled the difference for the Concordia men's basketball team as they lost for the first time this season, 77-70 on Saturday afternoon at Briar Cliff.
The Bulldogs connected on only 23 percent of 30 field-goal attempts in the first half as they fell behind, 36-22, while the Sioux City team was connecting on 50 percent of 32 attempts.
Concordia outscored the home team, 48-41, in the last period. The Chargers' halftime lead began to melt quickly in the second half and Concordia caught up at 46-46 with 12:04 to play on a three-pointer by Wes Gehring. Jon Ziegler's putback with 11:19 remaining completed the comeback, pushing the Bulldogs in front, 48-46, and they opened up a 57-53 advantage before a trey started Briar Cliff's closing surge with 7:44 left.Leading for Bulldog scoring were Scott Beck with 18, and Ziegler and Jason Jisa each with 17. Beck had nine rebounds and Ziegler eight with Steve Carretto leading with four steals. Ziegler turned in six assists. The Bulldogs played without the services of freshman starter Benjamin Buhr, who was sidelined with a broken nose suffered Wednesday on a collision while going for a loose ball in the Doane game.
Concordia is 13-1, 5-1 in GPAC play, while Briar Cliff is 7-6, 3-3 in GPAC.
Bulldogs lose to Northwestern Oklahoma State, 73-69
29 DEC 2004
Northwestern Oklahoma State defeated Concordia, 73- 69, on Wednesday at Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix. Montana - Western will be the opponent for the Bulldog men’s basketball team at 4 p.m. (MST) on Dec. 31 at the classic. Montana -Western at Dillon is 11-4 with one of its latest wins at 109-107 over Johnson & Wales, a team the Bulldog defeated, 91-85.
Leading the scoring for the Bulldogs against the Oklahoma team were Jason Jisa with 17, Scott Beck 16 (12-14 free throws) and Jon Ziegler 12. Beck and Ziegler each had 10 rebounds.
Coach Grant Schmidt hopes the Bulldogs can better their shooting performance against the Montana team, which is rated as one of the best teams at the classic with a 6-10 center. However, Northwestern defeated Montana - Western, 84-69, in a Thursday game.
Montana-Western, NAIA Division I #8, falls to Bulldogs, 85-68
31 DEC 2004
The team rated at #8 in NAIA Division I lost, 85-68, to Concordia on Friday afternoon at the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix. Montana-Western's season record stands at 11-5 after the loss. The Concordia men's team, now 14-2, was #9 in the latest NAIA Division II ratings.Scott Beck led the way for the Bulldogs with 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Four other Concordia players scored in double figures -- Jason Jisa 15, Jon Ziegler and Benjamin Buhr each 14 and Wes Gehring 11.
Bulldogs remain at #9 in NAIA ratings of Jan. 4
The NAIA Division II ratings of Jan. 4 found the Concordia Bulldogs remaining at No. 9 despite their second loss of the season to Northwestern Oklahoma State, 73-69, on Dec. 31 at the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix. Northwestern (13-2) stayed at No. 6 and Dordt (10-2) moved up four places to No. 18. Sioux Falls, another GPAC team, was among others receiving votes. Bellevue (13-3), a 56-54 loser to Concordia on Nov. 17, was rated at No. 8.
Nebraska Wesleyan falls, 71-46, to Bulldogs in GPAC battle
6 JAN 2005
Concordia jumped to a 45-20 lead at half and went on to defeat Nebraska Wesleyan, 71-46, in a GPAC game on Thursday night in Lincoln. Jon Ziegler scored 17, Scott Beck 16 and Jason Jisa 10 for the Bulldogs as they hit 72 percent of 25 shots in the opening period. Beck also grabbed 10 rebounds and made five assists. Marcus Wernke blocked four of the Prairie Wolves shots.
Bulldog men prevail in physical battle with Dordt
8 JAN 2005
Solid free throw shooting in the second half carried Concordia to a 85-77 victory over Dordt in GPAC play. The Bulldogs were 83% from the stripe in the second half making 27 free throws. Wes Gehring was 8-8 from the line with 13 points. Leading the way with 16 points a piece were Jon Ziegler and Marcus Wernke. Scott Beck chipped in with 15, and Jason Jisa had 10.
