2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule/Results
17-9 overall | 14-6 GPAC (T-3rd) | Season Stats | Roster
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Record |
| Hastings College Classic: Oct. 30-31 | ||||
| Oct. 30 | Tabor College (Kan.) | Hastings, Neb. | L, 69-72 | 0-1 |
| Oct. 31 | Friends University (Kan.) | Hastings, Neb. | W, 102-82 | 1-1 |
| 21st annual Cattle Classic: Nov. 6-7 | ||||
| Nov. 6 | Emmaus Bible College (Iowa) | Seward, Neb. | W, 107-48 | 2-1 |
| Nov. 7 | Manhattan Christian College (Kan.) | Seward, Neb. | W, 90-65 | 3-1 |
| Nov. 10 | *Midland University | Seward, Neb. | W, 82-55 | 4-1, 1-0 |
| Nov. 14 | *Northwestern College | Seward, Neb. | W, 77-74 | 5-1, 2-0 |
| Nov. 21 | *Dordt University | Seward, Neb. | W, 82-59 | 6-1, 3-0 |
| Nov. 30 | *Doane University (Originally scheduled for 11/18) | Crete, Neb. | W, 83-66 | 7-1, 4-0 |
| Dec. 2 | *Hastings College | Hastings, Neb. | W, 86-77 | 8-1, 5-0 |
| Dec. 5 | *Briar Cliff University | Sioux City, Iowa | L, 75-89 | 8-2, 5-1 |
| Dec. 9 | *Mount Marty University | Seward, Neb. | W, 82-71 | 9-2, 6-1 |
| Dec. 12 | *(7) Morningside College | Sioux City, Iowa | L, 64-86 | 9-3, 6-2 |
| Dec. 15 | *Midland University | Fremont, Neb. | W, 95-81 | 10-3, 7-2 |
| Dec. 18 | *University of Jamestown | Jamestown, N.D. | L, 87-89 (OT) | 10-4, 7-3 |
| Dec. 30 | Peru State College | Peru, Neb. | L, 62-70 | 10-5 |
| Jan. 2 | *Northwestern College | Orange City, Iowa | W, 81-74 (OT) | 11-5, 8-3 |
| Jan. 6 | *(18) Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, S.D. | L, 64-70 | 11-6, 8-4 |
| Jan. 9 | *University of Jamestown | Seward, Neb. | W, 81-70 | 12-6, 9-4 |
| Jan. 13 | *Mount Marty University | Yankton, S.D. | W, 86-76 | 13-6, 10-4 |
| Jan. 16 | *(15) Morningside College | Seward, Neb. | L, 77-95 | 13-7, 10-5 |
| Jan. 23 | *Briar Cliff University | Seward, Neb. | W, 81-58 | 14-7, 11-5 |
| CIT: scheduled for Jan. 29-20 (Canceled) | ||||
| Feb. 3 | *Dordt University | Sioux Center, Iowa | L, 69-75 | 14-8, 11-6 |
| Feb. 6 | *(16) Dakota Wesleyan University | Seward, Neb. | W, 89-77 | 15-8, 12-6 |
| Feb. 17 | *Hastings College | Seward, Neb. | W, 106-73 | 16-8, 13-6 |
| Feb. 20 | *Doane University | Seward, Neb. | W, 84-63 | 17-8, 14-6 |
| GPAC Tournament | ||||
| Feb. 24 | Dakota Wesleyan (GPAC Quarterfinals) | Mitchell, S.D. | L, 58-70 | 17-9 |
2020-21 Roster
| No. | Varsity Roster | Pos. | Ht. | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| 2 | Sam Scarpelli | G | 5-9 | Sr. | Portland, Ore. | Reynolds HS / Clark College |
| 3 | Jackson Hirschfeld | G | 5-11 | So. | Utica, Neb. | Centennial HS |
| 4 | Nick Cito | G | 5-10 | Jr. | Arvada, Colo. | Mullen HS |
| 5 | Carter Kent | G | 6-2 | Jr. | Crete, Neb. | Crete HS |
| 10 | Justin Wiersema | G | 6-3 | Jr. | Loveland, Colo. | Thompson Valley HS |
| 11 | Gage Smith | F | 6-6 | Jr. | Elizabeth, Colo. | Elizabeth HS |
| 12 | Grant Wragge | G | 6-2 | Sr. | Crofton, Neb. | Crofton HS |
| 14 | AJ Watson | G | 5-8 | So. | Kansas City, Kan. | Bonner Springs HS |
| 20 | Tanner Wubbels | F | 6-7 | Jr. | Waverly, Neb. | Waverly HS |
| 21 | Klay Uher | F | 6-5 | Jr. | Crete, Neb. | Crete HS |
| 30 | Thomas Young | G | 6-1 | Sr. | Clarks, Neb. | High Plains HS |
| 32 | Ryan Holt | F | 6-5 | Sr. | Highlands Ranch, Colo. | ThunderRidge HS |
| 41 | Braeden Wiltse | G | 6-3 | Fr. | Lenexa, Kan. | Mill Valley HS |
| 44 | Cory Davila | F | 6-7 | Fr. | Basehor, Kan. | Basehor Linwood HS |
| 50 | Drew Wheeler | G | 6-2 | Fr. | Stockton, Mo. | Stockton HS |
| 55 | Noah Schutte | F | 6-4 | Fr. | Laurel, Neb. | Laurel-Concord-Coleridge HS |
| No. | Junior Varsity Roster | Pos. | Ht. | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| 2 | Joel Baker | G | 6-0 | Fr. | Alliance, Neb. | Alliance HS |
| 3 | Cristiaan Priebe | G/F | 6-5 | Sr. | Lake Tapps, Wash. | Central Washington |
| 4 | Jacob Glines | G | 6-1 | So. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran HS |
| 5 | Cade Reichardt | G | 6-0 | So. | Aurora, Neb. | Aurora HS |
| 10 | Tice Jenkins | G | 6-2 | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Lutheran HS |
| 12 | Trey Scheef | G | 6-1 | Fr. | Wahoo, Neb. | Wahoo HS |
| 14 | Gideon Luehr | G | 5-10 | Fr. | Wood River, Neb. | Wood River HS |
| 20 | Drew Wheeler | G | 6-2 | Fr. | Stockton, Mo. | Stockton HS |
| 21 | Chance Sterling | F | 6-5 | Jr. | Gretna, Neb. | Gretna HS |
| 30 | Kelly Vyhnalek | F | 6-7 | So. | Seward, Neb. | Seward HS |
| 32 | Jayson Frank | F | 6-7 | So. | Sterling, Colo. | Sterling HS |
| 44 | Christian Wilke | F | 6-6 | Jr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln East HS |
| 50 | Noah Schutte | F | 6-4 | Fr. | Laurel, Neb. | Laurel-Concord-Coleridge HS |
| 55 | Casey Stegeman | F | 6-9 | Fr. | Arlington, S.D. | Arlington HS |
| Nate Middleton | G | 5-9 | Jr. | San Marcos, Calif. | Mount Carmel HS | |
| Bradyn Whittington | F | 6-8 | Fr. | Wilber, Neb. | Wilber-Clatonia HS |
STAFF
Ben Limback, Head Coach (8th Year)
Lance Korell, Assistant Coach
Brevin Sloup, Graduate Assistant Coach
Managers: Ian Guettler, Kyler Hensel, Haden Richters and Braedon Thompson
Season Preview: 2020-21 Concordia Men's Basketball
Oct. 15, 2020
2019-20 Record: 24-10 overall, 12-8 GPAC (T-4th); GPAC Tournament Champions
Head Coach: Ben Limback (at Concordia: 119-97, seven years; career: 234-255, 16 years)
Returning Starters: G Carter Kent (Jr.); G Justin Wiersema (Jr.).
Other Key Returners: F Ryan Holt (Sr.); G Sam Scarpelli (Sr.); F Gage Smith (Jr.); G AJ Watson (So.); F Klay Uher; G Grant Wragge (Sr.).
Key Newcomers: F Cory Davila; F Noah Schutte; G Drew Wheeler; G Braeden Wiltse.
Key Losses: F Chuol Biel; G/F Tanner Shuck; G Brevin Sloup.
2019-20 GPAC All-Conference: Brevin Sloup (First Team); Carter Kent (Second Team); Tanner Shuck (Honorable Mention); Justin Wiersema (Honorable Mention).
2019-20 NAIA All-American: Brevin Sloup (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
Just before the harsh reality of the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program enjoyed its most successful run in 15 years. Lasting memories were formed through the GPAC tournament championship celebration at the Corn Palace and the eerie feeling that settled in after the final game of the 2020 national tournament. Regardless of how things ended, the late season run signified an important step forward for the program.
Head Coach Ben Limback relished the opportunity to lead his alma mater back to the national tournament (as he did as a player). Now the Bulldogs want to prove they were not just some one-season wonder. There’s a hunger for more.
Says Limback, “There is a different sense of confidence and expectations within our team. Just to have a large group back from last year, to get there and go on the road and win the conference tournament (was huge). To see the national stage is important, especially for the group of guys we have returning. There has been a difference confidence level and I have been impressed with the hunger too. It’s not one of those mindsets where we are saying, ‘Oh, we have already done that.’ It’s about how we can take it to the next level.”
Concordia has reason to be excited about a backcourt anchored by juniors Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema. It won’t be hard for Kent, Wiersema and company to carry a chip on their shoulders considering their GPAC preseason ranking of sixth. To be frank, the GPAC is a challenging league with no off nights and opposing conference coaches are probably wondering how the Bulldogs will replace the three starters they have lost: Chuol Biel, Tanner Shuck and Brevin Sloup.
Even with the losses of Shuck and Sloup (more than 2,800 career points between them), the backcourt has the potential to rank among the best units in the GPAC. The group includes not just Kent and Wiersema, but also sparkplug Sam Scarpelli (5.3 ppg in 2019-20), a senior who transferred into the program prior to last season. Collectively, they want to play fast and they want to let it fly from the perimeter.
“We’re really athletic,” Kent said. “There are times when we have a lineup and our smallest guy is 6-2. It’s good because we can have more of a defensive lineup, but we can also have a lineup if we want to score and stay small if there’s a mismatch we like. Every guy can bring up the ball and push it in transition. We have the ability to spread out and go. We do seem a lot quicker this year and we have a lot of guys knowing that they have to fill roles. You can see them molding into those roles and filling those spaces we need to fill.”
From a talent and maturity perspective, Kent is beyond ready to take the lead. The Crete High School product is right on the cusp of becoming a major star. He’s already been quite good considering he was named the GPAC Freshman of the Year in 2018-19 and has averaged 11.6 points per game over his first 65 collegiate contests. Meanwhile, Wiersema (10.8 ppg in 2019-20) is about as steady and consistent as they come.
Says Limback, “I think we’ll have one of the better guard play tandems in the conference and we certainly have guys off the bench who will contribute and make it even better. Those three (Kent, Scarpelli and Wiersema) will help continue that fast play and that offensive firepower that we want to see on the perimeter.”
Scarpelli (seven starts last season) spearheaded a 2019-20 bench that included three others who saw more than 10 minutes of playing time per game: Ryan Holt, Gage Smith and AJ Watson. In addition, Klay Uher and Grant Wragge possess significant experience. That means that Limback returns eight players who have been heavily involved in the rotation in previous seasons (Tanner Wubbels also could play a larger role). Each of the aforementioned names supplies unique skillsets that figure to come in handy. Holt, Smith and Uher will attempt to fortify the frontcourt.
Limback also really likes what 6-foot-7 freshman Cory Davila (Basehor, Kan.) brings to the table. Davila has a chance to be “special,” as Limback put it. A select few additional newcomers could play a role on this year’s varsity squad. Limback isn’t expecting to have a frontcourt player with the shot-blocking and rim protection capabilities like Biel displayed, but that’s not necessarily essential in today’s college basketball – although it’s a nice luxury to have.
It seems likely that this edition of Bulldog Basketball will be just as unafraid of shooting it from deep. Even frontcourt players like Holt and Smith are more than capable of stepping out and knocking down jumpers. Said Kent, “We are going to stick to a lot of our values from last year. We are really athletic and have a lot of people that can play multiple positions, which opens up a lot of opportunities for us to get out in transition. We are still going to be able to shoot a lot, but it will be cool to see how versatile we will be in different situations.”
It's difficult to mention everyone, but returners who logged heavy junior varsity minutes last season could also be a factor. Former Centennial High School standout Jackson Hirschfeld was named the JV Team MVP last season and is in line for a larger varsity role. However, backcourt minutes could be limited at times for the reserves. Kent and Wiersema both played more than 29 minutes per game last season.
Morningside is again the GPAC favorite to open up this season. The Bulldogs showed last season they could go toe-to-toe with the Mustangs in their own gym – and it doesn’t get much more big time than winning at the Corn Palace with a GPAC championship on the line. It’s time to show that was no fluke.
“With COVID-19 and not knowing what this year would look like, we weren’t sure whether we’d have a season,” Limback said. “Now that it’s becoming real, I feel like the sense of urgency, especially with our seniors, is a lot different. There are certain guys who did not play a large role last year – and now with the parting seniors – we have some guys that have an opportunity. I am looking forward to seeing how this new team shapes up.”
As for those preseason rankings, Kent is not focused on them. Within the locker room, coaches and players are talking about winning the day, each day. Says Kent, “There is a lot of motivation. We always look forward to playing and with this season there are a lot of unknowns. Our motto is ‘win the day.’ We can’t look at the rankings. We must focus on ourselves and winning every aspect of our day. Over time hopefully we will win the week, the month and then we will be where we want at the end of the year.”
The 2020-21 campaign is set to officially open up at the Hastings College Classic the weekend of Oct. 30-31. Concordia will make its first home appearance at the annual Cattle Classic (Nov. 6-7).
Season set to tip off at Hastings Classic
October 28, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball program is gearing up to make its first public appearance since playing at the 2020 NAIA Division II national tournament way back in March. As part of the Hastings College Classic, the Bulldogs will draw two opponents out of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference as action opens up this Friday and Saturday. Lynn Farrell Arena on the Hastings campus will serve as the venue.
Hastings released fan information for their athletic facilities earlier this fall. For those planning to attend the games at Hastings, please enter the arena through the main entrance (north side). Per GPAC rules, fans must wear face coverings in order to be admitted.
Hastings Classic – Oct. 30-31
Friday, Oct. 30 vs. Tabor College (0-0), 5 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats
Saturday, Oct. 31 vs. Friends University (0-1), 2 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats
Head Coach Ben Limback enters his eighth season leading his alma mater. Concordia broke through last season with a thrilling GPAC tournament championship run while clinching the program’s first national tournament berth in 15 years. The Bulldogs wound up at 24-10 overall for the program’s second highest win total during the GPAC era. Concordia returns two starters from the 2019-20 squad: junior guards Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema. On the other hand, the Bulldogs graduated three starters in guards Tanner Shuck and Brevin Sloup and top post player Chuol Biel.
In the GPAC preseason poll, Concordia landed at No. 6 despite all that was accomplished last season. The Bulldogs will be a tough matchup for a lot of opponents with a backcourt featuring aforementioned rising stars in Kent and Wiersema. Both players averaged in double figures as sophomores while contributing to a team single-season school record 382 made 3-point field goals. Without Shuck and Sloup, senior Sam Scarpelli will also step into a more prominent role. This weekend will provide the Bulldogs a chance to answer questions about a frontcourt including returners such as Ryan Holt and Gage Smith.
Concordia also opened up the 2019-20 season at the Hastings Classic, where it claimed victories over Dakota State University (S.D.) and Friends as part of a 5-0 start. In the program’s most recent meeting with Tabor, the Bluejays clipped the Bulldogs, 82-77, at the Warrior Classic in Sterling, Kan., on Nov. 11, 2017. Friends finished last season at 17-13 overall (15-9 KCAC) while Tabor went 6-21 (4-20 KCAC). In the KCAC preseason coaches’ poll, Friends checked in at seventh (out of 13 teams) and Tabor appeared at No. 12.
The KCAC also releases a preseason all-conference team. The top individual returner Concordia will go up against this weekend, according to the KCAC preseason squad, is senior guard Davonte Pack of Friends. Pack averaged 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. Back in mid-March, the Bulldogs had their season ended by a KCAC team in Ottawa University (Kan.), which is ranked 14th in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll. The NAIA has moved to one division this season.
This Friday begins a busy stretch to open up the 2020-21 season. Concordia will play at Peru State College next Wednesday (Nov. 4) before hosting the 21st annual Cattle Classic the weekend of Nov. 6-7. The opponents at the Cattle Classic will be Emmaus Bible College (Iowa) and Manhattan Christian College (Kan.). For more details on the event, click HERE.
Double-digit lead slips away in season opener
October 20, 2020
HASTINGS, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball program is back in action after earning a berth in the 2020 NAIA Division II national tournament. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs went cold offensively in the second half on Friday (Oct. 30) evening and fell at the hands of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member Tabor College, 72-69. Both teams are taking part in the two-day Hastings College Classic at Lynn Farrell Arena.
In year eight as head coach, Ben Limback is breaking in three new starters to compliment a backcourt stocked by juniors Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema.
“We weren’t in a very good rhythm offensively and had too many turnovers,” Limback said. “Their athleticism and switching really bothered us. You have to give some credit to their defense. They really turned it up after we were up 15 or 16. We kind of coasted and weren’t as aggressive. They give us some problems with their athleticism. We have to adjust to it better.”
Late in the first half it was looking like Concordia just might cruise to victory. It led by as many as 16 points (28-12) after Wiersema splashed home three of his team high 16 points. The Bulldogs still led by eight (38-30) at halftime and owned a one-point advantage in the final minute before the outcome slipped out of grasp. The Bluejays (1-0) and transfer guard Nashom Carter were up to the task.
Carter tallied 24 points while leading the Tabor rally. Concordia endured too many empty possessions down the stretch. Its final field goal of the game came at the 4:59 mark via a Wiersema trey (64-61 lead at the time). On the other end, Carter poured in six of his team’s last eight points. His pair of free throws in the closing seconds provided the final tallies. The Bulldogs had one crack at forcing overtime, but Sam Scarpelli’s trey just before the buzzer rimmed out.
Concordia shot 38.3 percent (23-for-60) for the game and committed 22 turnovers. It slipped to 30.3 percent shooting in the second half when it went just 4-for-18 (.222) from 3-point range. There will be better shooting performances ahead for the likes of Kent (2-for-11) and Scarpelli (2-for-13), two central figures in the backcourt. The consistent Wiersema netted 5-of-7 shots from the floor and grabbed five rebounds.
Senior Ryan Holt (eight points, three rebounds) and junior Gage Smith (10 points, 10 rebounds) joined Kent, Scarpelli and Wiersema in the starting lineup. Off the bench, freshman Cory Davila (nine points) and Klay Uher (eight points) gave solid minutes.
There are mistakes to be cleaned up. The good news is the Bulldogs will be right back to action on Saturday. Said Limback, “We have to learn from this and execute better. You expect some sloppiness in the first game out. I thought Justin was very good in the second half and Cory Davila did some nice things out there. The positives have to come tomorrow where we learn from this and grow from this.”
Tabor struggled last season, but it has some new pieces in place like Carter. Andre Nelson (game high 13 rebounds) and Bobby Shanks also reached double figures with 10 points apiece. The Bluejays shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the floor in the second half to boost their overall percentage to 42.2 (27-for-64).
Another KCAC foe is on tap for Saturday at Hastings. Concordia and Friends University (Kan.) will tip off at 2 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs defeated the Falcons, 74-69, at the same event a year ago.
Bulldogs break 100-point mark in season's first win
October 31, 2020
HASTINGS, Neb. – On day two at the Hastings College Classic, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team had an answer when its opponent made a push in the second half. In an up-tempo affair, the Bulldogs shot 53.4 percent while out-gunning Friends University (Kan.), 102-82, on Saturday (Oct. 31) afternoon. Junior guards Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema led the way with 22 points apiece.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad opened its season this weekend in Hastings. Concordia (1-1) allowed a double-digit lead to slip away in Friday’s 72-69 loss to Tabor College (Kan.). One of the keys this time out was a big advantage in turnover margin.
“We know we have to get better at keeping the ball in front defensively,” Limback said. “But when we faced adversity today, the way we handled it was better. We tightened things up and we stayed together. Our offensive execution was much better. I was more pleased today with our response to adversity and our leadership in those moments.”
The Bulldogs showed off some firepower on Saturday. Juniors Justin Wiersema (22) and Klay Uher (19) either equaled or surpassed career high point totals while Carter Kent poured in 22 points of his own. Kent and Uher (who made his second career start) really got going after halftime. As part of a game-finishing stretch, Uher fed Kent with a pretty bounce pass, just like the old days at Crete High School. After the Falcons got within 65-63 at the 13:35 mark of the second half, Concordia outscored the opposition, 37-19, the rest of the way.
Friends (0-3) prefers a frenetic style of play. It also gave up over 100 points in a 119-89 defeat to weekend host Hastings on Friday. The Falcons needed to shoot better than 43.8 percent from the floor in order to keep up. They also were plagued by 22 turnovers compared to just seven committed by the Bulldogs. Ian Konek poured in 32 points while sinking 7-of-15 tries from long range. He was held scoreless for the final nine minutes of the game.
The backcourt for Concordia was superb. Kent, Wiersema and Scarpelli combined to shoot 18-for-34 from the field with one total turnover (10 assists). Those three sharpshooters were responsible for 12 of the team’s 13 3-point field goals. In his career day, Uher went 7-for-9 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the foul line while grabbing six rebounds. Off the bench, Cory Davila made all five of his shot attempts and put up 10 points in 15 minutes. Scarpelli and Gage Smith chipped in nine points apiece.
“I thought Klay and Justin were very solid offensively,” Limback said. “Klay finished at the rim against guys who were taller. He played really physical. It was nice to see him have a great game like that.
“We talked in our locker room about having more pride on the defensive end. We need to have a better sustained effort on the defensive effort than we showed this weekend and I think our guys learned that lesson. It’s good to learn that before heading into conference.”
Limback’s squad hit the 100-point mark twice last season (wins over Peru State, 109-60, and Jamestown, 101-92). Ten different Bulldogs registered in the scoring column in Saturday’s 102-point outburst. The starters supplied 81 of those points.
Three nonconference games remain on the regular-season slate. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play at Peru State College at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The 21st annual Cattle Classic is coming up next Friday and Saturday (Nov. 6-7). For more details on the event, including the full schedule, click HERE.
Previewing the 21st annual men's Cattle Classic
November 3, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The 21st annual Cattle Classic is set to tip off on Friday afternoon inside Walz Arena. The basketball classic features a total of four men’s games and three women’s games over the course of the two-day extravaganza. The event, co-sponsored by Concordia and Cattle Bank & Trust, raises money and food for the Blue Valley Community Action's Food Pantry. Pac N Save of Seward will match all canned food donations.
Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods in exchange for admission. Ten canned items will get an adult a weekend pass. Complete admission information for the Cattle Classic can be found HERE. Tickets will not be sold online for this particular event.
Fans must also be mindful of current COVID-19 protocols. Face coverings are required for admission into the event. For additional fan information, please visit: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/information-fans.
Live webcasts/stats: Concordia Sports Network
2020 CATTLE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 5
- Women: Concordia vs. Dakota State University (S.D.), 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 6
- Men: Hastings College vs. Manhattan Christian College (Kan.), 4 p.m.
- Women: Carroll College (Mont.) vs. Dakota State University (S.D.), 6 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. Emmaus Bible College (Iowa), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7
- Men: Hastings College vs. Emmaus Bible College (Iowa), 12 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Carroll College (Mont.), 2 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. Manhattan Christian College (Kan.), 4 p.m.
The Men’s Field
Concordia University
Head Coach: Ben Limback, 8th season
2020-21 Record: 1-1
2019-20 Record: 24-10
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Seward, Nebraska
Top Player: Junior guards Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema will be counted upon as top performers on both ends of the floor. Carter earned second team All-GPAC honors and Wiersema was chosen as honorable mention All-GPAC last season. Wiersema got out to a hot start by putting up 38 combined points (10-for-17 from 3-point range) last weekend. Kent enters the week with 783 career points.
Overview: The Bulldogs are following up on a GPAC tournament championship season and the program’s first national tournament berth in 15 years. Concordia is replacing three starters, but it’s confident in a talented backcourt that also includes senior point guard Sam Scarpelli. In the frontcourt, Klay Uher provided a spark in the win over Friends University (Kan.) by pouring in a career high 19 points. The Bulldogs were picked sixth in the GPAC preseason poll (finished fourth in the 2019-20 regular season). In terms of newcomers, freshman Cory Davila may end up making the largest impact. Davila combined for 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting at the Hastings Classic.
Emmaus Bible College
Head Coach: Kyle Graw, 1st season
2020-21 Record: 0-0
2019-20 Record: 2-19
Conference: Midwest Christian College Conference (NCCAA)
Location: Dubuque, Iowa
Top Player: 6-foot-1 senior forward Brandon Redding returns after averaging 30.0 points per game in 2019-20 when he was named a first team All-North Region selection. Redding (West Palm Beach, Fla.) enjoyed a 43-point outburst in setting a school single-game record last season.
Overview: The Eagles played mostly fellow National Christian College Athletic Association opponents last season while going 2-19 overall. Emmaus earned its wins last season over Association Free Lutheran Bible School and Moody Bible Institute. Kyle Graw enters his first season leading the program.
Hastings College
Head Coach: Bill Gavers, 8th season
2020-21 Record: 1-1
2019-20 Record: 16-16
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Hastings, Nebraska
Top Player: Hastings said goodbye to star post player Bart Hiscock (career totals of 1,911 points and 893 rebounds) at the end of last season. The new star just might be Dakota County Technical College transfer Dashawn Walker, who put up a combined 51 points this past weekend at the Hastings Classic. Walker is a 6-foot-6 forward from Harker Heights, Texas. Sophomore guard Mason Hiemstra returns after averaging 11.2 points last season.
Overview: Led by Walker, the Broncos would like to believe they are set to break through for a season kind of like the Bulldogs put together in 2019-20. Head Coach Bill Gavers enters his eighth season leading his alma mater. Hastings has been picked ninth in the GPAC preseason poll. While hosting a weekend classic (Oct. 30-31), the Broncos defeated Friends University (Kan.), 119-89, prior to a 94-90 loss to Tabor College (Kan.). Hastings will take part in the Cattle Classic for the third-straight year.
Manhattan Christian College
Head Coach: Jordan Strom, 2nd season
2020-21 Record: 0-2
2019-20 Record: 19-11
Conference: Midwest Christian College Conference (NCCAA)
Location: Manhattan, Kansas
Top Player: A transfer from the University of Central Oklahoma, redshirt freshman Tanner Heiden opened the season with an 18-point, 11-rebound performance at Kansas Wesleyan University. Heiden is listed as a 6-foot-5 forward.
Overview: The Thunder reached the NCCAA national tournament before play was shut down in March of 2020. Manhattan Christian opened this season with road games against two NAIA foes. It lost by scores of 76-74 at Kansas Wesleyan University and 87-75 at McPherson College (Kan.). Head Coach Jordan Strom’s squad is also slated to play at Doane on Wednesday before making its way to Seward for the weekend. Based on the statistics, the Thunder played an up-tempo style last season having averaged 83.9 points per game in 2019-20.
Cattle Classic Friday ends in rout
November 6, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – For the most part, things went about as Concordia University Men’s Basketball would have scripted it on Friday (Nov. 6) at the 21st annual Cattle Classic. Though both teams started out slow offensively, there was never a whole lot of doubt about this one. The Bulldogs cruised to a 107-48 victory over visiting Emmaus Bible College (Iowa). The visiting Eagles of Dubuque, Iowa, shot only 31.7 percent from the floor.
This was a night for Head Coach Ben Limback to get a good look at the entire varsity roster. Thirteen different Bulldogs (2-1) saw action and every one of them scored at least four points.
“It was nice to see other guys play,” Limback said. “We’re still trying to evaluate our rotations and stuff. I thought our bench, our freshmen and all our guys did a nice job competing all the way through. I know our guys were looking forward to being at home this weekend and it was great to have everyone get a chance to play.”
If Limback were to nitpick, he probably would have liked more energy and better offensive execution out of the gate. After eight minutes of play, Concordia led by a 12-0 score. The Bulldogs were able to settle into the game as Emmaus (0-1) missed its first 13 shots from the field. Junior Gage Smith put together a nice first half and finished the game with eight points and 11 rebounds.
Because of the even distribution of minutes, no one single Bulldog produced eye-popping statistics. Ten Concordia players recorded eight points or more, including three in double figures: Justin Wiersema (11), Cory Davila (10) and Sam Scarpelli (10). There were plenty of goods looks near the basket on an evening that saw the Bulldogs shoot 53.8 percent (43-for-80) from the floor.
Concordia expected to take care of business in this contest. Despite a stagnant first several minutes, the Bulldogs built a 44-21 halftime lead over the Eagles, who compete as a member of the Midwest Christian College Conference (National Christian College Athletic Association). Emmaus entered all 17 players it traveled into the contest. Garrett Devries paced the team with nine points.
Those who tuned out may have missed the highlight reel play of the night. Late in the second half, freshman Noah Schutte drove baseline and thundered home a right-hand dunk that incited the bench to go wild. Schutte (eight points and five rebounds) and the reserves supplied 63 combined points. Also off the bench, Nick Cito notched nine points (2-for-2 from 3-point range) and four assists.
This was fun and all, but Limback knows GPAC play is looming early next week. There are certainly some areas of the game that could use improvement.
Said Limback, “Our interior defense and also our rebounding (could use improvement). Today we weren’t hitting consistently so we have to clean up our rebounding. I feel like the shots will come. Right now I feel like our issue is limiting teams to one shot and finishing out defensive possessions.”
In this instance, Concordia did have a large edge in rebounding (55-29), though Emmaus grabbed 10 offensive boards. The Bulldogs made up for it by forcing 23 Eagles turnovers (plus-11 turnover margin).
In Saturday action at the Cattle Classic, Concordia will host Manhattan Christian College (Kan.) at 4 p.m. CT. The Thunder have started 0-4 while up against a challenging slate of NAIA opponents.
FRIEDRICH ARENA: The arena inside the Walz Human Performance Complex has a new name. It became official this week. From now on, it will be called Friedrich Arena in honor of Brian and Laurie Friedrich, who served the University and Bulldog Athletics for nearly 30 years. Concordia hopes to recognize and celebrate Brian and Laurie with an in-person dedication at a future date to be determined.
Bulldogs complete sweep of Cattle Classic opponents
November 7, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – A second-half breakout propelled the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team to a comfortable victory on Saturday (Nov. 7) at the 21st annual Cattle Classic. While the game was somewhat close in the first half, Concordia was in control throughout the contest. The Bulldogs cruised to a 90-65 victory over Manhattan Christian College (Kan.).
Junior Justin Wiersema had a breakout performance as he led all scorers with 23 points and recorded three rebounds, three steals and three assists. Junior Gage Smith also played a vital role in the victory as he cleaned up the glass with 19 rebounds.
Similar to last night, the Bulldogs got off to a slow start out of the gates. Concordia struggled to hit shots early, finishing the first half shooting 37.1% from the field and 28.6% from behind the arch. The Bulldogs took a 36-29 lead into the locker room at the half. Wiersema (14 pts) and senior Sam Scarpelli (10 pts) provided most of the scoring for the Concordia offense in the first half.
Concordia expected to dispatch Manhattan Christian in the matchup. Concordia did just that in the second half, as the Bulldogs exploded for 54 points. After going scoreless in the first half, junior Carter Kent broke out for 14 points.
“Coming out in the second half and knowing what we did wrong in the first half and doing what Coach Limback told us helped a lot,” Smith said. “I started attacking the glass and Justin Wiersema had an amazing half as well. Carter Kent also started knocking down shots for us. We just got settled and into our rhythm in the second half.”
It was a very balanced scoring effort for Concordia as four Bulldogs finished with double figures. Following Wiersema in double figures was Scarpelli (14 pts), Kent (14 pts) and Smith (13 pts) followed in double figures. 12 of the 14 Bulldogs that saw action chipped into the scoring efforts.
Overall, Concordia shot 43.2% (32-74) from the field and 34.5% (10-29) from deep. Concordia also won the battle down low, outrebounding Manhattan Christian 54-36.
The Bulldog faithful was brought to its feet with 6:26 left in the second half when Justin Wiersema rattled home an alley-oop from Sam Scarpelli. After which, Head Coach Ben Limback turned his Bulldog reserves loose in the waning minutes. As newcomers, Noah Schutte, Braeden Wiltse and Drew Wheeler all saw action in the final minutes.
While Concordia held a comfortable lead and won easily, Limback would like to see his team start stronger out of the gates as the Bulldogs have taken a while to heat up offensively in the beginning of games.
Smith believes that if the Bulldogs continue to embrace their individual roles then they will be a force going forward.
“Everybody has a role on the team,” Smith added. “I have to keep embracing my role of rebounding and if we put all of our roles together, we are going to be hard to beat.”
The Bulldogs will begin GPAC play on Tuesday as they host the Midland Warriors at 8 p.m. inside Friedrich Arena. The Warriors are 0-1 on the young season after dropping their season opener 83-77 to Grand View University.
All-Cattle Classic Men’s Basketball Team
Jeff Butler, Manhattan Christian
Michael Erbeck, Emmaus
Karson Gansebom, Hastings
Gage Smith, Concordia
Justin Wiersema, Concordia
GPAC slate begins this week
November 9, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – After a strong outing in the 21st Annual Cattle Classic, the Concordia University men’s basketball team will begin GPAC play this week. The Bulldogs will square off against Midland on Tuesday (Nov. 10) and Northwestern o Saturday (Nov. 14). Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday and 4 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Tuesday, Nov. 10 vs. Midland (0-1, 0-0 GPAC), 8 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country
Saturday, Nov. 14 vs. Northwestern (2-0, 0-0 GPAC), 4 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats
The Bulldogs (3-1, 0-0 GPAC) opened up play at home as expected with blowout wins over Emmaus Bible College (107-48) and Manhattan Christian College (95-60). Concordia will attempt to get out to a stronger start this week on the offensive end after making one field goal in the first four minutes against Emmaus Bible College and shooting 37.1 percent in the first half versus Manhattan Christian. Junior Justin Wiersema led the scoring effort both nights with 11 points against Emmaus and 23 points in the victory over Manhattan Christian. Junior Forward Gage Smith also had an impressive showing, recording a double-double against Manhattan Christian with 13 points and 19 rebounds. Smith also pulled down 11 boards in the victory over Emmaus.
From a statistical standpoint, Concordia has been stellar on both ends. Among all NAIA teams, it ranks 18th in scoring defense (66.75) and 39th in field goal percentage defense (.406). Offensively the Bulldogs rank 11th in scoring offense (92.00), 11th in three-point field goals made (43), 12th in scoring margin (+25.25) and 22nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.30). Gage Smith has made his presence known as his 44 rebounds this season rank seventh among all NAIA players in the post.
Offensively, Concordia has relied on a very balanced scoring attack as three players are averaging double figures. Wiersema is the leading scorer on the young season averaging 18 points per contest. Following Wiersema in double figures is the junior duo of Carter Kent (13.8 ppg.) and Gage Smith (10 ppg.) Senior Sam Scarpelli is just outside of double figures, averaging 9.3 points per game. With the departure of Chuol Biel, rebounding was a big question for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad going into the season. So far, the Bulldogs have proven they can win the battle on the glass. Concordia is averaging 44.2 rebounds a game while limiting opponents to 35. The Bulldogs also lean on their fast pace of play, resulting in 72 field goal attempts per game. Concordia will look to push the pace against Midland and Northwestern this week as neither team has attempted as many field goals in a single game.
Midland (0-1, 0-0) dropped its season opener against Grand View University 83-77. Senior Guard Laurence Merritt was the leading scorer in the opener, scoring 27 points while going 8-23 from the floor. Junior Bo Sandquist also made an impact with 13 points and six rebounds. Midland’s 77 points per game rank eighth in the GPAC. The Warriors were 10-17 in 2019-2020, failing to make the GPAC postseason tournament. The Bulldogs have taken the last three matchups over the Warriors and lead the all-time series 15-14.
Northwestern (2-0, 0-0) has won both its contest this season by an average of 15 points. The Raiders defeated Viterbo in their home opener 84-70 before dispatching Bellevue 76-60. Northwestern has four players averaging double figures. Freshman Alex Van Kalsbeek leads the Raiders averaging 20.5 points and nine rebounds per game. Northwestern went 20-12 in 2019-2020, losing in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament to the College of Idaho. Northwestern was slated at second while garnering two first-place votes in the 2020-2021 GPAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Concordia has won three straight matchups over Northwestern dating back to the 2018-2019 season.
Projected Lineups
Concordia (3-1, 0-0 GPAC)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr., 5-9 (9.3 ppg)
G – Carter Kent, Jr., 6-2 (13.8 ppg)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr., 6-3 (18.0 ppg)
F – Gage Smith, Jr., 6-6 (10.0 ppg)
F – Klay Uher, Jr., 6-8 (9.3 ppg)
Midland (0-1, 0-0 GPAC)
G – Laurence Merritt, Sr., 5-10 (27.0 ppg)
G – Bo Sandquist, Jr., 6-5 (13.0 ppg)
G – Emanuel Bryson, Jr., 5-9 (7.0 ppg)
F – Colby Tichota, Fr., 6-6 (7.0 ppg)
F – Samuel Mailloux, Sr., 6-7 (4.0 ppg)
Northwestern (2-0, 0-0 GPAC)
G – Trent Hilbrands, Sr., 6-0 (11.5 ppg)
G – Keegan Van Egdom, Sr., 6-2 (13.5 ppg)
G – Jay Small, Sr., 6-2 (9.5 ppg)
G – Isaac Heyer, Sr., 6-3 (4.5 ppg)
F – Alex Van Kalsbeek, Fr., 6-6 (20.5 ppg)
Dawgs stifle Midland in GPAC opener
November 10, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The defending GPAC tournament champions want to prove they remain a force to be reckoned with inside the league. The backcourt deployed by the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team can flat out ball, as Midland learned firsthand. All three starting guards scored in double figures in an impressive GPAC opener dominated by the Bulldogs, 82-55, on Tuesday (Nov. 10) night.
The scoring is nice, but Head Coach Ben Limback really wants to see this squad dig in defensively. Concordia managed to hold the Warriors to 32.8 percent shooting.
“I was really proud of our defensive effort,” Limback said. “We had 15 deflections at the half. I felt like our defense was leading to our offense. In the GPAC you’re going to struggle to score at times because they key in on certain guys. To get some easy buckets with your defense is a huge key and I thought we did a good job of that tonight.”
The Bulldogs also blew out Midland at home last season. This time around, Concordia made sure to spread the sugar. Four of the five Bulldog starters notched 10 points or more: Carter Kent (15), Sam Scarpelli (12), Justin Wiersema (12) and Gage Smith (10). Scarpelli put home the first six points of the contest and Concordia never really looked back. By halftime, the Bulldogs were in control with ownership of a 41-25 lead.
Concordia didn’t necessarily shoot the lights out (43.1 percent from the floor), but it played solidly throughout the evening. It turned it over only nine times and went 14-for-16 from the free throw line. Limback was also glad to get Grant Wragge (five rebounds and four assists) back on the floor. Off the bench, Cory Davila and AJ Watson supplied eight points apiece.
The level of play over this past weekend at the Cattle Classic was fine and all, but the GPAC is clearly a step up in competition. Dating back to last season’s thrilling finish, the Bulldogs have now won eight-straight games against conference opponents.
“The GPAC’s a great conference,” Kent said. “If you don’t bring it every night, you can easily get beat. We just pride ourselves on winning each day. We knew we had to bring it tonight and bring the energy and just play together.”
Smith has taken well to his new role as a starter. After pulling down 30 rebounds over the weekend’s two wins, the Elizabeth, Colo., native grabbed 12 more boards on Tuesday (to bring his season total to 56). He’s already notched three double-doubles this season.
Midland (0-2, 0-1 GPAC) got most of its scoring from its reserves. The starting five for the Warriors went a combined 6-for-35 from the floor. Head Coach Oliver Drake used three timeouts very early in the game, but it failed to jumpstart Midland’s shooting efforts. Limback gave a lot of credit to Kent and Wiersema for their work on the defensive end. The Warriors were paced by the 12 points apiece from Kyle Castille and Emanuel Bryson.
Said Limback, “To have our identity coming into conference that we’re going to guard you and give tremendous effort – if we do that it puts us in a position to be very successful in our league.”
Conference action will continue inside Friedrich Arena on Saturday when Northwestern (2-0, 0-0 GPAC) visits Seward for a 4 p.m. CT tipoff. The Bulldogs defeated the Red Raiders (20-12 in 2019-20) three times last season. Northwestern was picked second in the GPAC preseason poll and is receiving votes nationally.
Dawgs fend off Red Raiders in down-to-the-wire battle
November 14, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – This was something of an early ‘prove-it’ kind of game for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team, which went up against a squad picked second in the GPAC. The Bulldogs saw a second-half lead of 15 points evaporate before putting together a game-defining run in crunch time. Concordia managed to fend off visiting Northwestern, 77-74, inside Friedrich Arena on Saturday (Nov. 14).
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad completed a successful first week of GPAC play that also included an 82-55 win over Midland on Tuesday. The Bulldogs (5-1, 2-0 GPAC) have won five-straight games.
“I was really pleased (with our response at the end),” Limback said. “(Ryan) Holt hits a big three in the corner and then all of a sudden we get a couple attacks with and-one baskets to the rim. Defensively I thought we did a pretty good job in the second half on their big and then (Trent) Hilbrands got going. It was just a gutsy performance. We needed a stop at the end and we got it. We were fortunate to get a win.”
At one point, the Red Raiders (2-1, 0-1 GPAC) trailed by 16 points. They came all the way back and led, 62-60, after an Alex Van Kalsbeek bucket at the 6:48 mark of the second half. That’s when Concordia showed the mettle that made it a GPAC tournament champion last season. Justin Wiersema followed with a basket and the Bulldogs went on to construct a lead of nine (76-67) after Sam Scarpelli’s darting layup – and one.
Northwestern kept coming and got back within two (76-74) on Hilbrands’ trey in the final 30 seconds. Hilbrands had one last try for a tie, but his 3-pointer at the buzzer was blocked by Wiersema. This has become a team and a program that believes it will win these types of games.
“Playing in the GPAC, anybody can beat anybody on any night,” Scarpelli said. “Every game is crucial, especially playing at home. You have to get a win at home when you can … I’m having fun. I just love my teammates. I love playing with them. My role is to bring energy, get people going and try to get the offense set up.”
On the boards, Concordia junior Gage Smith has been channeling his inner Dennis Rodman. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., pulled down 18 more rebounds on Saturday while collecting his fourth double-double already this season. Four of the five Bulldog starters reaching double figures in scoring: Scarpelli (15), Wiersema (14), Carter Kent (11) and Smith (10).
Concordia shot a solid 47.5 percent (29-for-61) from the floor while containing Northwestern to 44.3 percent (31-for-70). The Bulldogs made seven of their first 13 3-point tries and were 12-for-33 from long range for the contest. Holt nailed two triples, including one that moved the lead from three to six with 2:03 left in the game.
Northwestern also fell victim to the Bulldogs three times during the 2019-20 season. Hilbrands poured in a game high 19 points and Van Kalsbeek added 16 (to go along with seven rebounds). Five Red Raiders reached 10 or more points.
Limback is also liking what he’s seeing from the group off the bench. Said Limback, “We needed some of that bench play in the first half and I think that’s what gave us our lead. There’s a group out there that was getting layups, getting threes and getting stops – largely because of that bench energy.”
Due to the postponement of the scheduled game at Doane, the Bulldogs will wait until next Saturday (Nov. 21) to return to action. Dordt (5-0, 1-0 GPAC) will visit Seward for a 4 p.m. CT tipoff. The Defenders are receiving votes nationally (so too is Northwestern).
Concordia set to clash with Dordt
November 16, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – After a nail-biting 77-74 win over Northwestern, the Concordia men’s basketball team looks to extend its five-game win streak and stay unbeaten in conference play when the Bulldogs welcome Dordt to Friedrich Arena for a 4 p.m. matchup Saturday.
GAME INFO
Dordt (5-0, 1-0) at Concordia (5-1, 2-0)
Saturday, Nov. 21 | 4 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Livestream
2019-2020 Meetings
Jan. 4, 2020; Concordia (W) 91-79
Feb. 8, 2020; Dordt (W) – 86-76
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Team Statistics
*NAIA rank in parenthesis (out of 144 teams)
Concordia
Scoring offense: 87.6 (40th)
Scoring defense: 66.0 (20th)
FG% offense: 47.0% (56th)
FG% defense: 40% (30th)
3-pt FG% offense: 34.6% (76th)
3-pt FG% defense: 33.3% (72nd)
Rebound Margin: +7 (46th)
Turnover Margin: + 6.67 (12th)
Dordt
Scoring offense: 85.6 (49th)
Scoring defense: 70.8 (35th)
FG% offense: 52.0% (20th)
FG% defense: 42.4% (64th)
3-pt FG% offense: 35.6% (64th)
3-pt FG% defense: 32.5% (64th)
Rebound Margin: +2.8 (67th)
Turnover Margin: +1.2 (60th)
The opponents
The Defenders of Dordt are currently undefeated on the year with a record of 5-0. In the 2020-2021 NAIA Preseason Poll, Dordt checked in just outside of the Top-25, receiving four votes. The Defenders are coming off an 83-72 win over Midland on Nov. 14. Dordt is the only undefeated team left in the GPAC conference.