Men's hoops moves up in NAIA rankings
Concordia Men's Basketball team climbed two spots to #7 in this weeks NAIA Div. II ranking released Jan. 11th.
Mustangs knock off Bulldogs
12 JAN 2005
Concordia suffered its first loss at home 75-71 to the Morningside Mustangs. David Finklea scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half leading the Mustangs to the come from behind win. Jason Jisa had 19 for the Bulldogs in the loss. Jon Ziegler and Scott Beck were also in double figures with 17 and 10 points respectively.
Bulldogs get hard fought victory on road
18 JAN 2005
Concordia escaped with a 78-75 victory over the Dana Vikings in Blair on Wednesday night. Jon Ziegler led the way with 27 points, going 4-9 from long range. Three other Bulldogs reached double figures as well. Jason Jisa had 19 points, Scott Beck chipped in with 11 points and Marcus Wernke had 10 points. Dana stayed close via the free throw line going 21-24 on the game.
The Bulldogs are back in action on Saturday in Seward at 4pm.
Bulldogs dominate glass, hit from long range in victory
22 JAN 2005
Concordia notched another GPAC victory, 72-51 Saturday against the Mount Marty Lancers. On the night the Bulldogs out rebounded the Lancers 41-25. Steve Carretto went five for five from beyond the arc on his way to 15 points. Wes Gehring also hit three triples ending with 18 points on the night. Scott Beck added another double-double to his credit with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Jason Jisa scored in double figures as well with 11 points while playing tough defense. The Bulldogs are at home Wednesday for a 7:30 pm contest against Midland Lutheran.
Defense, solid free-throw shooting key in men's basketball victory
26 JAN 2005
The Bulldogs used a solid start, tough defense and solid free-throw shooting to beat Midland Lutheran at home 71-56. Midland went without a bucket for the first five minutes as the Bulldogs built a nine to nothing lead. Defensively, Concordia held the Warriors, a squad that came in averaging almost eight three-point field goals a game, to only two. In the second half the Bulldogs hit 16 of 18 attempts from the charity stripe, shooting 89 percent from the line overall.
Three Bulldogs were perfect from the line on the night; Scott Beck went 6-6, Wes Gehring was 5-5 and Jason Jisa nailed both of his attempts.
Jon Ziegler had an all-around solid performance turning in 21 points, 12 rebounds and 5 steals on his way to a double-double. Beck finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals and 5 assists.
The Bulldogs are back in action on Friday as they travel to Concordia River Forest for the 54th Annual CIT.
Men advance to CIT Finals
28 JAN 2004
Leading scorers in the 66-43 victory over Concordia River Forest were Jon Ziegler with 18 points, Wes Gehring added 9 points to go along with 8 a piece for Scott Beck, Benjamin Buhr, and Marcus Wernke. Wernke also had five blocks and six assists on the night.
Bulldogs hang on for title
29 JAN 2005
The Bulldogs bit off all they could chew against Ann Arbor in the finals of the 54th Annual Concordia Invitational Tournament, hanging on for a 49-47 victory. The Cardinals of Ann Arbor had a chance to win at the end of regulation as a 75-footer hit the front of the rim as time expired. Taking a 31-20 lead into half the Bulldogs never found any rythym on the offensive end in the second half as they were outscored 27-18. Scott Beck and Marcus Wernke played the entire game. Beck finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Wernke added 10 points and 13 rebounds. Just as the night before, Wernke was an intimidating factor inside blocking five shots. With the victory the Bulldogs push their streak of CIT titles to seven in a row. Marcus Wernke was named tournament MVP. Joining Wernke on the all-tournament team was Scott Beck.