In the ratings
The GPAC Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll was unveiled on Oct. 14. Concordia landed at No. 6 (57 points), while Dordt was placed third in the league (77 points). In the current Massey Ratings, the Bulldogs appear at 39th while the Defenders check in at 11th.
Concordia
GPAC preseason: 6th
Current Massey Ratings: 39th
Dordt
GPAC preseason: 3rd
Current Massey Ratings: 11th
Last time out
During Saturday’s victory over Northwestern, the Bulldogs were able to hold onto their lead and close out the Raiders in the final seconds. Northwestern had a chance to tie it on the final possession, but all hope evaporated when Justin Wiersema swatted away Trent Hilbrands three-point attempt at the buzzer. Concordia shot an efficient 45.7 percent (29-for 61) from the field while holding Northwestern to 44.3 percent (31-70). The Bulldogs were able to jump out to a quick lead by starting 7-for-13 from 3-point range and finished 12-for-33 from behind the arch. Four of the five Bulldog starters finished with double figures in scoring: Sam Scarpelli (15), Wiersema (14), Carter Kent (11) and Gage Smith (10). Smith also added 18 rebounds to garner his fourth double-double of the season.
Consistent Competitors
Winning seasons have become the norm for the Concordia Bulldogs during the Ben Limback era. Under Limback, the Bulldogs have finished with winning records in five of their past seven seasons. Concordia is coming off of its most successful season in 15 years after going 24-10 and winning the GPAC tournament to earn an NAIA National Tournament bid.
Chairman of the boards
Junior Forward Gage Smith has been looking like Dennis Rodman this season when it comes to his ability to rebound. Smith has double-digit rebounding marks in five games this year. His single-game high this season came back on Nov. 7 when he pulled down 19 rebounds in a 90-65 rout of Manhattan Christian. Smith ranks third nationally in total rebounds with 74 and 10th in rebounds per game with an average of 12.33 per contest.
Letting it fly
If you are a fan of an up-tempo offense, then this Concordia squad is for you. The Bulldogs run and gun style of play has yielded many offensive opportunities as the Bulldogs average 69 field goal attempts and 87.8 points per game. The Bulldogs have attempted more shots than opponents in four of their six games this season. Overall, Concordia has 413 field goal attempts this season while limiting opponents to just 380.
Balanced scoring
The Concordia offense production is a team effort as four of the five Bulldog starters are averaging double figures: Wiersema (16.3), Kent (13.5), Scarpelli (10.7) and Smith (10.0). Klay Uher (8.2), Cory Davila (7.5), Ryan Holt (7.0) and A.J. Watson (5.2) also play contributing roles in the scoring efforts. Among starters, Wiersema (.617) and Uher (.600) are the most efficient scorers from the field.
Series vs. Dordt
The Concordia-Dordt series has been very competitive as of late. Concordia holds a 7-3 advantage over Dordt dating back to the 2015-2016 season. However, the Bulldogs have split the season series with the defenders in the last two seasons.
Scouting Dordt
Offense has been a strength for the Defenders on the young season. Dordt is averaging 85.6 points per game while shooting an impressive 52.0 percent from the field. Like Concordia, the Dordt scoring effort is very balanced as four of the five Defender starters are averaging double figures: Jacob Vis (16.2), Garrett Franken (14.0), Jesse Jansma (14.2) and Cade Bleeker (10.6). Jansma is the biggest threat from downtown for Dordt as he is shooting 41.7 percent (10-for-24) from behind the arch. The Bulldogs will also want to keep an eye on reserve Bryce Coppock who is shooting 45 percent (9-for-20) from three-point range. Defensively the Defenders are allowing 70.8 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting.
Looking ahead
Following Saturday’s game against Dordt, the Bulldogs will be back in action on Nov. 30 when they travel to Crete, Neb., to face rival Doane. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Projected Lineups
Concordia (5-1, 2-0 GPAC)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr., 5-9 (10.7)
G – Carter Kent, Jr., 6-2 (13.5)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr., 6-3 (16.3)
F – Gage Smith, Jr., 6-6 (10.0)
F – Klay Uher, Jr., 6-8 (8.2)
Dordt (5-0, 1-0 GPAC)
G – Jesse Jansma, Sr., 6-4 (14.2)
G – Ben Gesink, Sr., 6-3 (5.6)
F – Jacob Vis Fr., 6-7 (16.2)
F – Cade Bleeker, So., 6-5 (10.6)
F – Garrett Franken, Sr., 6-7 (14.0)
Always-hustlin' Dawgs outwork Dordt
November 21, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team has embraced an identity as a hard-working, blue-collar type of outfit. While continuing an early-season win streak, the Bulldogs dogged visiting Dordt on the defensive end in yet another impressive outing. Concordia allowed just 19 first-half points on its way to a lopsided 82-59 win over Dordt on Saturday (Nov. 21).
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is surging and has won six-straight games, including three in a row to begin GPAC play. Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs (6-1, 3-0 GPAC) have won 10-consecutive contests against GPAC opponents.
“I felt like our guys locked in defensively, really played hard and communicated well tonight,” Limback said. “Against these guys you’ve got to be sharp with your communication and getting through screens. It was a big key in the first half to get off to a great start.”
Junior Justin Wiersema is the pulse of this team. His nonstop motor sets the tone for a Concordia squad that still plays like it has something to prove, even after a 2020 GPAC tournament title. Wiersema filled the stat sheet with 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals. In typical Wiersema fashion, the native of Loveland, Colo., flagged down a teammates’ miss in transition and put it right back up for two as part of the first-half onslaught.
Wiersema’s consistency has not been shaken. Prior to tipoff, Limback noticed that Wiersema had been quiet. Wiersema had a good answer for his behavior – he was just that focused.
Said Wiersema afterwards, “I feel like we’re always the underdogs. It makes us play better and play stronger, and we just play for each other. That’s all that really matters.”
Opposing teams may be updating their scouting reports after Ryan Holt returned to the starting lineup on Saturday. He provided a crucial scoring punch by going 6-for-10 from 3-point range to account for all of his 18 points. Another in the group of gritty Dawgs, Gage Smith (16 points, nine rebounds) just missed another double-double.
Plenty of others contributed. AJ Watson chipped in seven points off the bench. Though Carter Kent (seven points) is still working on finding the shooting touch, he posted five rebounds and four assists. In this particular instance, 43.1 percent (31-for-72) shooting from the floor was good enough.
“Ryan Holt shot with a lot of confidence tonight and when he’s doing that it opens up our offense a little bit,” Limback said. “I was happy with our guys off the bench. AJ gave us a big lift. It’s nice to have guys come in with that right mindset and do those things. It’s good to see that balance offensively.”
Dordt (5-2, 1-2 GPAC) was picked third in the GPAC preseason poll. The Defenders can pose problems for the opposition with their length. They just couldn’t get enough going offensively on an evening when they shot 36.1 percent (22-for-61) from the field. Garrett Franken (17 points on 7-for-18 shooting) was the lone Dordt player to reach double figures. The Defenders trailed by 16 (35-19) at halftime and never got any closer than 12 points.
If Wiersema has anything to say about it, Concordia will continue to be a pain to play against. Said Wiersema, “I just go out there and play hard and play the best I can and hope my teammates can follow me. I guess it just kind of rolls downhill.”
Next up on the schedule is a makeup game at Doane (3-2, 0-0 GPAC) coming up on Monday, Nov. 30. The matchup was originally scheduled to take place this past Wednesday. The home team won in both of last season’s meetings. Concordia’s most recent win in Crete came in overtime in January 2018.
Win streak to be put to the test in week on the road
November 29, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team has gotten comfortable at home having beaten all five opponents it has met inside Friedrich Arena. Now the Bulldogs will return to action post-Thanksgiving with three road games on the docket. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will be at Doane, Hastings and Briar Cliff in a six-day span that could help determine its prospects as a GPAC championship contender. Concordia has been off since Nov. 21 when it routed Dordt, 82-59.
This Week
Concordia (6-1, 3-0) at Doane (3-4, 0-2)
Monday, Nov. 30 | 7 p.m.
Haddix Center | Crete, Neb.
Webcast: Doane YouTube Channel
Live Stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=doan
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
Concordia (6-1, 3-0) at Hastings (3-4, 0-3)
Wednesday, Dec. 2 | 8 p.m.
Lynn Farrell Arena | Hastings, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Hastings Stretch Internet
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
Concordia (6-1, 3-0) at Briar Cliff (3-4, 1-2)
Saturday, Dec. 5 | 4 p.m.
Newman Flanagan Center | Sioux City, Iowa
Webcast: Briar Cliff All-Access
Live Stats: Dakstats
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 157 of 231 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 87.0 (42nd)
Scoring Defense: 65.0 (18th)
FG% Offense: .464 (T-70th)
FG% Defense: .395 (T-23rd)
3-pt FG% Offense: .357 (62nd)
3-pt FG% Defense: .320 (T-64th)
Rebound Margin: +7.1 (41st)
Turnover Margin: +6.1 (11th)
Doane
Scoring Offense: 66.9 (148th)
Scoring Defense: 72.6 (T-52nd)
FG% Offense: .393 (144th)
FG% Defense: .469 (T-122nd)
3-pt FG% Offense: .301 (T-129th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .346 (97th)
Rebound Margin: -10.4
Turnover Margin: +6.0 (12th)
Hastings
Scoring Offense: 88.7 (33rd)
Scoring Defense: 80.9 (110th)
FG% Offense: .477 (53rd)
FG% Defense: .419 (55th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .306 (T-120th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .324 (T-70th)
Rebound Margin: -2.9
Turnover Margin: +5.4 (13th)
Briar Cliff
Scoring Offense: 71.3 (133rd)
Scoring Defense: 72.6 (T-52nd)
FG% Offense: .428 (T-118th)
FG% Defense: .433 (71st)
3-pt FG% Offense: .330 (T-97th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .314 (60th)
Rebound Margin: -8.0
Turnover Margin: +1.0 (T-68th)
Visiting fan policies
Doane: Visiting fans are not allowed to attend games.
Hastings: Visiting teams are allotted 120 slots for fan attendance. Fans must be on the pre-approved list in order to be admitted into the game.
Briar Cliff: Tickets must be purchased online at the following URL in order to ensure entry: https://bcuchargers.com/sports/2020/10/29/Tickets.aspx?id=92.
Rising to the top
The next official GPAC poll is scheduled to be released on Dec. 14, but at least one source now lists Concordia at No. 1 in the conference. The NAIA Hoops Report (not affiliated with the NAIA National Office) moved the Bulldogs to the top of its GPAC power poll this past week. Concordia and Dakota Wesleyan (3-0 GPAC) are the only teams in the league without a conference defeat. Limback’s squad was placed sixth in the GPAC preseason poll. Said junior guard Justin Wiersema after the team’s latest win, “I feel like we’re always the underdogs. It makes us play better and play stronger, and we just play for each other. That’s all that really matters.” Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have won 10-straight games against GPAC opponents.
Wiersema takes off
Justin Wiersema’s game has taken off. The native of Loveland, Colo., is the pulse of a team that has been noted for its never-stop-hustling style on the court. Among GPAC players, Wiersema ranks third in steals per game (1.86), fourth in scoring (16.6), sixth in field goal percentage (.606) and sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (.450). The 6-foot-3 guard has been incredibly consistent having scored no fewer than 11 points in any one game this season (with a high of 23 versus Manhattan Christian College). Wiersema has improved significantly with his scoring averages jumping from 5.4 as a freshman to 10.8 as a sophomore to 16.6 as a junior this season.
Boarder patrol
Gage Smith is an animal on the boards. He just missed his fifth double-double of the season when he recorded 16 points and nine rebounds versus Dordt. Over the first seven games, Smith has turned in respective single-game rebound totals of 10, four, 11, 19, 12, 18 and nine, respectively. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., is another player coming into his own in year three in the program. Smith is averaging 10.9 points and 11.9 rebounds after comparative averages of 4.7 and 4.5 last season.
Turnovers factor into successful equation
Turnover margin has played a role in the early success of the Bulldogs, who have committed 91 turnovers compared to the 134 turnovers by their opponents. The average margin of +6.1 per game ranks 11th best among all NAIA squads. Last season’s national tournament qualifier sported a turnover margin that was virtually dead even (428 turnovers committed / 433 turnovers forced). Concordia gave the ball away only nine times in the 82-59 win over Dordt on Nov. 21.
Defensive tenacity
The Bulldogs have several offensive options to lean upon, but it may be their defense that makes them one of the GPAC’s top teams. Among conference squads, Concordia ranks No. 1 in field goal percentage defense (.395) and second in scoring defense (65.0). It’s been a continuation of last season when the Bulldogs also ranked at the top of the GPAC in field goal percentage defense (.423). Rather impressively, Concordia has managed to remain a stellar defensive team despite graduating Chuol Biel (GPAC leading shot blocker in 2018-19 and 2019-20).
The opponents
The Bulldogs went a combined 5-2 last season against the likes of Doane, Hastings and Briar Cliff. Concordia has had Hastings’ number having defeated the Broncos in nine-straight series meetings. The Bulldogs and Tigers played two closely-contested matchups last season with the home team winning in both instances. Finally, Concordia was a buzzer-beating 3-pointer away from a regular-season sweep of the Chargers. Each of the opponents will present different challenges. On average, Doane has played the lowest scoring games (factoring in both teams) among GPAC teams while Hastings has played in the highest scoring contests. Dashawn Walker of the Broncos ranks third in the conference in scoring at 18.0 points per game. All three Bulldog opponents enter this week with identical 3-4 overall records.
Projected Starting Lineups
Concordia (6-1, 3-0)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (12.6)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (9.9)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (16.6)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (10.7)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (10.9)
Doane (3-4, 0-2)
G – Anthony Laravie, Sr. (14.0)
G – Tyler Sullivan, Jr. (1.9)
G – Zach Witters, Sr. (5.7)
F – Matt Hagedorn, Jr. (2.3)
F – Jaxon Harre, Sr. (8.9)
Hastings (3-4, 0-3)
G – Karson Gansebom, So. (12.3)
G – Mason Hiemstra, So. (15.8)
G – Ben Juhl, Sr. (13.1)
G – Jared Mattley, Fr. (14.9)
F – Dashawn Walker, Jr. (18.0)
Briar Cliff (3-4, 1-2)
G – Ethan Freidel, Sr. (12.9)
G – Nick Hoyt, So. (12.1)
G – Jaden Kleinhesselink, Jr. (15.0)
G – Quinn Vesey, So. (7.7)
F – Quinten Vasa, Jr. (9.7)
Kent stars in hometown as Dawgs roll again
November 30, 2020
CRETE, Neb. – A layoff for the Thanksgiving holiday did little to slow the roll of the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team. While continuing to execute pleasing-to-the-eye team basketball, the Bulldogs won handily over host Doane, 83-66, in Crete, Neb., in Monday (Nov. 30) evening’s makeup clash. Twenty-one of Concordia’s 31 field goals were assisted in fueling the team’s field goal percentage of 53.4.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad remains white hot having won seven games in a row to improve to 7-1 overall (4-0 GPAC). Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have won 11-consecutive matchups over conference foes. They have started 4-0 in GPAC play for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
“Any win on the road in the GPAC is a big deal,” Limback said. “I’m really proud of our mindset. I thought we played hungry and with an edge today. Give Doane a lot of credit. They fight you tooth and nail and they change defenses and pressure the ball well. I thought we had a good rhythm throughout the game.”
Concordia had not shot well in recent trips to the black top in Crete. That was not the case on this particular night when the Bulldogs shared the ball nicely, allowing for four double-figure scorers. While playing in his hometown, Carter Kent was in total control. He piled up 17 points, dished out eight assists and grabbed five rebounds. Just when Doane found a bit of momentum late in the ballgame, Kent dashed the hopes of the Tigers with a three-ball.
The Bulldogs continue to enjoy an advantage on the boards (34-29 on Monday), thanks in a big way to the hard work of Gage Smith. Smith (18 points, 10 rebounds) posted his fifth double-double already this season. The always reliable Justin Wiersema (12) and Klay Uher (10) also reached double digits in the scoring column. Another Crete native, Uher made all five of his shot attempts from the floor.
“Carter had a great night,” Limback said. “It was fun to see him break out with eight assists. I thought he played a great second half and hit some big shots for us. Klay Uher off the bench played some great defense. He’s one of those guys who just plays his role.”
Limback seems to have a team full of players who are comfortable in their roles. Grant Wragge provided a personal 5-0 run off the bench as part of a team 10-0 spurt that pushed the lead to 23 (62-49) midway through the second half. Wragge and Ryan Holt finished with seven points apiece while AJ Watson added six. Concordia went 11-for-29 (.379) from 3-point range and committed only 10 turnovers.
On the other end, Doane (3-5, 0-3 GPAC) shot 45.2 percent (28-for-62) from the floor. The Tigers continue to get the lion’s share of their offensive production from Anthony Laravie, who wound up with a game high 22 points on 9-for-21 shooting from the field. However, Doane was dominated in the lane (40-20 in points in the paint). Laravie and company have dropped three GPAC games in a six-day span since returning from a COVID-induced break.
Outsiders are beginning to take notice of the Bulldogs, who were off the national radar in the preseason. The NAIA Hoops Report ranked Concordia at No. 23 in the NAIA in its poll (not associated with the official NAIA coaches’ poll).
A week on the road in the GPAC will resume on Wednesday with a short trip west to Hastings (3-4, 0-3 GPAC). Tipoff from Lynn Farrell Arena is set for 8 p.m. CT. Only fans whose names appear on a pre-submitted list will be admitted entry into the game. The Bulldogs have won nine-straight series meetings over the Broncos.
Smith, Wiersema lead the way to eighth-straight W
December 2, 2020
HASTINGS, Neb. – The combo of Gage Smith and Justin Wiersema served as a two-man wrecking crew after halftime of Wednesday (Dec. 2)’s clash with Hastings. A closely contested matchup early in the second half became a runaway for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team, which continued its mastery of the Broncos. The Bulldogs won, 86-77, after leading by as many as 19 points on the road.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is finding out it does not have to be perfect every time out. Concordia (8-1, 5-0 GPAC) seems to always have a soul-crushing second half run in response to the push from its opponent.
“I thought we settled in a little bit in the second half,” Limback said. “They hit some threes early but after halftime I thought our effort defensively was much better … Justin is just kind of a machine. He scores inside, on threes and with free throws. If he wasn’t in foul trouble, I think he would have had even more – tremendous effort again. He continues to elevate his game when we need him the most.”
Wiersema finished with a career high 29 points with 15 of them coming in the first 6:14 of the second half. During the splurge, Wiersema curled in two treys and notched three more points the old fashioned way. In addition, Smith went off for 18 of his career best 20 points (to go with nine rebounds) over the final 20 minutes. Smith feasted in the paint while scoring most of his points from close range. Carter Kent also added 11 points two days after a 17-point outing in the win at Doane.
With just under 16 minutes remaining in the game, the Bulldogs trailed, 45-44. Roughly 10 minutes later, Concordia had built a 19-point advantage (79-60) with a run capped by Jackson Hirschfeld’s corner 3-point field goal. In one sequence, a blocked shot by Ryan Holt led to a runout featuring a perfect pass from Sam Scarpelli to Smith for an uncontested layup. A late run by the Broncos made the game appear more competitive.
Hastings (3-5, 0-4 GPAC) entered the night averaging 88.7 points per game. The Broncos were hot early, starting out 7-for-11 from the floor in grabbing a five-point first-half lead. Hastings has also suffered conference losses to Midland, Dakota Wesleyan and Jamestown.
Two additional streaks continued for the Bulldogs, who have won 12 games in a row against GPAC opponents. They have also taken 10-straight meetings with Hastings.
Life on the road will continue on Saturday when the Bulldogs will be at Briar Cliff (3-5, 1-3 GPAC) for a 4 p.m. CT tipoff from the Newman Flanagan Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The Chargers were beaten at home, 98-90, by Northwestern on Wednesday. Briar Cliff won the GPAC regular-season title as recently as the 2016-17 season.
Said Limback, “They shoot the ball and they spread you out. It will be very similar to tonight. We’re going to have to get off to a better start than we did in this game. I expect us to have great fight and look forward to that game on Saturday.”
Charger 3-point shooting snaps Concordia streak
December 5, 2020
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team ran into a buzz saw in the form of Briar Cliff on Saturday (Dec. 5). The host Chargers got comfortable from the outside and netted 18 treys while pulling away from the Bulldogs for an 89-75 victory inside the Newman Flanagan Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Previously, Concordia had not been beaten by a conference opponent since Feb. 8 of last season.
It was just one of those days for Head Coach Ben Limback’s normally stout defensive squad. The Bulldogs (8-2, 5-1 GPAC) had won eight in a row overall and 12-straight matchups against GPAC foes.
“We turned it over too much and defensively, once they started hitting threes we got too spread out and we were getting carved up at the rim for layups,” Limback said. “You have to hand it to Briar Cliff. They did a great job of executing today, but we’re not going to win a lot of games on the road in the GPAC with 23 turnovers and allowing them to shoot almost 60 percent in the second half.”
Concordia entered the weekend with the GPAC’s No. 2-rated field goal percentage defense (.404). Briar Cliff (4-5, 2-3 GPAC) didn’t seem to notice while shooting 50.0 percent (31-for-62) overall from the floor. Conner Groves (7-for-11), Nick Hoyt (6-for-8) and Jade Kleinhesselink (3-for-5) were nearly unstoppable from beyond the arc. They finished with 23, 22 and 19 points, respectively, to lead all players.
A trey by Justin Wiersema in the final minute of the first half actually gave the Bulldogs a lead, 39-38, at the break. Out of the gates in the second half, Groves initiated a 16-2 run with back-to-back triples. The Charger lead eventually grew to as many as 19 points in a game that got away from Concordia.
Despite shooting 49.2 percent (29-for-59) from the floor, the Bulldogs were unable to keep up. Four Concordia players hit double figures in scoring: Carter Kent (15), Gage Smith (14), Wiersema (11) and Jackson Hirschfeld (10). Kent also paced the squad with eight rebounds. Off the bench, Klay Uher (eight points (4-for-5 from the floor) and Grant Wragge (six points, seven rebounds) were big contributors. The Bulldogs owned a large 42-22 advantage in rebounding.
Briar Cliff had been coming off back-to-back losses to Dordt and Northwestern. It hasn’t been out of the ordinary for the Chargers to rely on outside shooting. They have now made 14 or more 3-point field goals five times this season.
In a GPAC race that could prove to be wide open, the key for Concordia is to bounce back quickly. Only Dakota Wesleyan (3-0 GPAC) is without a GPAC loss.
“How you handle losses is extremely important,” Limback said. “You have to learn from them. Our attitude needs to be really good on Monday at practice with how we respond. Every win of that streak, whatever it was at, we just took one game at a time. We have to keep doing that.”
The Bulldogs will finally be back inside Friedrich Arena on Wednesday when Mount Marty (6-4, 3-2 GPAC) will be in town for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff. The start time was moved up an hour due to the postponement of the women’s game.
Bulldogs look to rebound after win-streak snapped
December 7, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball is looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s loss at Briar Cliff that snapped an eight-game win streak. The Bulldogs will be back in action at Friedrich Arena as they host Mount Marty on Wednesday (Dec. 9) at 7 p.m. After hosting Mount Marty, Concordia will finish out this week’s slate with a trip to Morningside on Saturday (Dec. 12). Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
This Week
Concordia (8-2, 5-1) vs. Mount Marty (6-4, 3-2)
Wednesday, Dec. 9 | 7 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/cun/
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
Concordia (8-2, 5-1) at Morningside (8-1, 4-1)
Saturday, Dec. 12 | 4 p.m.
Rosen Verdoon Sports Center | Sioux City, Iowa
Webcast: https://www.msidemustangs.com/allee-gym-video-stream
Live Stats:
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 157 of 231 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 87.3 (49th)
Scoring Defense: 68.7 (31st)
FG% Offense: .468 (62nd)
FG% Defense: .413 (T-47th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .347 (T-76th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .357 (108th)
Rebound Margin: +7.5 (36th)
Turnover Margin: +3.0 (38th)
Mount Marty
Scoring Offense: 75.0 (112th)
Scoring Defense: 69.2 (T-34th)
FG% Offense: .438 (T-104th)
FG% Defense: .410 (42nd)
3-pt FG% Offense: .342 (87th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .321 (70th)
Rebound Margin: -1.3 (128th)
Turnover Margin: 0.0 (T-83rd)
Morningside
Scoring Offense: 77.8 (92nd)
Scoring Defense: 69.1 (33rd)
FG% Offense: .489 (33rd)
FG% Defense: .432 (71st)
3-pt FG% Offense: .315 (T-117th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .309 (51st)
Rebound Margin: 9.7 (26th)
Turnover Margin: +0.22 (81st)
Visiting fan policies
Morningside: Visiting teams wil be allotted 100 tickets for basketball contests at Morningside. For more information, please visit: https://www.msidemustangs.com/covid19-fan-protocols
Last Time out
The Bulldogs saw their eight-game win streak snapped last week when they fell to Briar Cliff 89-75. Concordia could not overcome the hot three-point shooting of the hosts as the Chargers cashed in on 18 three-point field goals while shooting 50 percent from behind the arch. While the Bulldogs shot a solid 49.2 percent from the floor, they lost the turnover battle 23-8. Junior guard Carter Kent led Concordia in scoring with 15 points, while sophomore guard Jackson Hirschfeld had one of his best performances of the season, pouring in 10 points off the bench.
Still at the top
Despite last week’s loss, the Bulldogs still maintained first place in the GPAC standings. Right now, they are joined by Dakota Wesleyan (4-0) in first. Morningside is right behind Concordia by a half-game with a conference record of 4-1. The NAIA Hoops Report (not affiliated with the NAIA National Office) however, dropped the Bulldogs to second in its GPAC power poll this week as the Bulldogs sit behind Dakota Wesleyan.
Chairman of the boards
Despite being held to a season-low (5) in rebounding in his last outing, Gage Smith is an animal on the boards this season. Over the first seven games, Smith has turned in respective single-game rebound totals of 10, four, 11, 19, 12, 18 and nine, respectively. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., is another player coming into his own in year three in the program. Smith is averaging 12.8 points and 10.8 rebounds after comparative averages of 4.7 and 4.5 last season.
Rebounding questions have been answered
With the departure of Chuol Biel, rebounding was a big question mark for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad coming into the season. Due largely in part to the efforts of Smith, the Bulldogs have proven they can clean up the glass this season. Concordia currently ranks 36th nationally in rebound margin at +7.5 per contest.
Defensive tenacity
The Bulldogs have several offensive options to lean upon, but it may be their defense that makes them one of the GPAC’s top teams. Among conference squads, Concordia ranks second in both field goal percentage defense (.413) and scoring defense (68.7). It’s been a continuation of last season when the Bulldogs also ranked at the top of the GPAC in field goal percentage defense (.423). Rather impressively, Concordia has managed to remain a stellar defensive team despite graduating Biel (GPAC leading shot blocker in 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Scouting Mount Marty
The Lancers are coming off an unbelievable 80-79 win over Jamestown in which Mount Marty’s Kade Stearns beat the buzzer with a deep three for the win. Mount Marty trailed by 16 with just five minutes left during the contest. Senior Guard Jaiden Billings tops the scoring efforts for Mount Marty averaging 14 points per game. The Lancers are a defense basketball team as they rank 34th (69.2) in scoring defense compared to 112th (75.0) in scoring offense. Concordia will look to generate offensive opportunities by wreaking havoc on the Mount Marty offense. In the 2020 GPAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll Mount Marty was picked to finish seventh.
Scouting Morningside
The Mustangs are coming off a nail-biting 77-73 win over Midland and are ranked seventh in the latest NAIA national rankings. The only blemish to Morningside’s otherwise perfect record was an 85-73 loss at Jamestown back on Nov.11. Center Trey Brown is one of the top scoring threats in the GPAC with a scoring average of 17 points per game. Morningside also has one of the best defenses in the conference as they rank 33rd nationally in scoring defense at 69.1 points per game. Concordia will also have a tough test down low as the Mustangs have an average rebound margin of 9.6 boards per contest. Morningside was the preseason favorite In the 2020 GPAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll garnering seven first-place votes.
Projected Starting Lineups
Concordia (8-2, 5-1)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (13.1)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (8.2)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (16.8)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (7.3)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (12.8)
Mount Marty (6-4, 3-2)
G – Keegan Savary, Sr. (2.5)
G – Kade Stearns, So. (6.7)
G – Allen Wilson, Sr. (6.6)
F – Elijah Pappas, Sr. (13.4)
F – Jonah Larson, Jr. (3.8)
Morningside (8-1, 4-1)
G – Zach Imig, Sr. (11.4)
G – Will Pottebaum, So. (11.3)
G – Connor Hill, So. (5.6)
F – Collin Hill, Jr. (4.2)
C – Trey Brown, Sr. (17.0)
Multiple runs propel Bulldogs to victory
December 9, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team capitalized with big runs in both halves to dispatch Mount Marty 82-71 on Wednesday evening. The hosts busted out of the gates with a 12-0 run to start the game and a 13-0 run to start the second half to aid their efforts in the 11-point victory.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad did not trail once during the contest. The Bulldogs (9-2, 6-1 GPAC) have now won 11-straight matchups inside Friedrich Arena.
“Anytime you can get a victory in this league, it is huge,” Limback said. “We talked earlier this year about defending our home court and we certainly did that tonight.”
Junior Gage Smith scored the first six points of the contest during Concordia’s 12-0 run to open the game. However, Mount Marty shot back with a 13-3 run of its own to make things tight in the early going. The Bulldogs, however, were able to get good looks while shooting 45.9 percent in the rest of the first half to expand their lead to 11 points at the break.
Sam Scarpelli, Ryan Holt and Justin Wiersema hit three straight shots from behind the arch to spark the Concordia run in the second half. The Bulldogs led by as many as 23 in the second half before Mount Marty mounted a comeback to get to within nine with under three minutes remaining. The Bulldogs were able to fend off the Mount Marty comeback and notch the victory by putting the Lancers away at the charity stripe.
Unselfish ball movement played a significant role in the Concordia win as the Bulldogs notched 21 assists on 28 made field goals. Scarpelli led the passing efforts, dishing out seven assists. While the trio of Wiersema, Smith and Grant Wragge each pitched in three assists apiece.
Wiersema continued his scoring tear as he poured in 25 points while going 9-for-14 from the floor. Smith added his sixth double-double this season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Holt also joined Wiersema and Smith by adding 15 points to the scoring efforts and just missed a double-double, finishing with nine rebounds.
Smith took a scary fall when he was undercut while going for a rebound toward the end of the game. The lower-body injury forced the Elizabeth, Colo., product to sit out the rest of the game.
“It looks like he just tweaked his ankle,” Limback said. “Gage is a tough kid and he is going to ice it. We will see where he is at as we get closer to Saturday.”
Overall, Concordia shot 43.8 percent (28-for-64) from the floor and 32.4 percent (11-for34) from behind the arch. Concordia won the battle on the glass as the Bulldogs pulled down 47 rebounds to the Lancers 26. Easy looks were at a premium for Mount Marty as Concordia limited the visitors to just 41 (25-61) percent shooting.
Concordia is still atop the GPAC standings, win the win as the Bulldogs are tied for first with Dakota Wesleyan (4-0).
The Bulldogs will be back on the road Saturday (Dec. 12) when they visit the seventh-ranked Morningside Mustangs for a 4 p.m. CT tip-off.
Dawgs fall at defending GPAC regular-season champ
December 12, 2020
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A key matchup of top-of-the-league contenders featured the defending GPAC tournament champion Bulldogs against the defending GPAC regular season champion Mustangs. Unfortunately for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team, it struggled offensively in the first half and then allowed seventh-ranked Morningside to run away with it in the second half. The result was a Mustangs win, 86-64, in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday (Dec. 12).
Head Coach Ben Limback’s program has been unable to solve Morningside, which has won 10-straight series meetings. The Bulldogs dropped to 9-3 overall and to 6-2 in the GPAC.
“We needed to take care of the basketball and not give them a lot of transition situations,” Limback said. “We gave them some very easy points early and after that they got in a rhythm. It wasn’t just one guy that was hurting us. We knew the big guy (Trey Brown) was going to be a problem, but they just kept getting into the lane and getting layups. I thought we settled in midway through the first half, but I didn’t feel like offensively the ball was moving very sharply. They were the tougher team today.”
This was a flex-the-muscles type of triumph for the Mustangs (10-1, 6-1 GPAC), who remain a factor in the GPAC championship race. A rash of turnovers out of the gates played a role in Morningside mounting a double-digit lead less than eight minutes into the contest. A nine-point spread (34-25) at the half ballooned to 24 in a dominant closing 20 minutes. The shooting percentages paint a picture of a lopsided game – the Mustangs shot 58.1 percent (36-for-62) compared to 43.6 percent (24-for-55) shooting by Concordia.
A good portion of the scoring for the Bulldogs came from two players. Carter Kent poured in 18 points (6-for-14 from the field) while Justin Wiersema put up 16 points and eight rebounds. Kent’s offensive production in the second half (13 points) served as a bright spot. Three players off the bench collected either six or seven points: Noah Schutte (seven), AJ Watson (six) and Thomas Young (six).
For Morningside, Brown has established himself as one of the league’s best frontcourt players. He posted 18 points and seven rebounds. Three other Mustangs hit double figures in scoring: Zach Imig (11), Will Pottebaum (10) and Aidan Vanderloo (10). Imig led all players with seven assists. Morningside enjoyed advantages of plus-nine in rebounding and plus-four in turnovers.
“We weren’t very tough tonight,” Limback said. “Mentally and physically, I don’t think we executed very well. We talked about how to handle adversity and how you handle these moments on the road. We have two very important games on the road next week. We’re going to have to be a lot tougher.”
After leaving Wednesday’s win over Mount Marty early, junior rebound extraordinaire Gage Smith returned to the starting lineup on Saturday. He grabbed five boards in 14 minutes of action. Concordia is 8-2 over its last 10 games with both losses coming in Sioux City.
The pre-Christmas road swing will continue on Tuesday with a visit to Midland (3-8, 1-7 GPAC) for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff in Fremont, Neb. The Bulldogs will aim for a regular-season sweep of the Warriors, an opponent they defeated by an 82-55 score in Seward on Nov. 10. Midland’s lone GPAC win came at over Hastings.
Dawgs hit the road before Christmas break
December 14, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team will look to grab a pair of victories during its final road trip before Christmas break. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will be at Midland on Tuesday before making the trek up north to take on Jamestown this Friday.
This Week
Concordia (9-3, 6-2) at Midland (3-8, 1-7)
Tuesday, Dec. 15 | 8 p.m.
Wikert Event Center | Fremont, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/midland/
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
Concordia (9-3, 6-2) at Jamestown (8-3, 4-2)
Friday, Dec. 18 | 8 p.m.
Harold Newman Center | Jamestown, N.D.
Webcast/Live Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/jamestown/
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 157 of 231 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 83.3 (59th)
Scoring Defense: 70.3 (34th)
FG% Offense: .463 (T-73rd)
FG% Defense: .427 (T-58th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .343 (T-84th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .352 (T-111th)
Rebound Margin: +7.25 (35th)
Turnover Margin: +1.67 (60th)
Midland
Scoring Offense: 71.5 (144th)
Scoring Defense: 73.8 (60th)
FG% Offense: .433 (T-113th)
FG% Defense: .478 (139th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .341 (T-89th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .330 (T-77th)
Rebound Margin: +4.8 (57th)
Turnover Margin: -3.0 (T-157th)
Jamestown
Scoring Offense: 87.27 (37th)
Scoring Defense: 73.6 (58th)
FG% Offense: .509 (19th)
FG% Defense: .434 (T-73rd)
3-pt FG% Offense: .382 (32nd)
3-pt FG% Defense: .349 (109th)
Rebound Margin: +12.4 (12th)
Turnover Margin: -0.8 (123rd)
Visiting fan policies
At Midland: Visiting fans will not be allowed to attend the game at Midland. The athletic department at Midland put this policy into effect beginning on Nov. 30.
At Jamestown: Capacity inside Jamestown’s arena will be limited to 600 fans. Visiting fans can assure themselves of tickets by purchasing them online: https://www.jimmiepride.com/tickets.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Last time out
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs it was a familiar outcome to years past as they dropped their tenth straight series matchup to Morningside 86-64. Early turnovers by Concordia allowed Morningside to race out to a double-digit lead midway through the first half. The Mustangs took a nine-point lead into intermission and then grew their lead to 24 in the closing minutes, thanks to a hot-shooting second half. Overall, Morningside shot 58.1 percent (36-for-62) compared to 43.6 percent (24-for-55) shooting by Concordia. Carter Kent led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 points, while Justin Wiersema also pitched in with 16 points in eight rebounds. The Bulldog bench was also a bright spot as three players collected six or more points: Noah Schutte (seven), AJ Watson (six) and Thomas Young (six).
The pecking order
Concordia currently sits in third place in the GPAC standings. Morningside jumped the Bulldogs due to the Mustangs victory over Concordia last Saturday. Dakota Wesleyan is still in first place as the Tigers are the only undefeated team left in conference play at 6-0.
Wiersema continues standout play
Justin Wiersema’s game has taken off. The native of Loveland, Colo., is the pulse of a team that has been noted for its never-stop-hustling style on the court. Among GPAC players, Wiersema ranks sixth in steals per game (1.50), fourth in scoring (17.42) and field goal percentage (.614) and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.444). The 6-foot-3 guard has been incredibly consistent, having scored no fewer than 11 points in any one game this season (with a high of 23 versus Manhattan Christian College). Wiersema has improved significantly with his scoring averages jumping from 5.4 as a freshman to 10.8 as a sophomore to 16.6 as a junior this season.
Board man gets paid
Gage Smith is an animal on the boards. He just missed his fifth double-double of the season when he recorded 16 points and nine rebounds versus Dordt. Over the first seven games, Smith has turned in respective single-game rebound totals of 10, four, 11, 19, 12, 18 nine, five, 13 and five, respectively. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., is another player coming into his own in year three in the program. Smith is averaging 12.8 points and 10.9 rebounds after comparative averages of 4.7 and 4.5 last season.
Bulldogs can board
Rebounding was a key question for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad coming into the season. With the loss of their big men due to graduation and a small lineup, many people wondered how Concordia would look cleaning up the glass. In large part, due to the efforts of Smith (10.9 rebounds per game), Concordia has cleaned up the glass with ease as its +7.25 total rebound margin ranks 35th among all NAIA teams.
Scouting Midland
Midland has struggled mightily in GPAC play as the Warriors are 1-7 in conference play. Concordia had opened GPAC play against Midland this season back on Nov. 10 when the Bulldogs decimated the Warriors 82-55. The majority of the problems have come on the offensive end for the Warriors. Midland ranks toward the bottom of all NAIA schools averaging only 71.5 points per game which is 144th nationally. Poor shooting can be the reason for the low scoring average as the Warriors rank 113th nationally with a field goal percentage of .433. The Warriors were picked to finish tenth in the 2020 GPAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Scouting Jamestown
The Jimmies (8-3,4-2) are coming off an impressive 91-74 win over Dordt back on Dec. 8. Offense has been the key for Jamestown so far this season as the Jimmies possess one of the most lethal offenses in the nation. Jamestown averages over 87 points per game and ranks in the top-50 nationally in every offensive category. The Bulldogs will need to protect the glass as the Jimmies own a rebound margin of +12.4, which ranks 12th among all NAIA teams. Jamestown’s Mason Walters leads the GPAC in scoring with an average of 23.7 points per game. Allante Pickens (12.2) and Marco Kjos (12.3) also average double figures for the Jimmies. Jamestown was picked to finish fourth in the 2020 GPAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll while garnering one first-place vote.
Projected Starting Lineups
Concordia (9-3, 6-2)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (12.4)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (7.9)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (17.5)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (8.4)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (12.8)
Midland (3-8, 1-7)
G – Laurence Merritt, Sr. (13.6)
G – Bo Sandquist, Jr. (9.9)
G – Jake Rueschhoff, So. (8.0)
F – Colby Tichota, Fr. (7.3)
F – Bo Sandquist, Sr. (8.9)
Jamestown (8-3, 4-2)
G – Allante Pickens, Sr. (12.2)
G – Marco Kjos, So. (12.3)
F – Jack Talley, Sr. (8.8)
F – Brady Birch, Sr. (5.44)
F – Mason Walters, SO. (23.7)
Kent, Dawgs sizzle offensively in win at Midland
December 16, 2020
FREMONT, Neb. – Host Midland had few answers for how the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team executed on the offensive end in Tuesday (Dec. 15)’s meeting at the Wikert Event Center in Fremont, Neb. While netting 10 first half treys, the Bulldogs built a lead as large as 19 points and coasted to a 95-81 victory. Concordia shot a blistering 60.7 percent from the floor and earned a regular season sweep of the Warriors.
After losses in back-to-back road outings, Head Coach Ben Limback liked seeing his team build confidence very early in the contest. The Bulldogs (10-3, 7-2 GPAC) have reached double figures in the win column.
“I felt like the ball was moving and guys were in attack mode tonight,” Limback said. “That was very evident in both halves. We really got it going offensively … They shoot it well here at home and have been playing a lot of teams tough here. We’re fortunate to come out with a win.”
It’s a good sign when Carter Kent is knocking down jump shots. He carried over his hot shooting from the second half at Morningside this past weekend and collected a game high 21 points on a 7-for-11 performance from the field. There may have been some breakdowns on the defensive end, but Concordia was in control throughout the evening. It maintained a double-digit advantage for the final 29 minutes of game time.
Incredibly, eight different Bulldogs canned at least one triple in the sizzling first half performance. Concordia even managed to score just before the buzzer on Sam Scarpelli’s in-bounds to Kent with 0.4 seconds remaining. Scarpelli dished out six assists without turning the ball over (turnovers were even at eight apiece).
This looked much more like the Bulldogs who won eight games in a row. Said Kent, “Obviously we were disappointed about the loss on Saturday, but it was important how we responded and I felt like we responded well today. I think we really played for each other today. We shared the ball, we talked and we communicated. There are definitely parts we can be better at.”
Midland (3-9, 1-8 GPAC) showcased some offensive firepower of its own. The Warriors were led by the 21 points from Jake Rueschhoff (4-for-7 from 3-point range) and 16 points from Josh Lambert (7-for-9 from the field). Midland shot 52.5 percent overall, but it was out-rebounded, 35-26. The Warriors have now dropped six in a row against GPAC opponents.
The likes of Gage Smith and Justin Wiersema gave their typical non-stop motor efforts. Smith put up 18 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes. Wiersema notched 14 points and six rebounds. Three additional Bulldogs chipped in with eight points or more: Ryan Holt (nine), Jackson Hirschfeld (eight) and AJ Watson (eight). Eleven Concordia players registered in the scoring column as part of the offensive flurry. The Bulldogs went a dizzying 16-for-32 from beyond the arc.
It may take a better combined performance on both ends for Concordia to get the result it seeks on Friday. Said Limback, “I’d like to see us sustain some runs. I feel like we were really humming offensively tonight, but our defensive wasn’t with it. I’d like to see us put together a complete (effort) on both ends, offense and defense and really string together stops and buckets.”
Concordia will be tasked with defending Jamestown (9-3, 5-2 GPAC) and big man Mason Walters on Friday. Tipoff at Newman Arena in North Dakota is set for 8 p.m. CT on Friday. The Bulldogs will seek to continue the success they enjoyed last season when they took both meetings from the Jimmies.
Dawgs let one get away in GPAC meat grinder at Jamestown
December 18, 2020
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – This one hurts. The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team led by as many as 17 points in a contest that became a GPAC meat grinder down the stretch. Star post player Mason Walters and host Jamestown made more plays after halftime and pulled out an 89-87 overtime victory in North Dakota on Friday (Dec. 18). This was the final pre-Christmas outing for both sides.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad missed out on an opportunity to earn a pair of GPAC road wins on the week (won at Midland on Tuesday). The Bulldogs slipped to 10-4 overall (7-3 GPAC).
“We had our chances but a lot of credit goes to them for fighting back,” Limback said. “Their big guy was really good and he’s very efficient. In the second half they were getting post touches a lot easier. It was a fun game, we just needed to close it out.
“We have to improve on our composure and finishing plays down the stretch, but I feel like we fought our tails off. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in. We put ourselves in a position to win the game and didn’t get it done. There’s a lot of upset guys in the locker room and rightfully so.”
Concordia’s standout backcourt combo of Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema got loose in the first half in fueling an outburst that put the visitors in front, 37-20. From that point on, stops were difficult to come by. Walters powered in a game high 38 points and dished out seven assists while playing all 45 minutes. Walters made two free throws in the final 20 seconds of regulation to tie the game (76-76) and force overtime.