Bulldogs get road win over Doane
1 FEB 2005
Five players scored in double figures as the fourth-ranked Bulldogs downed the Doane tigers 74-61. The Bulldogs took the lead 6-4 at the 16:41 mark in the first half and never trailed the rest of the game. Concordia led by as many 15, but Doane wouldn't go quietly, cutting the lead to eight at times. The Bulldogs capitalized on free throws down the stretch. Wes Gehring led all scorers with 17 points, going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe and 5-for-6 from the field. Jon Ziegler added 15, Scott Beck 14, along with 12 from Benjamin Buhr. Jason Jisa also added 10 points, playing 25 minutes in his first action after sitting out CIT with an injury.
The Bulldogs travel to No. 2 Northwestern for a 4 p.m. showdown on Saturday.
Second ranked Northwestern too much for Bulldogs
5 FEB 2005
In a battle of top-five teams Northwestern came out on top Saturday afternoon, 79-65. Going into the game the Bulldogs were ranked fourth in the nation and Northwestern second.
Bulldogs get come from behind win at Hastings
9 FEB 2005
The Bulldogs, who trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, out scored the Hastings Broncos by 16 points in the second half to pick up a 74-65 victory on Wednesday night. Nine seconds into the second half, Krae Dutoit hit a three-pointer for the Broncos to push their lead to ten. Concordia methodically chipped away at the lead, and tied it up at 41 after a Scott Beck offensive rebound and putback. Hastings wouldn't go away, taking a 52-50 lead with 8:55 left. On the next possesion Wes Gehring buried a trey to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. Concordia it 8-of-10 free throws in the final 2:04 to seal the victory.
Jon Ziegler was one of four Bulldogs in double figures with 17 points. Jason Jisa had a dominating performance on both ends of the court, as he finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Marcus Wenke added 12 points to go with his 4 blocks. Gehring finished the night perfect from the charity stripe in his 12-point effort.
The Bulldogs are back at home on Tuesday, February 15th, for a 7:30 p.m. match-up with Nebraska Wesleyan.
Jisa putback at buzzer lifts Bulldogs
15 FEB 2005
A Jason Jisa putback with 1.2 seconds gave the Bulldogs a 61-59 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan. Concordia led by as many as 14 in the second half before the Prairie Wolves battled back. Jon Zielger came away with a loose ball with 5.2 seconds left. After a Bulldogs timeout, Scott Beck drove the right side of the lane but missed a jumper. Jisa grabbed the rebound and knocked down the game winner as time expired. Beck led all scorers with 19 points. Jisa added 15 and Wes Gehring had nine off the bench. Despite scoring only four points, Jon Ziegler hauled in 15 rebounds. The win clinches the second seed in the GPAC tournament.
Bulldogs drop regular season finale
19 FEB 2005
The Bulldogs lost for the second time this season to Morningside on Saturday 74-66. In a game that had 10 ties and six lead changes the Mustangs made free throw after free throw down the stretch, hitting on 23 of 29 all together. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, struggled from the charity stripe, going 9 for 19.
After trailing 39-31 at half, Concordia came back to tie the game with 6:45 remaining. From that point on, the Mustangs nailed their free throws and the Bulldogs had two costly turnovers that cemented Concordia's fate. Eddie Ceasar hit all ten of his free throws for Morningside and finished with 18 points. Brad Schmit scored 19 to lead all scorers.
For the Bulldogs, Jon Ziegler had 15 points; Wes Gehring added 13 and Jason Jisa finished with 12. Jisa came into the game needing only six points to reach 1000 points on his career.
The Bulldogs will host Doane on Tuesday night in the first round of the GPAC tournament at 7:30 p.m.
Schmidt coaches 500th game
Concordia's win over Doane in the first round of the GPAC tournament was Head Coach Grant Schmidt's 500th game. In his 16 years as the Bulldogs coach he has compiled a record of 339-161, with a winning percentage of .662. During his tenure he has guided the Bulldogs to three Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference titles as well as eight NAIA national tournament appearances.
Bulldogs beat Doane, get rematch with Morningside
22 FEB 2005
For the third time this season, it was a battle of the cats and dogs. And for the third time this season, the 'Dogs came out on top, 78-67. The Bulldogs used long range shooting to open up an 11 point lead against the Doane Tigers in the first half, hitting six three-point baskets in the first half. One reason for the open looks from downtown was the play of Marcus Wernke in the post. Wernke scored 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting in the first half. For Doane 21 of their 32 points were scored by Jarred Royal. In the second half the Bulldogs hit some huge buckets as the shot clock ran down, getting backdoor looks for easy layups multiple times.
Defensively, the Bulldogs held Royal to only six second half points. Wes Gehring scored 19 points and pulled down 7 rebounds to pace the Bulldogs. Wernke finished the night with 15 points and was perfect from the free-throw line. Scott Beck chipped in with 14 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds. Jason Jisa and Jon Ziegler also reached double figures with 11 points each.
The Bulldogs will host Morningside on Friday in the semifinals of the GPAC tournament. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Red hot shooting ignites Bulldogs
25 FEB 2005
The Bulldogs rallied from a 33-30 deficit to beat Morningside 74-64 to move on to the championship game of the GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs will host Sioux Falls in the title game as they beat No. 1 Northwestern 74-67. After playing nine minutes it looked as if the Bulldogs were in control, as they led 16-11 after a Scott Beck offensive rebound and putback. After a time-out, Morningside went on a 6-0 run to take the lead 17-16. The Mustangs pushed the lead to as many as five as they connected on 53.3 percent of their shots in the opening frame. Jason Jisa had back-to-back buckets in the last 90 second of the first half to trim the deficit to 33-30. Benjamin Buhr nailed a three-pointer 50 seconds into the second half to tie the game at 53. Beck converted a traditional three-point play with 14:25 left to put the Bulldogs on top 40-38. The Bulldog lead grew to 13 after Jon Ziegler buried a three with eight minutes left. Concordia shot 70 percent from the field in the second half, but Morningside battled back, pulling within five on a tip-in at the 4:30 mark. On the next possession a Buhr triple from left of the key threw gasoline on an already fired up crowd. Beck went 3-4 from the line in the final 35 seconds to seal the win for the Bulldogs. Four reached double figures for the Bulldogs: Beck with 18, Ziegler 17, Jisa 15 and Buhr 10. For the game the Bulldogs shot better from the field, (58.3 percent) than from the charity stripe (56.0 percent). The Bulldogs are now 27-5 on the season.
Bulldogs take bite out of Cougars, win GPAC Tournament
1 MAR 2005
After trailing for almost 14 minutes of the first half, the Bulldogs came back for a 62-58 win over Sioux Falls to win the GPAC Tournament Championship. The win gives Concordia the second GPAC automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.
Trailing 18-9 with 11:34 left in the first half, the Bulldogs allowed only four Cougar points the rest of the half. Steve Carretto nailed a three-point bomb to put the Bulldogs back on top with 4:19 remaining in the first half. Marcus Wernke was perfect in the first half, hitting all four of his attempts from the field and both free throws.
Sioux Falls came out of the gate quickly in the second half, using a 10-2 run to tie the game at 30 with 17:15 remaining. It was a see-saw battle the rest of the way as both teams opened up leads of four points only to see the other team claw their way back to even. Two Jon Ziegler free throws with 42 seconds remaining put the Bulldogs up by three, and that would prove to be enough. Concordia added another free throw and sealed the 62-58 victory with a steal.
Ziegler had 16 points, five rebounds and two steals for the Bulldogs. Wernke added 13 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots to the totals for Concordia. Carretto finished the night 2-2 from beyond the arc and 3-3 from the charity stripe for nine points. Scott Beck added eight points, Wes Gehring had seven points off the bench and Jason Jisa added six to the balanced Bulldog attack.
Seeds for the NAIA National Championship will be released after 5:00 p.m. on March 2.
Bulldogs survive late push by Trolls
10 MAR 2005
The unseeded Trolls of Trinity Christian College (Ill.) gave fourth-seeded Concordia all they could handle in their first-round contest Thursday at the 14th Annual NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. The Bulldogs survived the late Troll threat and took a 74-69 win.