The Bulldogs probably feel like they should have sealed the deal in the final minute. Leading 76-72, Concordia failed to get a key defensive rebound and committed two critical fouls, including one that came 85 feet from the basket. The momentum had flipped. Jamestown (10-3, 6-2 GPAC) never trailed in an overtime session that saw the Jimmies make hay at the foul line. Meanwhile, the first three Bulldog possessions of OT went like this – one-and-done – turnover – turnover.
After halftime, Jamestown made 19-of-32 (.594) shots from the floor and held a decided advantage at the free throw line (21-for-29 for the Jimmies and 9-for-12 for the Bulldogs for the game). Despite the presence of Walters, Concordia managed to hold an edge on the boards, 39-35. Turnovers were nearly even (14-12).
Wiersema did his part with a line of 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. He attempted to play the role of hero with two clutch baskets that broke a 71-71 tie late in regulation. Three other Bulldogs reached double figures in scoring: Kent (17), Klay Uher (15) and Gage Smith (14). Kent added five assists while Uher snared seven rebounds. Point guard Sam Scarpelli posted nine points, six rebounds and four assists. Ryan Holt also chipped in with nine points.
A victory at Jamestown would have been a feather in Concordia’s cap. The Jimmies are one of only two teams to defeat Morningside this season. In addition to another big night from Walters, Jamestown got 14 points off the bench from Cole Woodford. The 2019-20 regular season closed with the Bulldogs winning at Jamestown, 101-92, in overtime.
The Bulldogs will now enjoy an extended break for Christmas. Next up on the schedule is a nonconference matchup at Peru State College (6-5) slated for 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 30. The two programs also met last December with the result being a 109-60 Concordia blowout victory. Conference play will resume after New Year’s.
“To be able to play this many games in a pandemic and have the opportunities we’ve had, we’re certainly grateful for those,” Limback said. “It’s a much needed break for everybody. I really like the way we’re playing right now and what our team is about.”
Layoff ends with road games at Peru State, Northwestern
December 27, 2020
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team is looking forward to a return to action for the first time since its overtime clash at Jamestown on Dec. 18. The Bulldogs will dip outside of conference play for the final time this regular season when they head to Peru State College on Wednesday. GPAC action will then resume on Saturday with a journey to Northwestern for a completion of the regular-season series with the Red Raiders. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad enters the week at 10-4 overall.
This Week
Concordia (10-4, 7-3) at Peru State (6-5)
Wednesday, Dec. 30 | 7:30 p.m.
Wheeler Activity Center | Peru, Neb.
Webcast: Peru State Stretch Portal
Live Stats: Dakstats
Concordia (10-4, 7-3) at Northwestern (9-4, 5-4)
Saturday, Jan. 2 | 4 p.m.
Bultman Center | Orange City, Iowa
Webcast: Red Raiders All-Access
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 173 of 229 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 84.4 (54th)
Scoring Defense: 72.4 (50th)
FG% Offense: .474 (T-50th)
FG% Defense: .438 (T-75th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .355 (T-70th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .351 (109th)
Rebound Margin: +7.14 (38th)
Turnover Margin: +1.57 (T-59th)
Peru State
Scoring Offense: 78.0 (T-95th)
Scoring Defense: 75.9 (78th)
FG% Offense: .466 (T-68th)
FG% Defense: .438 (T-75th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .348 (83rd)
3-pt FG% Defense: .266 (T-13th)
Rebound Margin: +1.73 (83rd)
Turnover Margin: -1.36 (117th)
Northwestern
Scoring Offense: 88.9 (33rd)
Scoring Defense: 77.2 (95th)
FG% Offense: .538 (T-6th)
FG% Defense: .460 (T-119th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .396 (T-21st)
3-pt FG% Defense: .397 (159th)
Rebound Margin: +5.08 (53rd)
Turnover Margin: -0.69 (105th)
Protocols for fans
At Peru State: Peru State is currently not allowing visiting fans to attend games at the Wheeler Activity Center.
At Northwestern: Northwestern is currently allowing up to 50 percent capacity at the Bultman Center. For more on fan attendance policies at Northwestern, please visit: https://nwcraiders.com/news/2020/9/3/general-nw-gpac-release-covid-fan-protocols.aspx.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Recent action
In the most recent week of action, the Bulldogs earned a 95-81 win at Midland on Dec. 15 before letting a late lead slip away in an 89-87 overtime loss at Jamestown on Dec. 18. In a long stretch of road contests, Concordia will end up playing just one home game during the month of December (82-71 win over Mount Marty on Dec. 9). In the aforementioned triumph at Midland, the Bulldogs were sharp offensively while shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 50 percent (16-for-32) from beyond the arc. Carter Kent paced the team with 21 points. Concordia came up a hair short at Jamestown in a game it led by as many as 17 points and held a four-point advantage in the final minute of regulation. Jimmie star post Mason Walters poured in 38 points.
GPAC midway point
At 7-3 in league play, the Bulldogs have hit the midway point of the conference regular-season slate. That record represents the program’s best GPAC record after 10 games during Limback’s tenure (began in 2013-14) and the best for the program since the 2009-10 team started out 8-2 in the conference. After capturing the GPAC tournament title last season, Concordia entered this season with hopes of competing for a conference regular-season championship (a feat never achieved by the program during the GPAC era). The top GPAC regular-season mark under Limback was the 12-8 record posted last season.
Kent heats up
It was only a matter of time before junior Carter Kent began to heat up with his shooting stroke. Over the past three games, Kent has averaged 18.7 points while shooting 48.6 percent (18-for-37) from the floor. Kent’s current season field goal percentage of 37.1 figures to continue to climb as the season wears on. The Crete High School product is creeping up on 1,000 career points. He enters the week having totaled 943 points in 79 career collegiate games. Kent finished his high school career as the all-time leading scorer at Crete.
Wiersema continues streak
No player has been a more consistent force for the Bulldogs than junior Justin Wiersema. The native of Loveland, Colo., posted 14 points at Midland and 19 at Jamestown. Those efforts pushed his own personal streak of consecutive games with at least 10 points to 16. A contributor in all areas, Wiersema has been impressively efficient. He leads all GPAC guards with a shooting percentage of 60.5. He’s also shooting 44.0 percent from 3-point range and 69.4 percent from the foul line. Wiersema has averaged exactly 10.0 points per game through the first 71 games of his college career. He leads the team with a scoring average of 17.3 this season.
Chucking it from the cheap seats
Kent and Wiersema are two of several players who can shoot it from long distance. The Bulldogs enter the week leading all NAIA teams in total 3-point field goals made with 156. Six Concordia players have netted at least 16 3-point field goals this season: Wiersema (33), Kent (28), Sam Scarpelli (23), Ryan Holt (17), AJ Watson (17) and Gage Smith (16). In other words, all six players average more than 1.0 made 3-point field goal per game. Last season’s team broke the program record for a single season by knocking down 382 treys (36.7 percent).
GPAC breakdown
The loss at Jamestown stung from a perspective of attempting to keep pace with the top of GPAC. Concordia currently resides in fourth place in the conference, behind Dakota Wesleyan (7-0), Morningside (7-2) and Jamestown (6-2). In the official GPAC poll released on Dec. 14, the Bulldogs appeared at No. 4 following Morningside, Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern. With three league losses, Concordia may not have much room for error left if it is to end the program’s conference regular-season title drought.
Scouting Peru State
The Bulldogs met the Bobcats in Seward last December with the result being a 109-60 pummeling in favor of Concordia. A member of the NAIA’s Heart of America Athletic Conference, Peru State reached the national tournament as recently as the 2018-19 season. From a statistical standpoint, the Bobcats have stood out in the category of 3-point field goal percentage defense (.266). Head Coach Bob Ludwig’s squad has a reliable No. 1 scorer in Henry Tanksley (18.6 points/game).
Scouting Northwestern
The Red Raiders have dropped four-straight meetings with the Bulldogs, including three matchups during the 2019-20 season. Back on Nov. 14, Concordia held off a late Northwestern rally in a 77-74 victory. Head Coach Kris Korver’s squad presents a significant challenge to opposing defenses. The Red Raiders rank sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.538) behind freshman star Alex Van Kalsbeek, who averages 21.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. They can also score from the perimeter with the help of guards such as Trent Hilbrands and Jay Small. Northwestern will host Presentation on Wednesday before turning its attention to the Bulldogs.
Looking ahead
Several home games are on the way, but Concordia will also be on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 6 for a battle at 18th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan. The Bulldogs will then welcome Jamestown to Friedrich Arena for a matchup on Saturday, Jan. 9.
Projected Starters
Concordia (10-4, 7-3)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (13.7)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (7.1)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (17.3)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (7.7)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (12.5)
Peru State (6-5)
G – Tyrece Griggs, Fr. (5.7)
G – Henry Tanksley, Sr. (18.6)
G – Skyler Wilson, Fr. (11.2)
F – Craig Jordan, Jr. (10.1)
F – Isaac Simpson, Jr. (6.3)
Northwestern (9-4, 5-4)
G – Isaac Heyer, Sr. (7.7)
G – Trent Hilbrands, Sr. (15.1)
G – Grant DeMeulenaere, Jr. (2.9)
G – Jay Small, Sr. (15.8)
F – Alex Van Kalsbeek, Fr. (21.2)
Second half slump sinks Bulldogs at Peru State
December 30, 2020
PERU, Neb. – The second half proved to be 20 minutes of frustration for a Concordia University Men’s Basketball team that returned to action after 11-straight days without a game. Wednesday (Dec. 30) night’s clash in Peru, Neb., resulted in a 70-62 victory for Peru State College. The Bobcats dominated the second half (40-21) while protecting their home court, Al Wheeler Activity Center.
This marked the final dip outside of conference play this regular season for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad. The Bulldogs (10-5, 7-3 GPAC) had not played since their overtime loss at Jamestown on Dec. 18.
“We weren’t hitting threes, in the second half especially, and then I thought we started to force some things,” Limback said. “Defensively they were really good and you know you’re not going to win a lot of games on the road when you don’t score that many. We have to be more efficient and find ways to get easier buckets. That was our challenge at the end of the game – find ways to be tougher when things aren’t going the way you want them to go.”
Concordia did not get much offensive production outside of the dynamic backcourt duo of Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema. They posted 20 points, eight rebounds and four steals apiece with Wiersema also adding three assists. It wasn’t enough to overcome the team’s 8-for-41 (.195) effort from 3-point range. The Bulldogs shot just 24.2 percent (8-for-33) from the floor in the second half and 32.8 percent for the night.
Peru State (7-5) was just a little bit better offensively. Henry Tanksley (21 points) and Amitai Afenjar (18 points, 11 rebounds) did the bulk of the damage for the Heart of America Athletic Conference member. They helped the Bobcats dig out of an 11-point halftime hole. An 18-5 run down the stretch turned a three-point Concordia lead (53-50) into a 10-point advantage (68-58) for Peru State.
Ryan Holt joined Kent and Wiersema in double figures with 11 points. Outside of those three, the rest of the Bulldogs went a combined 4-for-30 from the field. Concordia hopes it knocked some rust off ahead of the second half of the GPAC season.
“We definitely looked like some of us were still on break,” Limback said. “We just weren’t very sharp, but we’ll bounce back. We have a great road challenge coming up. This was a great lesson to learn. We need to have a good practice tomorrow.”
This could not have been more different than the Concordia-Peru State matchup that took place one year ago. In that contest, the Bulldogs knocked down 16 treys and won going away, 109-60.
The string of road games will continue on Saturday when the Bulldogs make the trip to Northwestern (10-4, 5-4 GPAC). Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT from the Bultman Center in Orange City, Iowa. The Red Raiders are permitting fans up to 50 percent capacity with tickets being sold at the entrance (no online sales). In this season’s first meeting, Concordia held off Northwestern, 77-74, in Seward. The Bulldogs have won four-consecutive series matchups.
Dawgs gut out OT victory at Northwestern
January 2, 2021
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – It wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty, but the end result was just what the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team needed. The Bulldogs showed the toughness to persevere through another rough perimeter shooting performance while emerging with an 81-74 overtime win at Northwestern on Saturday (Jan. 2). Junior Carter Kent produced eight of his team high 17 points in the extra session.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s program has won back-to-back trips to the Bultman Center in Orange City, Iowa. Concordia bounced back from its Wednesday loss at Peru State College to move to 11-5 overall (8-3 GPAC).
“It was a tough offensive night overall,” Limback said. “They did a great job defensively and limited our ability to get easy stuff to the paint. We talked after the Peru State game about how you have to continue to play hard defensively and compete through whatever adversity you have at the offensive end. Sometimes games are going to be like that. I was proud of our guys. We fought at the defensive end and made it very difficult for them.”
A turnover margin of plus-nine (17-8) helped the Bulldogs overcome their 37.1 percent (26-for-70) shooting from the floor. Key efforts were also made off the bench by the likes of Grant Wragge (seven of nine points in the first half) and Thomas Young, who buried eight critical points when called upon late in the ballgame. Kent (17) and Justin Wiersema (12) eventually got going as the team’s only double-figure scorers.
Neither team could ever feel comfortable in a contest that never had a spread greater than seven points. Trailing 57-51 midway through the second half, Concordia put together a 10-0 run that featured five points from Young. The Red Raiders (10-5, 5-5 GPAC) rallied and led 64-62 in the final minute of regulation before Sam Scarpelli’s bucket forced overtime.
Unlike the OT loss at Jamestown just a couple weeks earlier, the Bulldogs got on top early thanks to back-to-back treys from Scarpelli and Kent. The Crete High School product Kent slashed for a back-breaker of a bucket in the last minute of overtime to push the lead to seven (76-69). Northwestern had run out of steam and fell despite shooting 47.5 percent from the floor.
“If you don’t go on the road and play defense then you’re rolling the dice with how well you shoot,” Limback said. “I felt like we understood that tonight. We were down there and Thomas Young gave us a huge spark. It was great to see him shoot with confidence and it carried over into overtime. I thought we executed and closed out the game well – other than a 3-point foul. It was a tough win on the road.”
The stars for Northwestern did much of its scoring as Trent Hilbrands led all players with 23 points. Alex Van Kalsbeek added 19 (to go with 12 rebounds) and Jay Small put home 15 points. The Red Raiders owned a 44-37 edge on the boards. Northwestern has suffered five-straight losses to Concordia, which is now 15-3 in its last 18 games versus GPAC opponents.
Scarpelli finished with nine points and a pair of steals. Gage Smith chipped in eight points and five rebounds before fouling out. Noah Schutte saw extended minutes and posted five points and four rebounds while Ryan Holt collected six points and five boards.
Life on the road carries on into next week with the Bulldogs set to head to 18th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan (12-1, 8-0 GPAC) on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff inside the Corn Palace. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since Concordia clipped the Tigers, 68-66, in the 2020 GPAC tournament title game in Mitchell, S.D. DWU has won 12 games in a row since a nonconference loss to begin the season.
Concordia readies for first-place DWU, revenge game with Jamestown
January 4, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – This week will be about as challenging as it gets within conference play. Thankfully, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team earned a shot of confidence this past weekend when it triumphed at Northwestern, 81-74, in overtime. The Bulldogs will return to the grind on Wednesday with a trip to the Corn Palace for a matchup with 18th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan. Concordia will then look forward to hosting Jamestown on Saturday. Both opponents reside at or near the top of the GPAC standings.
This Week
Concordia (11-5, 8-3) at No. 18 Dakota Wesleyan (12-1, 8-0)
Wednesday, Jan. 6 | 8 p.m.
Corn Palace | Mitchell, S.D.
Webcast/Live Stats: Dakota Wesleyan Stretch Portal
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Parker Cyza
Concordia (11-5, 8-3) vs. Jamestown (11-3, 7-2)
Saturday, Jan. 9 | 4 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Parker Cyza
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 177 of 229 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 82.8 (63rd)
Scoring Defense: 72.4 (48th)
FG% Offense: .458 (T-83rd)
FG% Defense: .442 (86th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .332 (T-104th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .344 (T-102nd)
Rebound Margin: +5.44 (47th)
Turnover Margin: +2.31 (49th)
Dakota Wesleyan
Scoring Offense: 76.5 (T-104th)
Scoring Defense: 66.7 (13th)
FG% Offense: .470 (T-63rd)
FG% Defense: .411 (38th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .350 (T-74th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .285 (22nd)
Rebound Margin: +0.50 (95th)
Turnover Margin: +2.42 (46th)
Jamestown
Scoring Offense: 87.2 (37th)
Scoring Defense: 73.9 (60th)
FG% Offense: .508 (T-16th)
FG% Defense: .443 (T-87th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .374 (T-41st)
3-pt FG% Defense: .351 (112th)
Rebound Margin: +11.43 (14th)
Turnover Margin: -0.79 (106th)
Protocols for fans
At Dakota Wesleyan: Visiting fans must be on a “guest list” in order to be admitted into games at the Corn Palace. The guest list is intended for family use only.
Concordia home games: Consistent with state directed health measures, Concordia will allow up to 50 percent capacity for its home games. Fans are encouraged to purchase advance tickets online (https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets). Tickets will also be sold at the door, provided capacity limits have not been reached via online sales.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Recent action
The perimeter shots did not fall last week. Concordia could not overcome an 8-for-41 3-point shooting performance at Peru State College in a 70-62 loss on Dec. 30. Most of the offense in that outing came from the duo of Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema (20 points apiece). While staying on the road, the Bulldogs then shot just 9-for-40 from beyond the arc three days later at Northwestern. This time Concordia made up for it on the defensive end and outlasted the Red Raiders, 81-74, in overtime. Head Coach Ben Limback’s program has won five meetings in a row over Northwestern. Kent led the way with 17 points while Grant Wragge (nine points) and Thomas Young (eight points) made key contributions off the bench.
Kent on the doorstep of 1,000
Crete High School product Carter Kent has ramped up his scoring production over the last five games. During that stretch, Kent has averaged 18.6 points per game (most on the team) while shooting 44.1 percent (30-for-68) from the floor. An impact player from the moment he stepped on campus, Kent has totaled 980 points over 81 career games with the Bulldogs. With 20 more points, Kent will become the program’s 32nd player to reach 1,000 career points. Kent has also totaled career figures of 277 rebounds, 184 assists, 150 3-point field goals and 67 steals.
On the road again
Concordia has had to get comfortable with life on the road. Since Nov. 21, the Bulldogs have played just once at home – Dec. 9 (82-71 win over Mount Marty). During the current stretch of eight road trips in nine outings, Concordia has been up and down with five wins and four defeats. On the plus side, the Bulldogs rebounded from a frustrating loss at Peru State College and claimed a win at the Bultman Center in Orange City, Iowa, for the second year in a row. Back-to-back GPAC road contests have gone to overtime with the other such occurrence resulting in an 89-87 loss at Jamestown on Dec. 18.
3-point shooting slump
The 3-point shooting numbers last week were not the norm for a Concordia squad that frequently puts four players on the court capable of making multiple 3-point shots each game. In last week’s action, the Bulldogs went 8-for-41 from beyond the arc at Peru State and then followed it up with a 9-for-40 effort at Northwestern. Those rough performances slipped the team’s season 3-point field goal percentage to 33.2. Concordia remains the NAIA national leader in total 3-point field goals made (173). In terms of percentage, the team’s top outside shooter has been forward Ryan Holt (.417; 20-for-48).
Wiersema extends streak
Junior guard Justin Wiersema continues to be the team’s most consistent performer. He posted 20 points at Peru State and 12 at Northwestern. The Loveland, Colo., native has notched at least 10 points in 18-straight games. He has played at a first team all-conference level. Among GPAC players, Wiersema ranks fourth in scoring (17.1), fourth in steals per game (1.63) and fifth in field goal percentage (.575). He stands a strong chance of moving up from honorable mention All-GPAC, as he earned in 2019-20. Wiersema has run his career point total to 743.
GPAC update
Dakota Wesleyan (8-0 GPAC) has created a bit of early separation at the top of the conference standings. Morningside (7-2) and Jamestown (7-2) come in next with Concordia (8-3) landing just behind them. Based on the GPAC preseason poll, Dakota Wesleyan (fifth) and Concordia (sixth) have outperformed expectations. The Bulldogs own a record of 15-3 over their last 18 games against GPAC opponents. That mark includes last season’s run to a GPAC tournament title.
Scouting Dakota Wesleyan
Based on the preseason rankings, it’s fair to say that Dakota Wesleyan was expected to take a step back this season. The program lost one of its all-time greats with the graduation of 2019-20 GPAC Player of the Year Ty Hoglund. Head Coach Matt Wilber just might have another conference player of the year candidate in guard Nick Harden, who leads the team in scoring (16.8), assists (4.55) and steals (1.73). The Tigers have been especially strong on the defensive end having allowed their opponents to shoot just 41.1 percent from the floor. DWU owns a signature road win over eighth-ranked Morningside. Wednesday’s battle at the Corn Palace will be a rematch of the 2020 GPAC tournament title game.
Scouting Jamestown
Every conversation about Jamestown starts with dominant post Mason Walters, the GPAC leader in scoring (24.9) and rebounding (13.6). In the Jimmie overtime win over Concordia on Dec. 18, Walters went wild for 38 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. His rise to stardom has helped make Head Coach Danny Neville’s squad a player in the GPAC title race. Jamestown ranks among the nation’s most efficient offensive teams with a field goal percentage of 50.8 (second in the GPAC). The Jimmies also are an impressive plus-11.4 in rebound margin per game. Jamestown enters the week having won four-straight games (and seven out of eight).
Looking ahead
The routine of Wednesday-Saturday games within the GPAC will characterize the final two months of the regular season. Concordia will be at Mount Marty on Wednesday, Jan. 13 before hosting eighth-ranked Morningside on Saturday, Jan. 16. The Bulldogs will play five of their final six regular season contests inside Friedrich Arena.
Projected Starters
Concordia (11-5, 8-3)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (14.3)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (6.9)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (17.1)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (7.8)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (11.4)
Dakota Wesleyan (12-1, 8-0)
G – Nick Harden, Sr. (17.1)
G – Sawyer Schultz, So. (9.7)
F – Mason Larson, Jr. (13.2)
F – Koln Oppold, Jr. (13.3)
F – Jeffrey Schuch, Jr. (10.5)
Jamestown (11-3, 7-2)
G – Will Cordes, Fr. (9.6)
G – Marc Kjos, So. (11.4)
G – Allante’ Pickens, Sr. (11.8)
F – Brady Birch, Sr. (5.4)
F – Mason Walters, So. (24.9)
2020 GPAC title rematch goes in DWU's favor
January 6, 2021
MITCHELL, S.D. – In its first trip back to the Corn Palace since the memorable 2020 GPAC tournament championship game, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program threatened the win streak of 18th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan on Wednesday (Jan. 6) night. Once again, the Tigers showed their level of comfort in these nitty-gritty GPAC affairs. Dakota Wesleyan remained unscathed inside conference play with a rugged 70-64 victory.