After Concordia jumped out to a 21-10 lead, it looked as though they could coast to an appearance in the second round. But the Trolls had other plans, closing the first half on a 20-6 run to take a 30-27 lead at the break. Trinity Christian was helped by a 27-16 rebounding advantage and the Bulldogs’ 0-for-6 performance from behind the arc.
The Bulldogs went on a 4-0 run to start the second half to regain the lead. The Bulldogs maintained that advantage for most of the second half thanks in part due to the defensive efforts of Marcus Wernke, who registered nine blocked shots. Concordia pushed the lead to as many as 11 points with just under a minute to go. Then Lawrence Weller of Trinity hit two threes and Charles Commeret added another deep ball to pull the Trolls within four. Concordia hit just enough free throws to survive down the stretch to stay ahead, making 72.5 percent from the charity stripe overall.
Scott Beck led Concordia with 26 points, including an 11-for-13 showing from the charity stripe, and he pulled down 10 rebounds. Wernke finished with 19 points on six-for-six shooting. Jon Ziegler added 10 points and Jason Jisa nine points.
Concordia improves to 29-5 on the season and advances to Friday’s second round, where they will take on #13 Flagler College (Fla.), who advanced with an 82-70 win over Albertson (Idaho). Friday’s game time is set for 1:45 p.m.
The 32-team, single-elimination tournament concludes Tuesday, March 15, with the championship game at 8:30 p.m.
Men dominate glass in win over Flagler
11 MAR 2005
The Bulldogs out rebounded the Flagler Saints 44-29, and overcame 26 turnovers to advance to the quarterfinals with a 70-63 victory.
The Saints came out of the gate quickly, jumping out to a 5-1 lead. Concordia then erupted for a 11-1 run to go up by six at the 14-minute mark. The Bulldogs pushed the advantage to 10 points at the half, thanks in part to 52 percent shooting from the field and a 23-12 rebounding edge. Steve Carretto sparked the Bulldogs off the bench, hitting three three-point field goals in the first half.
The Bulldogs opened up a 12-point lead 55-43 with just under 11-minutes remaining. Garrett Rathke provided solid minutes in place of Scott Beck who was confined to the bench with three fouls. After a timeout with 7:01 remaining, the Saints went on a huge run to pull within one at the 2:53 mark. The Bulldogs tightened up defensively holding the Saints to only two points in the final two minutes and connected of 3-of-4 free throws to seal the victory.
Jon Ziegler led Concordia with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while teammate Jason Jisa tallied 19 points, six boards, and three steals. Carretto rounded out the Bulldogs’ double digit scorers with 14. Marcus Wernke continued to dominate the paint, recording five blocked shots. He now has 14 blocks in the tournament.
Concordia improves to 30-5 on the season and advances to Saturday’s quarterfinal round, where they will take on #5 Cornerstone, who moved on with a 76-62 win over #12 Dominican. Saturday’s game time is set for 1 p.m.
The 32-team, single elimination tournament concludes Tuesday, March 15, with the championship game at 8:30 p.m.
Comeback win puts Bulldogs in semifinals against Cedarville, team sets mark for wins
12 MAR 2005
The Bulldogs needed the entire 40 minutes of their quarterfinal game against the Cornerstone Golden Eagles. Jon Ziegler hit the game winner on a drive down the left side of the lane with 17.3-seconds left as Concordia picked up a 71-68 victory to move on to the NAIA Final Four on Monday night at 6:00 p.m. With the win the Bulldogs have also set the Concordia record for wins in a season with 31. The previous record was 30 in 1994-95 season.
Early on the Bulldogs opened up a five-point advantage and seemed to be in control. But the Golden Eagles battled back to take a 45-33 lead into the lockerroom at halftime.
Cornerstone continued to dominate play through the early minutes of the second half, stretching the lead to 56-39 with 13:54 to play. From that point on the Bulldogs outscored the Golden Eagles 31-13. Overall, Cornerstone struggled in the second-half as they shot just 23 percent from the field and missed all 12 of their three-point attempts. At one point during that stretch the Bulldogs used a 15-1 run to take their first lead (69-68) since early in the first half. Jon Ziegler added two free throws with 1.3 seconds to go to stretch the lead to three. Cornerstone’s three-quarter-court shot was off the mark at the buzzer.
Five players reached double figures for the Bulldogs, led by Ziegler’s 15 points and eight rebounds. Jason Jisa and Benjamin Buhr chipped in with 13 points each, while Scott Beck tallied 11 points, all in the second half, nine rebounds, and seven steals. Wes Gehring contributed 10 points off the bench.
The Bulldogs will take on #16 Cedarville University (Ohio). This is Concordia’s eighth national tournament appearance and their second trip to the national semifinals, the first time coming in 1992.
Bulldogs reach finals of NAIA DII tournament
14 MAR 2005
With a 62-56 victory over Cedarville University, Concordia will play in its first ever NAIA Division II Championship game on Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. They will take on another finals first-timer, Walsh University (Ohio).
On Monday night Cedarville and Concordia traded baskets in most of the first half. The Bulldogs opened up a six-point advantage (21-15) with six minutes to go, but the Yellowjackets responded to even the score at 28-28. The Bulldogs regained a 32-30 lead at the half. Jason Jisa led all scorers with 13 first-half points. The Bulldogs would never trail in the second-half, although Cedarville did cut the lead to two on multiple occasions.
"This team gives such an effort every night," said coach Grant Schmidt. "They work so well as a team, and just seem to refuse to lose."
Jon Ziegler continued his game ending heroics, this time going 4-4 from the line in the final 33.7 seconds to cement the Bulldog victory. Defensively, Jisa was a huge factor in controlling Cedarville's Mugabe Thomas. Thomas finished the game with 14 points and 6 rebounds. He came in to the game averaging over 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Jisa led all players with 18 points and 12 rebounds. He added two blocked shots and two steals. Ziegler finished with 15 points and six rebounds, Scott Beck added 11 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Marcus Wernke tallied eight points, eight rebounds, and five blocked shots. Concordia has worked its way through the national tournament with wins over unseeded Trinity Christian, 74-69; #13 seed Flagler, 70-63; and #5 seed Cornerstone, 71-68. They are making their eighth national tournament appearance and their first trip to the championship game.
Concordia adds another win to its school-record mark, improving to 32-5 on the season, and advances to Tuesday’s national championship game against #7 Walsh.
Bulldog bid for title falls short in Branson
15 MAR 2005
The Bulldogs came up short in the NAIA National Championship game against the Walsh Cavaliers, losing 81-70. At first it seemed just like another typical NAIA tournament game for the Bulldogs as they opened up an 18-10 lead in the first half, only to find themselves trailing 32-28 at half. The Cavaliers then used a 18-4 run in the first four minutes of the second half to put the lead out of reach for the Bulldogs.
Early on Jon Ziegler and Jason Jisa kept the Bulldogs within striking distance, scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively, in the first half. The Bulldogs also held their own in the first half in the post, as they out-rebounded the Cavaliers 21-18.
It looked as if the Bulldogs might mount another spectacular comeback, as they cut the lead to single digits at the 6:34 mark, 69-60. The Cavaliers responded with another run to keep the Bulldogs at bay. Senior Steve Carretto hit two three-pointers in the final moments to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance at the end.
Ziegler led the way for the Bulldogs with 25 points and four assists. Jisa added 20 points and Scott Beck chipped in with 10 points and game-highs in rebounds (14) and assists (5).
Ziegler and Jisa were both named to the All-Tournament team for their performances in the tournament. Jisa was also received the Tournament Hustle Award. Jisa finished the tournament with 79 points and Ziegler added 87.
This was the Bulldogs eighth national tournament appearance and first trip to the championship game. The Bulldogs finish the year with a 32-6 record. The 32 wins is a school record.