This battle wasn’t unlike the contest the Bulldogs won this past weekend, in overtime, at Northwestern. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad dipped to 11-6 overall and to 8-4 in GPAC games.
“Our effort was good, especially in the second half,” Limback said. “Ryan Holt on the glass provided a lot of hustle plays. All of our guys gave good effort defensively. It’s about the little things in a game like this against a team that’s at the top of our league. We have to be able to finish at the free throw line and we had some execution issues in the last two or three minutes. I was proud of our guys for the physical effort, but we’re going to have to improve on the little things and be sharper in those clutch moments.”
In the midst of some midseason shooting struggles, Concordia has had to try to get things done with tough defense and rebounding. Fifteen offensive boards had a role in the Bulldogs playing the Tigers to a 60-60 deadlock through 38 minutes of action. A Concordia field goal drought of more than five minutes late in the game provided the opening DWU needed. The home team made 6-of-6 attempts from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds to lock it up.
Justin Wiersema carried the torch for the Bulldogs on the offensive end. He put home a team high 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the floor. Unfortunately, Concordia shot only 35.5 percent as a team and was 8-for-32 from beyond the arc. The Tigers have a way of gumming up their opponents having entered the night ranked No. 1 in the GPAC in field goal percentage defense (.411).
Coach Matt Wilber rode his starting five for most of the night. The Bulldogs struggled to contain Jeffrey Schuch (20 points on 9-for-13 shooting) on the interior. Star guard Nick Harden posted 17 points, five assists and four steals while reigning GPAC Player of the Week Koln Oppold added 14 points and seven rebounds. Dakota Wesleyan (13-1, 9-0 GPAC) has won 13-straight games since losing its season opener.
Carter Kent (currently at 993 career points) joined Wiersema in double figures with 13 points (3-for-15 from the field). Holt snared 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive end. Gage Smith also contributed seven points and seven rebounds. Off the bench, Thomas Young canned a pair of treys.
Said Limback, “We had some great spurts. We got down double digits (55-45) in the second half and fought our way back in. Against the best of the best in the league, I feel like we’re right there. We want to push it over the top. Our goal is to win each day. We have to find our shooting confidence and get our rhythm back from 3-point range. We have to also tighten up some things execution-wise at the end of games. It all starts tomorrow with our focus at practice.”
After a long wait, the Bulldogs will finally be back at home when action tips off on Saturday. Jamestown (11-3, 7-2 GPAC) will serve as the opponent with game time at 4 p.m. CT inside Friedrich Arena. In this season’s first meeting, Concordia fell in overtime, 89-87, in Jamestown on Dec. 18. The Bulldogs have won 11 home games in a row.
Kent, Smith, Wiersema lead charge in home victory
January 9, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team did not want to squander its first opportunity to play at home in a month. The star trio of Carter Kent, Gage Smith and Justin Wiersema powered the Bulldogs to an 81-70 victory over Jamestown on Saturday (Jan. 9). Kent really got going after halftime while becoming the program’s 32nd member of the 1,000-point club.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad earned a victory to begin a stretch of six home games over the final eight regular-season outings. Concordia has moved to 12-6 overall and to 9-4 in the GPAC.
“We shot better tonight and defensively we forced 16 turnovers and that led to some layups and some breakaways,” Limback said. “The identity of this team needs to be our hunger and our defensive effort. Certainly it was there tonight.”
Three weeks earlier in the 89-87 overtime loss at Jamestown, the Bulldogs allowed mega star Mason Walters to go wild for 38 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. This time around, Concordia at least managed to contain Walters (22 points on 9-for-16 shooting) to some degree. Meanwhile, Smith (22), Kent (20) and Wiersema (16) combined for 58 points in rediscovering the hot hand.
Concordia shot 57.9 percent (33-for-57) from the floor and limited its turnovers to 10. In another key factor, the Bulldogs surrendered only five offensive rebounds (31-30 rebounding edge) against one of the nation’s best rebounding teams.
“We learned a lot (from the loss at Jamestown),” Kent said. “Walters is a great player. He’s super hard to stop. We had to game plan a lot around him. We knew he was going to score a lot, but it’s about making those shots difficult and preventing the threes. It was hard to go into a break from that (first meeting with the Jimmies). I feel like we learned a lot and bounced back.”
Concordia is always going to be tough to beat when its top players perform like this. Kent poured in 14 of his 20 points in the second half (6-for-8 from the field after halftime). Smith was also fantastic in supplying nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. He and Wiersema are like Energizer Bunnies. Wiersema posted nine rebounds and four assists of his own.
Kent set the tone after halftime with a trey that pushed him past 1,000 career points. The Bulldogs never trailed the rest of the way. Concordia build an advantage as large as 13 points and always found an answer whenever Jamestown threatened to claw back into it. Smith added an exclamation mark with a three-point play in the closing minute. Ryan Holt pitched in with eight points and four rebounds and AJ Watson and Grant Wragge supplied six points apiece.
Said Limback of Kent, “I think the wins and the camaraderie with his teammates are what he’s going to remember most. It’s a lot more special to score 1,000 points in a game that you win.”
Added Kent, “It’s all about my teammates. I wouldn’t have reached that mark without them – past and present teammates … It’s definitely a good feeling, but it’s all credit to them.”
Jamestown shot a solid 49.1 percent (26-for-53) from the field. Outside of Walters, the Jimmies got a good chunck of their production off the bench, courtesy of Allante’ Pickens (14 points) and Jack Talley (12 points). Two days earlier, Jamestown (12-4, 8-3 GPAC) escaped Midland with 49-47 win at the buzzer.
The Bulldogs will hit the road on Wednesday night when they are slated to take on Mount Marty (7-10, 4-8 GPAC). Tipoff from Cimpl Arena in Yankton, S.D., is set for 8 p.m. CT. Concordia will aim for a regular season sweep of the Lancers, a team it defeated at home, 82-71, on Dec. 9. Mount Marty has dropped five-straight games, including Saturday’s 94-83 loss at Dordt.
Matchups with Mount Marty, Morningside up next
January 11, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Two more GPAC challenges are on the docket this week for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team, which split a pair of conference games last week. After falling, 70-64, at No. 18 Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 6, the Bulldogs rebounded with an 81-70 home win over Jamestown a few days later. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad remains in the hunt near the top of the league standings. It will take on Mount Marty and eighth-ranked Morningside this week as the second go-round through the GPAC slate continues.
This Week
Concordia (12-6, 9-4) at Mount Marty (7-10, 4-8)
Wednesday, Jan. 13 | 8 p.m.
Cimpl Arena | Yankton, S.D.
Webcast/Live Stats: Mount Marty Stretch Portal
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Parker Cyza
Concordia (12-6, 9-4) vs. No. 8 Morningside (13-2, 9-2)
Saturday, Jan. 16 | 4 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 184 of 229 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 81.6 (68th)
Scoring Defense: 72.1 (41st)
FG% Offense: .459 (T-80th)
FG% Defense: .446 (T-96th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .326 (T-121st)
3-pt FG% Defense: .345 (T-100th)
Free Throw%: .681 (113th)
Rebound Margin: +5.00 (T-45th)
Turnover Margin: +2.33 (T-46th)
Mount Marty
Scoring Offense: 74.9 (116th)
Scoring Defense: 75.3 (82nd)
FG% Offense: .434 (T-121st)
FG% Defense: .441 (T-83rd)
3-pt FG% Offense: .331 (T-115th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .343 (T-95th)
Free Throw%: .719 (T-63rd)
Rebound Margin: -4.82 (148th)
Turnover Margin: +1.12 (71st)
Morningside
Scoring Offense: 79.5 (87th)
Scoring Defense: 68.5 (17th)
FG% Offense: .478 (T-37th)
FG% Defense: .427 (T-51st)
3-pt FG% Offense: .311 (T-142nd)
3-pt FG% Defense: .311 (T-45th)
Free Throw%: .704 (T-84th)
Rebound Margin: +13.00 (5th)
Turnover Margin: +0.07 (93rd)
Protocols for fans
At Mount Marty: Visiting fans are not allowed to attend games at Mount Marty.
Concordia home games: Consistent with state directed health measures, Concordia will allow up to 50 percent capacity for its home games. Fans are encouraged to purchase advance tickets online (https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets). Tickets will also be sold at the door, provided capacity limits have not been reached via online sales.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Recent action
A better offensive performance at the Corn Palace could have made it a 2-0 week. However, the Bulldogs shot only 35.5 percent at Dakota Wesleyan and slipped, 70-64. It was the first matchup between the two programs since the 2020 GPAC tournament championship game. Concordia returned home and heated up to 57.9 percent shooting in the 81-70 win over Jamestown. The ‘big three’ of Gage Smith (22), Carter Kent (20) and Justin Wiersema (16) combined for 58 points. With a trey early in the second half, Kent eclipsed 1,000 points for his career. A key factor in the victory was a rebounding edge of 31-30 against one of the nation’s best rebounding teams. The Bulldogs were also plus-six in turnovers, helping them overcome 8-for-16 shooting from the foul line.
Kent joins 1,000 point club
Carter Kent now stands at 1,013 career points, making him the 32nd player in program history to join the 1,000 point club. An immediate impact player, Kent has posted season point totals of 322 (10.4 average) as a freshman, 429 (12.6 average) as a sophomore and 262 (14.6 average) so far as a junior. The Crete High School alum has also collected career numbers of 285 rebounds, 188 assists, 154 3-point field goals and 67 steals over 83 collegiate games. Kent graduated from Crete High School as the school’s all-time leader in scoring. Kent has played alongside two other 1,000 point scorers in his career at Concordia – Tanner Shuck (1,579) and Brevin Sloup (1,246).
Smith’s career high
Gage Smith has been a major X-factor for Concordia. When he avoids foul trouble, the Bulldogs have been difficult to beat. Smith returned to form versus Jamestown with a career high 22 points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Bulldogs are 5-0 this season when Smith scores more than 15 points. He currently sports averages of 11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game (third most in the GPAC). Smith is one of the most improved players in the GPAC having ramped up his production from averages of 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds last season.
One of GPAC’s finest
The consistency of junior guard Justin Wiersema has been astonishing. In continuing with a regular theme, Wiersema was efficient from the field (13-for-19) last week while totaling 33 points. The Loveland, Colo., native has now scored at least 10 points in 20-straight games, dating back to the end of last season. During that stretch, Wiersema has averaged 16.8 points per game and has shot 58.0 percent from the field, an unusually high percentage for a guard. Wiersema has played like a first team All-GPAC performer. Among conference players, he ranks fourth in scoring (17.1), fourth in steals per game (1.67), fifth in field goal percentage (.586), 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (.414) and 12th in assists per game (2.89).
Home dominance
Concordia has played eight of its first 13 GPAC games on the road. The Bulldogs have held their own away from home while securing conference road victories over Doane, Hastings and Midland. A stretch of five home games over the last six regular-season outings could give Concordia a chance to move up in the GPAC standings. Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs have won 12 home games in a row. They are 7-0 this season when playing inside Friedrich Arena. In those seven home games, Concordia has outscored its opponents by an average of 85.9 to 63.1. The Bulldogs have shot 47.4 percent from the floor and 34.7 percent from 3-point range at Friedrich Arena.
GPAC update
Concordia may not have much margin for error in regards to the GPAC title race, but things got a little tighter over the weekend when first-place Dakota Wesleyan (9-1) fell at Midland. The Bulldogs remain behind DWU, Morningside (9-2) and Jamestown (8-3) at the top of the GPAC standings. Next in line, Dordt (8-4), Briar Cliff (7-5) and Northwestern (6-5) are also in the hunt for top four conference finishes. The Mustangs were pegged as the GPAC preseason favorite.
Scouting Mount Marty
Mount Marty resides in eighth place in the GPAC standings, but the Lancers have a quality win over Jamestown to their credit. Mount Marty raced out to a 13-2 record and a national ranking last season (finished with 20 wins) in the process of breaking ground that the program had not experienced for several years. The Lancers remain a threat thanks to the presence of standouts such as Jailen Billings (who recently eclipsed 1,000 career points) and Elijah Pappas. Todd Lorensen is in his second season as head coach.
Scouting Morningside
Morningside remains a powerhouse in the GPAC under the direction of Head Coach Jim Sykes, who will step away from coaching after this season to take on the role of AD for the Mustangs. Morningside owns a 9-2 conference mark with the two losses coming at the hands of Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan. In the first meeting with Concordia, the Mustangs shot 58.1 percent from the floor and blew out the Bulldogs, 86-64. After facing Jamestown’s Mason Walters last week, Concordia will attempt to contain another of the league’s top big men in Trey Brown, who is averaging 17.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Before heading to Seward, Morningside will host Briar Cliff on Wednesday.
Looking ahead
Limback’s group will have a bye in the middle of next week while preparing to host Briar Cliff on Saturday, Jan. 23. The Bulldogs will also be at home for three of their four regular-season games in February.
Projected Starters
Concordia (12-6, 9-4)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (14.6)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (6.5)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (17.1)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (7.7)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (11.8)
Mount Marty (7-10, 4-8)
G – Jailen Billings, Sr. (15.6)
G – Keegan Savary, Sr. (2.5)
G – Kade Stearns, So. (5.9)
F – Elijah Pappas, Sr. (14.6)
F – Jonah Larson, Jr. (5.1)
Morningside (13-2, 9-2)
G – Zach Imig, Sr. (12.0)
G – Will Pottebaum, So. (9.7)
G – Aidan Vanderloo, Fr. (9.5)
F – Collin Hill, Jr. (5.1)
C – Trey Brown, Sr. (17.5)
Kent has answers for Lancers in GPAC road win
January 13, 2021
YANKTON, S.D. – Carter Kent wouldn’t let the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team fall on Wednesday (Jan. 13) night. The Crete native had all the answers for the Lancers, who clawed back within six points late in the contest before being put away. In the 86-76 win inside Cimpl Arena in Yankton, S.D., the Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the floor in the process of collecting their fifth GPAC road triumph this season.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad kept pace in a GPAC race that is tightening up at the top. Concordia improved to 13-6 overall and to 10-4 in conference play.
“I thought we came out ready and played really hard defensively,” Limback said. “Ryan Holt did some really nice things in the first half. We gave up a couple threes to some hot shooters, but other than that I thought we locked in on some of their key guys. They were denying us on the perimeter so we had to attack off the dribble a little bit more … Carter was special in that second half. You could see the game slow down for him.”
Four days after eclipsing 1,000 career points, Kent exploded for points in the second half in a clinical performance. Kent (10-for-17 from the floor and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc) scored in just about every way imaginable and put a cherry on top with a three-point play in the closing stretch. His 29 points represented a career high. Of course he had help. Three teammates reached double figures: Justin Wiersema (20), Gage Smith (15) and Holt (13).
Each of those aforementioned standouts played a role in a critical 11-2 run early in the second half. It was an impressive response after Mount Marty had drawn within three (48-45) and forced Limback to use a quick timeout. Lancer star Jailen Billings (22 points on 8-for-14 shooting) allowed his team to hang in it with his scoring prowess.
Limback enjoyed his team’s 9-for-19 shooting from 3-point range and its ability to respond to a Mount Marty basket, but his favorite play occurred when Wiersema dove for a loose ball. Said Limback, “We’re a team that hangs our hat on playing harder than the other team and bringing it every night. It was a great victory for our team.”
Wiersema extended his streak of consecutive games with at least 10 points to 21. He also grabbed eight rebounds. In addition, Holt, Kent and Smith each snared six or more rebounds in contributing to a 36-30 team rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs are now 6-0 when Smith scores at least 15 points.
The Lancers (7-11, 4-9 GPAC) made use of two recently eligible transfers in Cooper Cornemann and Tyrell Harper. Off the bench, Harper added 17 points and six rebounds. Mount Marty, which shot 46.0 percent (29-for-63), has dropped five-straight games. It lost the meeting in Seward, 82-71, back on Dec. 9.
The Bulldogs hope to end a series drought against Morningside (14-2, 10-2 GPAC) when the two programs meet up in Seward on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena. The 15th-ranked Mustangs have won each of the last 10 matchups with Concordia, including the one that took place this season in Sioux City, Iowa, (86-64 score). Morningside defeated Briar Cliff, 89-73, on Wednesday.
Said Limback, “I think our guys are ready. We’re going to enjoy the bus ride home, but I’m sure a lot of us are going to be thinking about what to do that next game with Morningside. There are some guys who need some rest and recovery, but I love our bench right now. We have a lot of guys contributing and our guys are practicing hard even when they aren’t getting minutes.”
Home win streak snapped by Mustangs
January 16, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Something had to give entering a matchup that featured a 12-game home win streak for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team and a 10-game series win streak for visiting Morningside. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs fell at home for the first time since last January while allowing the 15th-ranked Mustangs to shoot 60.7 percent from the floor. Morningside made its first seven 3-point attempts on the way to a 95-77 win in Seward on Saturday (Jan. 16).
This was a big one in terms of the hopes for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad to claw back into the GPAC regular-season title race. Concordia (13-7, 10-5 GPAC) currently resides in fourth place in the conference standings.
“They played really well. Morningside was good tonight,” Limback said. “They only make about six threes per game and they came out and hit that in the first half. I didn’t like how we handled it. Our game plan was to try to limit them inside. They came out and were good from the 3-point line and it bothered us a little bit with our body language. Defensively we didn’t get stops when we needed to and they put together huge runs.”
Based on the results this season and the last several years, the Mustangs (15-2, 11-2 GPAC) just aren’t a good matchup for the Bulldogs. The 95 points allowed represented a season high for Concordia opponents. Morningside seemed to have little trouble finding the shots it wanted. Six of its players scored in double figures as part of a sizzling performance. The visitors wound up 10-for-16 (.625) from beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs crept back into the game with a 10-2 run in the middle part of the second half. The spurt that included a trey apiece from Carter Kent and AJ Watson cut a 15-point deficit down to seven (73-66). The Mustangs called timeout and proceeded to slam the door shut. Morningside owned a double-digit advantage for the final 6:22 of game time.
Gage Smith paced Concordia with 19 points and eight rebounds. It marked the first time this season that the Bulldogs have lost when Smith has scored 15 or more. In addition, Justin Wiersema posted 18 points and three steals, Ryan Holt turned in 11 points and four rebounds and Grant Wragge (10 points on 5-for-5 shooting; four steals) brought plenty of energy off the bench. Sam Scarpelli chipped in with eight points.
“Wragge came in and did some great things, Gage got to the free throw line and Justin was steady as he always is,” Limback said. “We have to learn from this. We had some momentum plays in the second half where we could have made it really interesting. We cut it to seven at one point, but they’re a good team.”
Trey Powers went a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor (3-for-3 from 3-point range) and led the Mustangs with 18 points. Star post player Trey Brown put up 17 points and 10 rebounds (11th double-double) while Will Pottebaum added 15 points while netting three treys. Morningside has won five in a row to move back to the top of the GPAC standings.
The Bulldogs will have the middle of next week off while focusing their attention on next Saturday (Jan. 23)’s home clash with Briar Cliff (11-8, 8-6 GPAC). Tipoff from Friedrich Arena is slated for 4 p.m. CT. Concordia hopes to make amends for its 89-75 loss to the Chargers that took place in Sioux City, Iowa, on Dec. 5. Briar Cliff has won six of its last seven outings.
Passion, non-stop motor make Wiersema one of GPAC's best
January 21, 2021
Justin Wiersema is the guy who catches every coach’s attention. It’s not simply because he’s good – it’s also because his motor never stops and his energy level never slips. Wiersema leads the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team in scoring, but he also leads it in number of yeah baby’s, let’s go’s and prolonged screams of competitive joy while on the court. Okay, Sam Scarpelli might have him beat for most bicep flexes.
Wiersema’s story is the classic one about a student-athlete who came to Concordia not necessarily expecting to become a star, but became one anyway through day-to-day focused energy and development over time.
“As a freshman I wasn’t really sure where I was going to be in the lineup,” Wiersema said. “We had a lot of good players, but I knew I could be up there with them and at least try my best. I came to practice ready to go. It definitely paid off. That’s what you have to do when you come in as a freshman – play as hard as you can no matter what in practice or games.”
No one embodies the mantra of the 2020-21 Bulldogs, “Win The Day,” better than Wiersema, who brings maximum effort at both ends of the floor. He has the type of confidence to want the ball when the game is on the line. He is also just as likely to be the one going all out for a loose ball. The hustle and tenacious competitiveness are certainly appreciated by Head Coach Ben Limback and his staff.
When a star player like Wiersema sells out for his teammates, it sets a tone inside the locker room. It’s rare to have a player so consistent and as reliable as Wiersema. He entered the week having scored in double figures in 22 straight games. His field goal percentage of 57.8 is especially eye-popping for a guard. He’s the only player in the GPAC who currently ranks in the top five of the league in scoring, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and steals per game. Translation: he’s one of the best players in the entire conference.
“When we go to practice today I don’t have to worry about him in terms of his effort or his attitude,” Limback said. “That’s truly why he’s so consistent. I’ve never coached a guard that has been this consistent each game as a junior, let alone a senior. He constantly produces in games because he does it in practice every day. He’ll find ways to score even if he’s not making shots from the perimeter. He’ll always do something to impact the game and we know he’ll guard as hard as he can.”
As a native of Loveland, Colo., Wiersema prepped at Thompson Valley High School and played for the Colorado Titans club basketball program. He was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., and moved with his family to Colorado at a young age. He has always taking a liking to sports. Wiersema played baseball, basketball, football and soccer and says he realized basketball was his “calling” while in high school.
Wiersema’s game began to develop on the playgrounds of his hometown. He credits his close friends with pushing him to get better and to pursue the sport of basketball beyond high school. One of Wiersema’s friends had preceded him at Concordia and Titans club coach Rick Jimenez encouraged him to look at the Bulldogs as a possible college destination.
Said Wiersema, “My mom told me, ‘Why don’t you go look at the campus and check it out?’ I was like, ‘all right, let’s do it.’ I came down and I loved it and decided to come. This was my only college visit in high school. I liked it and wanted to give it a try.”
Wiersema liked how Limback and his staff made him feel wanted at Concordia. An insight into the recruiting process for Wiersema provides some insight into what makes him tick. Wiersema took mental note of the schools that showed a lack of interest – and he uses that as motivation when needed. He’s always looking for something to give him that edge or that chip on his shoulder.
“What stood out then still stands out now,” says Limback of the recruitment of Wiersema. “He’s a tremendously gifted athlete with an extreme motor. As you get to know Justin you can tell there’s more to him than basketball. He loves his family and he’s strong in his faith. Even in road games when a lot of his family is back in Colorado, he has aunts and uncles that show up to games. He has a great Christian character that certainly fits at Concordia.”
Wiersema’s rise has been precipitous. He has gone from a scoring averages of 5.4 points as a freshman to 10.8 as a sophomore and to 17.3 right now as a junior. With the help of Limback and his staff, Todd Berner and the strength and conditioning staff and his own intrinsic motivation, Wiersema quickly grew out of being a scrawny freshman.
He’s strong but powerful. He can shoot from long range and he can blow by defenders and throw down dunks with authority. He’ll then let people know about it because he can’t play the game if he can’t play it with passion. It’s what got him here.
“I definitely knew that the school part of college was going to be tougher,” Wiersema said. “It was, but that was easier to adapt to than college basketball. Going from high school to college basketball is a huge jump. I wasn’t expecting the all weight room stuff, the long practices and just the grind of it. I gained about 20 pounds my first two months here. It was all muscle. Developing as a player and person that first semester was really important to me. That’s when I knew I wanted to stick with it and see how far I could take it.”
In the program’s upward movement the past couple of seasons, the spotlight has often shown upon the likes of Carter Kent, Tanner Shuck and Brevin Sloup. Somewhere in the background, Wiersema kept working – a true Bulldog. The tenacity and drive of Wiersema factored into Concordia leaping from 1-9 in the GPAC at one point in 2018-19 all the way to a GPAC tournament title in March 2020.
Wiersema and a junior class that includes starters Carter Kent and Gage Smith represent the backbone of another team with national tournament hopes. “I think it’s pretty special,” Wiersema said. “We came in not knowing what was going to happen. We had some players leave when we came in as freshmen, but we all wanted to make our mark. We’ve been together about two-and-a-half years now. It’s really special the bonds we’ve made. We all trust each other to make the right play.”
Making the right play and winning the day is simplified when Wiersema is on your side. Number 10 is a winning player and a winning teammate. Says Limback, “Our theme this year totally embodies how he lives his life and what he wants to accomplish on the basketball court.”
Two 3-point happy teams ready for rematch
January 21, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Two teams that like to let it fly from long range will get together on Saturday afternoon inside Friedrich Arena. The Concordia University Men’s Basketball hopes to avenge a loss from earlier this season as Briar Cliff comes to town. At the same time, the Bulldogs are ready to put behind last week’s defeat that came at the hands of 15th-ranked Morningside. Now 7-1 at home this season, Concordia has work to do if it is to earn another top four placement in the final GPAC standings.
This Week
Concordia (13-7, 10-5) vs. Briar Cliff (11-9, 8-7)
Saturday, Jan. 23 | 4 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Radio: 104.9 Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 192 of 229 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 81.6 (66th)
Scoring Defense: 73.5 (64th)
FG% Offense: .460 (T-72nd)
FG% Defense: .455 (T-120th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .331 (T-117th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .355 (T-126th)
Free Throw%: .698 (T-92nd)
Rebound Margin: +4.50 (54th)
Turnover Margin: +2.00 (T-49th)
Briar Cliff
Scoring Offense: 77.7 (91st)
Scoring Defense: 76.4 (99th)
FG% Offense: .470 (T-50th)
FG% Defense: .477 (T-159th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .387 (T-25th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .320 (T-53rd)
Free Throw%: .764 (18th)
Rebound Margin: -7.40 (167th)
Turnover Margin: +1.30 (68th)
Protocols for fans
Concordia home games: Consistent with state directed health measures, Concordia will allow up to 50 percent capacity for its home games. Fans are encouraged to purchase advance tickets online (https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets). Tickets will also be sold at the door, provided capacity limits have not been reached via online sales.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Recent action
In two outings decided by double digits last week, the Bulldogs won at Mount Marty, 86-76, before falling at the hands of hot shooting Morningside, 95-77, at home. Concordia then had the middle of this week off from game action. In the victory at Mount Marty, junior Carter Kent piled up 20 of his career high 29 points in the second half. Kent had a contrasting week that saw him go 10-for-17 from the floor at Mount Marty and then 1-for-11 versus Morningside. In the victory, Bulldog double figure scorers also included Justin Wiersema (20), Gage Smith (15) and Ryan Holt (13). Three days later, Concordia struggled to contain the Mustangs, who shot 60.7 percent from the floor (season high for opponents this season). Wiersema continued his consistent ways and 18-point outing. Off the bench, Grant Wragge collected 10 points (5-for-5 shooting) and four steals. Meanwhile, Smith posted 19 points (8-for-8 on free throws) and eight rebounds.
Wiersema ranks among GPAC elite
Only one GPAC player ranks among the top five of the conference in scoring, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and steals per game. That would be budding star Justin Wiersema, one of the nation’s most consistent performers. Wiersema is currently averaging 17.3 points and 1.70 steals per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor and 42.6 percent from 3-point range. All of those figures represent career bests for the native of Loveland, Colo. Wiersema learned of Concordia in the recruiting process through a connection with his high school club team, the Colorado Titans. Wiersema has scored in double figures in 22 straight games (including all 20 this season).
Digging in on D
This week will be about shoring up a perimeter defense that allowed Morningside to make its first seven attempts from 3-point range in last week’s clash inside Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs must avoid a repeat of the first meeting with Briar Cliff when the Chargers rained in 18 treys in action at the Newman Flanagan Center. Concordia has been trending the wrong way on the conference leaderboard for field goal percentage (currently seventh at 45.5 percent). Last season’s GPAC tournament championship team held opponents to a 42.3 field goal percentage (tied for best in the conference). The Bulldogs have allowed nine straight opponents to shoot 46.0 percent or better from the floor. The Chargers will test Concordia on the perimeter once again. They lead the GPAC with an average of 12.1 triples per contest.
Bombs away
It's rare for an opponent to outshoot the Bulldogs from the perimeter – in terms of volume. On the season, Concordia is 207-for-625 (.331) from 3-point range while its opponents are 166-for-467 (.355). In other words, the Bulldogs shoot an average of 7.9 more 3-point shots per game than their foes. The team’s 207 3-point field goals ranks third among all NAIA squads. As part of last season’s thrilling run, Concordia set a new school record by knocking down 382 treys (in 34 games). Six different Bulldogs have drained at least 19 3-point field goals this season. Wiersema leads the way with 46, followed by Kent with 41.
Home streak snapped
The Bulldogs will try to start a new home win streak after having a 12-game string snapped last week by Morningside. Concordia had been 7-0 at home before slipping up against Morningside. The Mustangs are actually the only team to beat the Bulldogs inside Friedrich Arena over the last 17 games played there (15-2). During the course of the 12-game home win streak, Concordia defeated Northwestern (three times), Hastings (twice), Mount Marty (twice), Emmaus Bible College (Iowa), Manhattan Christian College (Kan.), Midland, Dordt and Jamestown. The Bulldogs have four games remaining on this season’s home slate: Briar Cliff (Jan. 23), Dakota Wesleyan (Feb. 6), Hastings (Feb. 10) and Doane (Feb. 20).
GPAC update
Morningside (12-2 GPAC) currently sets the pace in the GPAC. The Mustangs picked up a quality road win on Wednesday by edging Dordt, 84-80. Dakota Wesleyan (10-3) lost its grip at the top and has fallen in three of its past four outings. The pack that follows includes Jamestown (9-4), Dordt (10-5), Concordia (10-5) and Northwestern (9-5). The Bulldogs are a combined 4-1 against the likes of Jamestown, Dordt and Northwestern with the only loss coming in overtime up in North Dakota. The Bulldogs have an advantage in playing four of their last five games at home.
Scouting Briar Cliff
Concordia must find a way to contain Briar Cliff’s perimeter shooting. The Chargers rank third in the nation with an average of 12.1 made 3-point field goals per game. Four Briar Cliff marksmen have drained at least 40 treys this season, led by the 55 from Nick Hoyt. Head Coach Mark Svagera led the program to the national quarterfinals in 2018 and 2019 before the Chargers slipped to a 16-14 overall record in 2019-20. Briar Cliff is 6-2 over its last eight outings with the losses coming at Morningside and at Northwestern. This will be the final road game of the regular season for the Chargers, who will host four in a row after Saturday’s contest.
Looking ahead
After playing once this week, the Bulldogs will wait until Saturday, Feb. 3 (at Dordt) to return to action. The break is partly due to the cancellation of the 2021 Concordia Invitational Tournament, which had originally been scheduled for Jan. 29-30 in Seward.
Projected Starters
Concordia (12-6, 9-4)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (14.8)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (6.3)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (17.3)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (8.3)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (12.3)
Briar Cliff (11-9, 8-7)
G – Conner Groves, So. (8.3)
G – Nick Hoyt, So. (11.7)
G – Jaden Kleinhesselink, Jr. (14.8)
G – Quinn Vesey, So. (11.1)
F – Quinten Vasa, Jr. (11.0)
Dawgs right themselves with blowout of Briar Cliff
January 23, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – In a complete reversal of the first matchup between the same two sides, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team rocked Briar Cliff’s world. The 3-point reliant Chargers went just 6-for-29 from long range and watched as Carter Kent ran wild on the other end. It all added up to an 81-58 home victory for the Bulldogs on Saturday (Jan. 23). They had been off since last Saturday’s loss to No. 15 Morningside.
This looked a lot like many home outings this season for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad, which is 8-1 when playing inside Friedrich Arena. Concordia now stands at 14-7 overall (11-5 GPAC).
“I told the guys after the game I was really proud of our offense, but defensively I thought we were really good today,” Limback said. “We guarded and gave great effort. You have to be disciplined with these guys. They shoot a lot of threes. When you start flying around and over-helping it can make things a lot worse. I thought our guys were disciplined and locked in on key shooters.”
In their 89-75 loss at Briar Cliff on Dec. 5, the Bulldogs surrendered seven treys to Conner Groves. He ‘attempted’ only two 3-point shots on Saturday in a contest controlled by Concordia. Open looks were much harder to come by for the Chargers (11-10, 8-8 GPAC), who placed just one starter (Jade Kleinhesselink with 10) in double figures. The visitors shot 33.9 percent (21-for-62) for the game.
Considering those defensive results, the Bulldogs had plenty of firepower. Kent poured in a game high 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting (6-for-8 from long distance). It marked the 12th game of 20 or more points in the career of Kent. Three teammates scored in double figures: Gage Smith (17), Justin Wiersema (13) and AJ Watson (12). Smith pulled down 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double this season.
But this was about defense. Said Watson, “The first half of the last game (versus Briar Cliff) they hit 10 threes on us. Our main focus was to keep a high hand and take away their vision from the basket so they couldn’t get wide open threes like they did last time. I think we executed that really well.”
Concordia earned its first double-digit advantage less than five minutes after tipoff. Briar Cliff did manage to fight back with four (25-21) in the latter part of the first half, but the Bulldogs built the lead back to 12 with the help of a trey from Jackson Hirschfeld before the halftime buzzer. Midway through the second half, Concordia has gained a 20-point lead as Kent ruthlessly attacked the opposition.
Kent also contributed seven rebounds to a 39-29 team advantage on the boards. In addition, Ryan Holt grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots while Wiersema dished out four assists. The energetic Watson added three assists of his own and was complimented by Limback for his play on both ends. The Bulldogs shot 55.0 percent (33-for-60) for the game.
Said Limback of the defensive performance, “We wanted to contest everything at the rim. I thought our bigs – Ryan and Klay (Uher) – did a good job of that. Against a team that shoots threes, I felt like our guys were more disciplined today. Outstanding defensive effort.”
The Bulldogs will wait until the calendar flips to February before returning to action. With the 2021 Concordia Invitational Tournament wiped out, Limback’s crew will have all of next week off while looking forward to its matchup at Dordt (15-6, 10-6 GPAC) on Wednesday, Feb. 3. That contest will mark the final road game of the regular season.
Rematches with Dordt, No. 16 DWU on tap
February 1, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Only four games remain in the regular season as the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team shakes off an extended idle stretch late in the campaign. The Bulldogs will have had 10 consecutive days without a game by the time Wednesday’s contest at Dordt tips off in Sioux Center, Iowa. Concordia will then return home to host 16th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will play its final three games of the regular season inside Friedrich Arena.
This Week
Concordia (14-7, 11-5) at Dordt (15-7, 10-7)
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 8 p.m.
DeWitt Gymnasium | Sioux Center, Iowa
Webcast: Dordt Media Network
Live Stats: Dakstats
Radio: 104.9 KTMX-FM Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
Concordia (14-7, 11-5) vs. (16) Dakota Wesleyan (16-4, 12-3)
Saturday, Feb. 6 | 6 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Radio: 104.9 KTMX-FM Max Country
Commentator: Evan Jones
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 195 of 229 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 81.6 (57th)
Scoring Defense: 72.7 (57th)
FG% Offense: .464 (T-64th)
FG% Defense: .449 (T-107th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .334 (112th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .347 (T-112th)
Free Throw%: .702 (T-87th)
Rebound Margin: +4.76 (51st)
Turnover Margin: +1.71 (55th)
Dordt
Scoring Offense: 82.8 (49th)
Scoring Defense: 76.3 (93rd)
FG% Offense: .500 (T-14th)
FG% Defense: .452 (117th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .355 (T-74th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .362 (T-149th)
Free Throw%: .719 (T-58th)
Rebound Margin: +2.36 (72nd)
Turnover Margin: +0.18 (104th)
Dakota Wesleyan
Scoring Offense: 76.5 (110th)
Scoring Defense: 69.6 (22nd)
FG% Offense: .466 (T-62nd)
FG% Defense: .429 (T-57th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .348 (90th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .310 (T-34th)
Free Throw%: .735 (33rd)
Rebound Margin: +2.15 (75th)
Turnover Margin: +1.05 (70th)
Protocols for fans
At Dordt: Tickets must be purchased online prior to attending games at Dordt. To purchase tickets for Wednesday’s game, visit: https://www.dordt.edu/athletics/tickets. Tickets will not be sold at the entrance.
Concordia home games: Consistent with state directed health measures, Concordia will allow up to 50 percent capacity for its home games. Fans are encouraged to purchase advance tickets online (https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets). Tickets will also be sold at the door, provided capacity limits have not been reached via online sales.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Recent action
Concordia has not played since handing Briar Cliff an 81-58 drubbing on Jan. 23. Carter Kent exploded for 24 points in the win. The Bulldogs have actually played only twice since Jan. 13. If things had gone as originally scheduled, the Concordia Invitational Tournament would have taken place in Seward this past weekend. The Bulldogs put together a solid month of January, going 4-2 with noteworthy wins coming at home over Jamestown and on the road at Northwestern. As things stand, Concordia is on track to play out the 25-game regular season that was reconfigured in order to meet COVID-19 schedule guidelines. The Bulldogs did play against a group of alumni this past Saturday in order to stay game ready.
In the rankings
In the official GPAC rankings released last week, Concordia landed at No. 4 behind Morningside, Dakota Wesleyan and Jamestown. The Bulldogs did not garner any votes in the NAIA top 25 poll. Three losses in particular sting – the nonconference defeats at the hands of Tabor College (Kan.) and Peru State College and the overtime defeat at Jamestown. In the loss to the Jimmies, Concordia was unable to protect a lead in the final minute of regulation. Massey Ratings view the Bulldogs more favorably, ranking them at 24th in the NAIA. The program last appeared in an NAIA top 25 poll during the 2010-11 season.
Longer layoffs
In a typical season, Concordia would play 30 regular-season games. With the reduction to 25 for 2020-21, long layoffs have become part of the deal. By season’s end, the Bulldogs will have had four different stretches in which they will have had eight days off between games. After coming back from Thanksgiving, Concordia was sharp in an 83-66 win at Doane on Nov. 30. However, the Bulldogs appeared a bit sluggish in their 70-62 loss at Peru State College that broke up the holiday break after Christmas. The Bulldogs hope they can bottle up the type of performance they put together last time out in the 81-58 rout of Briar Cliff.
The big three
Some outsiders may have thought Concordia would take a step back after it graduated three starters from the 2019-20 national tournament team. However, the Bulldogs have regrouped quite well behind its core trio of Justin Wiersema, Carter Kent and Gage Smith. The leaps forward made by Wiersema (17.0 ppg, 57.9 fg%) and Smith (12.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg) have been especially obvious while Kent continues to excel at both ends of the floor. Concordia is especially tough to handle when Kent is clicking like he has at times recently. He’s notched 20 points or more in three of the past four games and has reached that total 12 times in his career.
Unsung heroes
While the ‘big three’ mentioned above grab a lot of the headlines for their productivity, the Bulldogs are a top four GPAC contender thanks also to the efforts of Ryan Holt, Sam Scarpelli, Klay Uher, AJ Watson, Grant Wragge and others. In the win over Briar Cliff, Watson supplied 12 points and three assists in one of his strongest outings so far this season. A consistent veteran, Holt is contributing 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Scarpelli also provides an emotional boost while steadying the point guard position. At times this season, others like Cory Davila, Jackson Hirschfeld, Noah Schutte and Thomas Young have made contributions to victories.
GPAC update
There’s plenty of jockeying to be done down the stretch as Concordia tries to position itself for another home game in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals. The race for a GPAC title remains up for grabs with Morningside (14-3), Dakota Wesleyan (12-3) and Jamestown (12-4) currently the frontrunners. The Bulldogs are in fifth place, but they have a leg up on fourth-place Northwestern (12-5) being that they defeated the Red Raiders twice. Concordia is not mathematically out of the running for the GPAC regular-season title, but it would likely need to win out – and get some help. The Mustangs are back in the top 10 of the NAIA poll at No. 9.
Scouting Dordt
Things have been a bit up and down for Dordt, which has followed an eight-game win streak with a three-game skid. The Defenders remain an efficient offensive team that is shooting 50 percent from the field. Freshman Jacob Vis is shooting 64.8 percent from the floor while averaging 12.5 points per game. Senior Garrett Franken leads the way with averages of 15.9 points and 7.4 points per game. Head Coach Brian Van Haaften is in his third season at Dordt following a tenure of more than 20 years as head coach of NCAA Division III Buena Vista University (Iowa).
Scouting Dakota Wesleyan
Dakota Wesleyan won 13-straight games before dropping three of four in a recent stretch. The Tigers have regrouped with road wins over Briar Cliff and Hastings in their past two outings. Before playing Concordia on Saturday, DWU will host a showdown with first-place Morningside. Head Coach Matt Wilber’s squad has been solid on the defensive end, holding opponents to 69.6 points per game and a shooting percentage of 42.9. Offensively, Nick Harden and Koln Oppold are the top two options. The Tigers are aiming to reach the national tournament for the seventh year in a row.
Looking ahead
The Bulldogs will play only once next week. They will host Hastings (6-15, 2-14 GPAC) at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Concordia is slated to end the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 20 when Doane (6-16, 3-14 GPAC) will be in town.
Projected Starters
Concordia (14-7, 11-5)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (15.2)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (6.0)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (17.0)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (8.0)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (12.5)
Dordt (15-7, 10-7)
G – Jesse Jansma, Sr. (14.7)
G – Ben Gesink, Sr. (6.1)
F – Jacob Vis Fr. (12.5)
F – Cade Bleeker, So. (11.0)
F – Garrett Franken, Sr. (15.9)
Dakota Wesleyan (16-4, 12-3)
G – Nick Harden, Sr. (16.4)
G – Sawyer Schultz, So. (10.1)
F – Mason Larson, Jr. (11.2)
F – Koln Oppold, Jr. (14.3)
F – Jeffrey Schuch, Jr. (9.9)
Rally falls short at Dordt
February 3, 2021
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – In its first outing since Jan. 23, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team shook off a sluggish start to make Wednesday (Feb. 3)’s clash at Dordt a nail-biter. Despite second half outbursts from Carter Kent and Gage Smith, the Bulldog rally fell short in a 75-69 loss in Sioux Center, Iowa. The 16-point deficit Concordia faced in the first half was whittled all the way down to one in the latter stages of the contest.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad made its final road trip of the regular season (5-5 in GPAC road games) and has slipped to 14-8 overall and to 11-6 in conference play.
“The first half looked out of sorts,” Limback said. “We looked like a team that had 10 days off. I felt like we were ready to play, but it certainly didn’t look like it. Offensively we weren’t sharp and turnovers led to some of their transition points. At halftime we really challenged them to be tougher. That second half we definitely got into a rhythm and played better.”
Had the Bulldogs pulled this one out of the fire, it would have been quite the memorable comeback following the rough start. Kent even had a quality step-back look at a potential go-ahead three in the final 30 seconds that would not go down. Concordia then turned it over on its next possession, clinching the win for the Defenders (16-7, 11-7 GPAC), who are 8-2 at home this season.
Smith’s energy in the second half became infectious. He finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. The shooting stroke of Kent (4-for-6 from 3-point range) also helped bring the Bulldogs back. A 12-4 run to open the second half got Concordia within five (43-38) in a tight contest the rest of the way. One of the more crucial sequences came immediately after Sam Scarpelli’s trey made it a one-point game (63-62) with just over five minutes to play. Dordt responded with baskets on its next two possessions to push its lead to five.
Garrett Franken (team high 18 points) and company always had a response. The Defenders did some of the little things right (like turn it over just six times) in order to hold onto their lead. They also outshot Concordia, 48.4 to 45.5 percent. The victory allowed Dordt to avenge the 82-59 blowout loss it suffered in Seward earlier this season.
“They’ve been really good at home,” Limback said. “To have a shot to win the game at the end is what you play for, but it’s still disappointing. We played a very poor first half. We’ll bounce back. We could be in a position like this on the road in the conference tournament so we’re going to have to be better than we were tonight. I loved our fight in the second half.”
Wiersema kept alive his streak of consecutive games in double figures (24 in a row) by contributing 10 points and six assists. Scarpelli added nine points while Ryan Holt notched six points and six rebounds. On the other side, Bryce Coppock (14) and Jesse Jansma (11) also reached double figures.
The Bulldogs will now get comfortable at home while closing out the regular season. No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan (16-5, 12-4 GPAC) will visit Friedrich Arena for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff on Saturday. In this season’s matchup at the Corn Palace, the Tigers held Concordia to 35.5 percent shooting and won, 70-64. DWU has won the last seven regular-season meetings, although the Bulldogs got the upper hand in last year’s GPAC tournament championship game.
Gage rains in 32, leads upset of No. 16 DWU
February 6, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – This was The Gage Smith Game. The junior from Elizabeth, Colo., had himself a night to remember while spurring the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team to an 89-77 upset win over 16th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan University on Saturday (Feb. 6). Inside the friendly confines of Friedrich Arena, the Bulldogs shot 50.8 percent while moving to 9-1 at home this season.
This was a big one in terms of the hopes Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has of earning a top four spot in the GPAC regular-season standings. Concordia now sits at 15-8 overall and at 12-6 in the GPAC (right behind DWU for fourth place in a tightly-bunched grouping).
“It was a fun game – lot of scoring in that first half,” Limback said. “Neither team was really able to put some consistent stops together. They’re really good on the interior. I thought (Ace) Zorr had a really good game. We had no answer for him. Certainly Gage Smith – what a night he had. He really got it going in the second half. He’s a special player and fun to watch.”
Smith got loose for 20 of his career high 32 points after halftime. An always energetic hustler, Smith has transformed his game by becoming a more well-rounded offensive threat. During a four-minute stretch early in the second half, Smith tickled the twine by knocking down four-straight 3-point attempts. Then in the final five minutes of the game, Smith helped put the finishing touches on the victory with a three-point play that pushed the lead to 14 (81-67) and moved him past the 30-point mark.
The 6-foot-6 junior finished with 32 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Said Smith, “The first half I was attacking the rim and then they started backing off me a little bit. In the locker room, Coach kept insisting to shoot the three and look for the three. I had to listen to Coach and try to hit one. After that it felt really good.”
Zorr won’t forget this game either. He paced the Tigers with 30 points and 14 rebounds in a career performance of his own. It just wasn’t quite enough to keep up. Over the game’s final 15 minutes, Concordia’s lead never dipped below nine points. It ballooned as large as 17.
Things just clicked offensively for the Bulldogs, who were without starter Ryan Holt. The post tandem of Cory Davila (12 points on 5-for-5 shooting) and Klay Uher (six points on 3-for-4 shooting) did a number in the paint. Meanwhile, Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema knocked down a pair of treys apiece. Wiersema totaled 15 points, three assists and two steals while Kent chalked up 13 points, six assists and four steals.
“Once a guy plays with that kind of confidence it starts to snow ball,” Limback said. “Justin and Carter have been doing it too all year. To have what Gage did tonight, I thought our team fed off it. We forced them to change up their D at the end. I really like how we played defensively in the second half.”
Dakota Wesleyan (16-6, 12-5 GPAC) had started out 9-0 in conference play. Marquee players Koln Oppold and Nick Harden contributed 17 and 14 points, respectively. Four Tiger players logged more than 35 minutes of action. Back on Jan. 6, DWU defeated Concordia, 70-64, at the Corn Palace. This time around, the Bulldogs dictated the terms of the game.
In next week’s only outing, Concordia will welcome Hastings (6-17, 2-16 GPAC) to Seward for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff on Wednesday. In this season’s first matchup, the Bulldogs cruised to an 86-77 win at Hastings behind a career high 29 points from Wiersema. Concordia has had the Broncos’ number having won 10-straight series meetings.
Men's basketball matchup vs. Hastings rescheduled for Feb. 17
February 8, 2021
The men's basketball matchup between Concordia University and Hastings originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10 has been postponed until Wednesday, Feb. 17 with tipoff at 7 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena in Seward. The postponement means that Head Coach Ben Limback's squad will have this week off from game action. The Bulldogs are coming off an 89-77 win over No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan this past Saturday.
The women's basketball game versus Hastings remains as scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 10). Both basketball teams are slated to close the regular season by hosting Doane on Saturday, Feb. 20.
Dawgs look to continue home dominance in regular season's final week
February 15, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – A string of home games to finish the regular season will continue on Wednesday as the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team prepares to host Hastings in a contest originally scheduled to be played last week. Then on Saturday, it will be senior day when Doane visits Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs are an impressive 9-1 at home this season after knocking off 16th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan, 89-77, on Feb. 6. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad remains hopeful of earning a top four spot in the final GPAC standings for a second year in a row.
As part of senior day, the following seniors will be honored prior to tipoff:
Ryan Holt | Highlands Ranch, Colo. | Public Health & Fitness
Sam Scarpelli | Portland, Ore. | Marketing
Grant Wragge | Crofton, Neb. | Business Administration/Marketing
Thomas Young | Clarks, Neb. | Secondary Education
This Week
Concordia (15-8, 12-6) vs. Hastings (6-17, 2-16)
Wednesday, Feb. 17 | 7 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Radio: 104.9 KTMX-FM Max Country
Commentator: Parker Cyza
Concordia (15-8, 12-6) vs. Doane (6-18, 3-16)
Saturday, Feb. 20 | 4 p.m.
Friedrich Arena | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Radio: 104.9 KTMX-FM Max Country
Commentator: Parker Cyza
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 201 of 229 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 81.3 (63rd)
Scoring Defense: 73.0 (56th)
FG% Offense: .465 (T-62nd)
FG% Defense: .452 (T-118th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .338 (113th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .348 (T-118th)
Free Throw%: .699 (T-93rd)
Rebound Margin: +4.57 (48th)
Turnover Margin: +1.30 (66th)
Hastings
Scoring Offense: 78.8 (75th)
Scoring Defense: 86.5 (186th)
FG% Offense: .460 (T-74th)
FG% Defense: .477 (165th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .348 (T-95th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .361 (T-155th)
Free Throw%: .729 (T-48th)
Rebound Margin: -6.52 (174th)
Turnover Margin: +2.30 (40th)
Doane
Scoring Offense: 73.4 (141st)
Scoring Defense: 80.8 (151st)
FG% Offense: .433 (T-138th)
FG% Defense: .490 (180th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .332 (T-120th)
3-pt FG% Defense: .384 (T-186th)
Free Throw%: .757 (17th)
Rebound Margin: -8.04 (184th)
Turnover Margin: +3.67 (16th)
Protocols for fans
Concordia home games: Consistent with state directed health measures, Concordia will allow up to 50 percent capacity for its home games. Fans are encouraged to purchase advance tickets online (https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets). Tickets will also be sold at the door, provided capacity limits have not been reached via online sales.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Recent action
It was a week of one down and then one up (during the week of Feb. 1) as the Bulldogs closed out the road portion of the regular season. A rough first half gave Concordia a hole of 16 points to attempt to dig out of at Dordt. The Bulldogs rallied back within one (63-62) in the second half before falling in Sioux Center, Iowa. Gage Smith (19 points and 12 rebounds) and Carter Kent (4-for-6 from 3-point range) spurred the comeback efforts. Concordia wound up going 5-5 this season in GPAC road games. In defeating No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan, the Bulldogs earned a home win over the Tigers for the first time since December 2016. Smith went off for 32 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a blocked shot in a career performance. As a team, things clicked offensively as Concordia shot 50.8 percent from the floor. Three other Bulldogs scored in double figures: Justin Wiersema (15), Kent (13) and Cory Davila (12). The inside scoring of Davila and Klay Uher helped make up for the absence of Ryan Holt, sidelined by injury.
Home dominance
Concordia hasn’t just squeaked by at home this season, it has dominated. The Bulldogs are 9-1 at home with the only loss coming at the hands of ninth-ranked Morningside. Eight of the nine victories have been decided by double-digit margins. Concordia has beaten six GPAC opponents by at least 10 points at home: Midland (82-55), Dordt (82-59), Mount Marty (82-71), Jamestown (81-70), Briar Cliff (81-58) and Dakota Wesleyan (89-77). In their 10 home games, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents, on average, 84.8 to 67.2, while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. Dating back to last season, Concordia has won 14 of its last 15 at home.
Smith goes off
Gage Smith has become much more than just a complimentary player. After averaging 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore, Smith has ramped up his averages to 13.7 points and 9.2 rebounds this season. Over last week’s two games, the 6-foot-6 junior piled up a combined 51 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists and two steals while going 7-for-14 from 3-point range. According to Smith, his 32 points versus Dakota Wesleyan equaled a lifetime high (once scored 32 in a high school game). Smith has produced eight double-doubles this season and is the third in the GPAC in rebounding.
Limback nears 250 wins
The Feb. 6 victory over Dakota Wesleyan marked win No. 249 in the head coaching career of Ben Limback, who spent nine seasons leading Concordia University, Ann Arbor before returning to his alma mater prior to the 2013-14 season. Limback won 115 games (including two CIT titles) at CU-Ann Arbor and has now won 134 games at CUNE. The mountaintop moment came in March of last year when the Bulldogs captured the GPAC tournament championship at Dakota Wesleyan. The 2019-20 team finished with an overall record of 24-10. The 2016-17 squad (21-10) also reached the 20-win mark.
Beating the Broncos/Tigers
Concordia has had Hastings’ number, winning 10 series matchups in a row. That streak includes one postseason meeting. The two sides met in Seward last season in the GPAC semifinals with the result being a 71-61 Bulldog win. The Broncos last defeated Concordia on Jan. 20, 2016, as part of a 2015-16 season that saw Hastings sweep the Bulldogs. Tanner Shuck and Brevin Sloup, members of the 2019-20 senior class, went 9-0 in their careers against the Broncos. In this season’s first matchup, Justin Wiersema totaled a career high 29 points in the 86-77 win at Hastings. The final score made the game appear more competitive than it was – the Bulldogs led by 19 with under five minutes remaining. As for the series with Doane, it has been much more competitive in recent seasons. Concordia drilled the Tigers in Crete earlier this season, 83-66. However, last season, the two sides split the regular season with the contest in Seward going to double overtime (83-77 Bulldog win).
GPAC update
The eight teams that will qualify for the GPAC tournament are decided, however, seeding amongst those squads is up in the air. The Bulldogs still have a mathematical chance of earning a seed as high as No. 2. They could also finish as low as No. 6, pending this week’s results. Here is what Concordia needs to happen in order to claim the No. 2 seed:
1) Defeat Hastings and Doane.
2) Morningside defeat Northwestern (Feb. 20).
3) Dakota Wesleyan defeat Jamestown (Feb. 20).
Morningside is locked into the No. 1 spot as the GPAC regular-season champion. The Mustangs have earned an automatic bid to the national tournament. The league’s second automatic bid will go to the GPAC tournament champion – or the conference’s No. 2 seed if Morningside also wins the postseason title.
Scouting Hastings
A pause for Hastings forced the postponement of the game that had been scheduled to be played at Concordia on Feb. 10. The Broncos also have not played since Feb. 6. On that date, they endured a 71-61 loss at Briar Cliff. Hastings has been eliminated from GPAC postseason contention and will finish somewhere from ninth to 11th place in the final conference standings. Though it’s been a rough season, the Broncos do have some firepower with four players averaging more than 14 points per game, including top scorer Karson Gansebom (16.7). One of those primary scorers, Ben Juhl, has not yet played in the month of February. Head Coach Bill Gavers’ program reached the GPAC semifinals a year ago.
Scouting Doane
Like Hastings, Doane will end the 2020-21 season this week. The Tigers are on track to suffer the program’s eighth-straight losing season. This will mark the third season in a row that Doane has failed to crack double digits in the win column. While the results have not been favorable, the Tigers do own a win over Dordt and have had some close calls with quality opponents, as evidenced by their 79-77 home loss to Northwestern and 109-105 overtime loss at Jamestown. Head Coach Ian McKeithen’s squad ranks in the top 20 nationally in turnover margin and free throw percentage. On the other hand, Doane has rated towards the bottom of the NAIA in many key defensive statistical categories (180th in field goal percentage defense).
Looking ahead
The GPAC tournament will being with the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Again, the site and opponent for the quarterfinals depend on this week’s results.
Projected Starters
Concordia (15-8, 12-6)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (15.2)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (5.9)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (16.7)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (7.9)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (13.7)
Hastings (6-17, 2-16)
G – Karson Gansebom, So. (16.7)
G – Mason Hiemstra, So. (15.7)
G – Braden Kizer, So. (4.2)
G – Ben Juhl, Sr. (14.6)
F – Dashawn Walker, Jr. (14.4)
Doane (6-18, 3-16)
G – Joe Burt, Jr. (10.2)
G – Anthony Laravie, Sr. (16.7)
G – Tyler Sullivan, Jr. (3.2)
F – Jaxon Harre, Sr. (11.9)
F – Alec Oberhauser, Jr. (4.8)
Dawgs continue mastery of Hastings, net 19 treys
February 17, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – It’s a week about taking care of business at home against two foes situated at the bottom of the GPAC standings. In a return to action on Wednesday (Feb. 17), the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team routinely poked holes in the Hastings 1-3-1 zone on the way to a 106-73 victory inside Friedrich Arena. The Bulldogs were the opposite of February weather in Nebraska while netting 19 treys in the rout.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad remains in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the GPAC tournament. Concordia has moved to 16-8 overall and to 13-6 in the GPAC (currently tied for fourth).
“This team is unselfish. That’s one of the things we emphasized this year,” Limback said. “Make that extra pass. I think I’ve seen close to 30 assists (as the Bulldogs had on Wednesday) in my career, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen only seven turnovers with those 30 assists. To me that showed there was some discipline. They weren’t trying to be fancy or force things. It was just hit the open man.”
The Bulldogs took full advantage of one of the league’s most porous defensive teams. They essentially did what they wanted offensively, rotating the ball for open looks both inside and outside. Carter Kent drilled five triples in the first half alone on his way to 19 points. Five of his teammates also knocked down multiple 3-point shots on a night when hot shooting was contagious.
Hastings (6-18, 2-17 GPAC) hung with Concordia for a majority of the first half (trailed just 37-34 with at the 13-minute mark). The stops on the defensive end never came for the Broncos, who relinquished a 21-8 run to close the half and trailed, 58-42, at the break. It did not seem to matter what type of defensive look Hastings threw at the Bulldogs.
“We had talked a little bit about how they might go zone, they might go man,” said senior Sam Scarpelli. “They switch up their defense a lot. When they threw (the 1-3-1) at us we had kind of prepared for it. We had a couple plays in mind that we wanted to get into. The shots were falling.”
While Kent led the way with 19 points (5-for-9 from 3-point range), starters Gage Smith (17), Justin Wiersema (16) and Scarpelli (12) also reached double figures. Those four Bulldogs combined to go a super human 14-for-22 from beyond the arc. Four Concordia players posted four or more assists: Kent (seven), Wiersema (six), AJ Watson (five) and Smith (four). In addition, Smith collected 11 rebounds for his ninth double-double this season.
The Bulldogs shot 58.0 percent (40-for-69) from the floor and 46.3 percent (19-for-41) from 3-point range. Off the bench, Thomas Young nailed three triples and Jackson Hirschfeld put home two of his own. Meanwhile, Cory Davila (eight points on 4-for-5 shooting) and Grant Wragge (six points on 3-for-3 shooting) were efficient from inside the arc.
The Broncos have dropped 11 straight matchups versus Concordia. Mason Hiemstra paced Hastings with 20 points. Leading scorer Karson Gansebom did not play. The Broncos shot 46.0 percent from the field and were outrebounded, 40-25.
In order for Concordia to claim the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, it needs to win on Saturday and have Morningside defeat Northwestern and Dakota Wesleyan defeat Jamestown. That would create a four-way tie for second place. The Bulldogs would have the tiebreaker for the second slot.
The Bulldogs will close out the regular season on Saturday when they host Doane (6-18, 3-16 GPAC) in a matchup set to tip off at 4 p.m. CT. Prior to game time, the program will honor four seniors: Ryan Holt, Sam Scarpelli, Grant Wragge and Thomas Young. Concordia will be seeking a season sweep of the Tigers, an opponent it defeated, 83-66, on Nov. 30.
Limback now owns 250 career victories as a collegiate head coach. Said Limback, “At this point in the year, the seniors have to drive home the importance of every game, and I think they’re ready for that. It will be an awesome day on Saturday to honor the seniors. This senior class doesn’t want that to be their final home game. They want to keep playing as long as they can.”
Regular season concludes with domination of Doane
February 20, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team will head into the postseason having won three-straight games in dominant fashion. While concluding the regular season on Saturday (Feb. 20), the Bulldogs shot 47.8 percent from the floor and built a lead as large as 28 in an 84-63 blowout of visiting Doane. Gage Smith enjoyed another big day with a 21-point, 13-rebound performance.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s program honored four seniors prior to tipoff: Ryan Holt, Sam Scarpelli, Grant Wragge and Thomas Young. This may have been the final home game ever for one or all of them as Concordia (17-8, 14-6 GPAC) slides into the No. 5 seed in the GPAC.
“It seemed like every time they got a big momentum play, we answered,” Limback said. “They got a dunk in the first half and we come down and throw it ahead – Sam makes a beautiful pass to Justin (Wiersema). Second half they come out of a timeout and Gage throws a full-court pass to Ryan for a dunk. All of these things showed that our mindset today was about hunger and fight.”
The Bulldogs blitzed the Tigers early on in the process of mounting a 34-10 lead midway through the first half. The only thing Doane had to celebrate was a monster dunk by Jaxon Harre in the opening minutes – but it celebrated too hard and neglected to get back on defense. The likes of Carter Kent, Smith and Wiersema were the aggressors in a lopsided affair.
Smith accumulated his lofty totals in only 25 minutes of action. He rattled off 10 of his points in the first 11 minutes of the game as a real pain in the side of Doane. To the Tigers’ credit, they charged back within 11 (52-41) early in the second half. The 13-2 Concordia run that followed essentially put the contest away. Just for fun, AJ Watson lobbed an ally-oop pass to Wragge for a crowd-pleasing slam with the outcome already decided.
Holt notched six points and three rebounds on his senior day. Of course, he could still decide to return next season. For now, he’s soaking up the ride. Said Holt, “We lost T-Shuck, Brev, Chuol, Sammy and Jacob Jennings. This year was going to be huge for us to see how we played not having that big presence. We wanted to show that we could play with anyone, no matter any type of mismatches. It’s the junkyard dogs. That’s what we like to say.”
Wiersema (15) and Kent (13) also reached double figures while doing plenty of damage during the first half onslaught. Watson put up eight points, two assists and two steals off the bench. Young also knocked in a pair of treys. Scarpelli contributed five points and five assists.
Doane (6-19, 3-17 GPAC) has concluded its season. Normally steady with their ball security, the Tigers turned it over 19 times on Saturday. Alec Oberhauer topped the visitors with 13 points.
The Bulldogs would love to duplicate last season’s GPAC tournament championship run. As the No. 5 seed, Concordia will play at fourth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan (18-7, 14-6 GPAC) in the GPAC quarterfinals. During the regular season, the two sides split with the home team coming out on top in both cases.
Said Limback, “This is why we play. With all the stuff in the fall, we didn’t know if we would have a season or what it would look like. We’re excited to jump in. I’ll take the Bulldogs anywhere, here, wherever. If we play like tonight and sustain a great effort, we can play with anybody in the conference.”
Familiar postseason combatants to meet at Corn Palace
February 22, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Programs that met in the 2020 GPAC tournament championship game will reconvene this Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the 2021 conference postseason. The fifth-seeded Concordia University Men’s Basketball team is preparing to play at fourth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan. Both sides tied for third place in the final GPAC standings along with Jamestown. Head Coach Ben Limback’s program has won three straight GPAC tournament games dating back to last season’s title run.
GPAC Quarterfinals
Concordia (17-8, 14-6) at Dakota Wesleyan (18-7, 14-6)
Wednesday, Feb. 24 | 7 p.m.
Corn Palace | Mitchell, S.D.
Webcast/Live Stats: DWU Stretch Portal
Buy Tickets: https://dwuathletics.com/ticketing
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
*2020-21 NAIA national rank in parentheses
-NOTE: 203 of 229 NAIA men’s basketball programs have played at least one game this season.
Concordia
Scoring Offense: 82.4 (45th)
Scoring Defense: 72.6 (57th)
FG% Offense: .471 (T-54th)
FG% Defense: .452 (120th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .345 (T-103rd)
3-pt FG% Defense: .344 (T-109th)
Free Throw%: .708 (T-86th)
Rebound Margin: +4.80 (47th)
Turnover Margin: +1.60 (58th)
Dakota Wesleyan
Scoring Offense: 76.0 (111th)
Scoring Defense: 71.3 (39th)
FG% Offense: .464 (T-67th)
FG% Defense: .435 (T-65th)
3-pt FG% Offense: .350 (T-92nd)
3-pt FG% Defense: .316 (38th)
Free Throw%: .742 (T-28th)
Rebound Margin: +1.44 (89th)
Turnover Margin: +0.6 (83rd)
Protocols for fans
Dakota Wesleyan’s protocols for fans can be found here: https://www.dwuathletics.com/general/2020-21/-1.13.21-_2020-21_DWU_COVID-19_Protocols.pdf.
--NOTE: All GPAC events require fans to wear face coverings. To review specific COVID-19 protocols for the GPAC and its member institutions, visit: http://www.gpacsports.com/gpac-covid19-fan-protocols.
Recent action
The Bulldogs took care of business last week in overpowering a pair of conference opponents situated near the bottom of the league standings. Concordia drained 19 treys in a 106-73 blowout of Hastings on Feb. 17. Four Bulldogs reached double figures in scoring: Carter Kent (19), Gage Smith (17), Justin Wiersema (16) and Sam Scarpelli (12). Kent dished out seven assists while Wiersema dropped six dimes. The Bulldogs have defeated the Broncos in 11 straight meetings. The victory marked the 250th in the coaching career of Ben Limback. Three days later, Concordia celebrated senior day by thumping another in-state rival. Smith totaled 21 points and 13 rebounds in the 84-63 rout of Doane. Wiersema posted 15 points and Kent chipped in with 13. The Bulldogs shot 47.8 percent from the floor. Concordia earned a season sweep of both Doane and Hastings and is 11-1 at home.
Gage Smith’s tear
Over the past eight games, no Concordia player has been more productive than Gage Smith, who may have played his way onto the All-GPAC first team. Over the last eight outings, Smith has averaged 20.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.63 steals per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor. In last week’s action, Smith notched his ninth and 10th double-doubles of the season. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., has developed into a star after averaging 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 2019-20 as a role player. His season averages in 2020-21 have bumped up to 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Wiersema extends streak
The ultra-reliable Justin Wiersema went the entire regular season with 10 points or more in each game. His streak of consecutive games with double figures in scoring has now reached 27 (including the final two contests of 2019-20). Wiersema should be a no-brainer first team all-conference selection. Among GPAC players, he ranks fifth in scoring (16.6), fifth in field goal percentage (.563), fifth in steals per game (1.60), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.414), 11th in assists per game (3.0) and 17th in rebounds per game (5.0). Each of those numbers represent career highs for Wiersema, who has totaled 883 career points as a Bulldog.
Program standards
The 14 GPAC wins have equaled a program single-season record. The figure ties the number posted by the 2004-05 team that placed second in the regular season. The share of third place this season also represents the highest regular season placement for the program since that same ’04-05 campaign. Under Ben Limback, Concordia’s previous high for GPAC wins in a season was 12 produced by the 2019-20 team. The Bulldogs have placed in the top four of the league in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2003-04 / 2004-05.
GPAC tournament history
The program got an important monkey off its back last season when it defeated Northwestern in the GPAC quarterfinals. Prior to that victory, Concordia had not won a GPAC tournament game since 2009. Now the hope is to build off of what the Bulldogs accomplished in 2020 when they toppled Northwestern, Hastings and Dakota Wesleyan in GPAC tournament play. It’s back to the scene of last year’s celebration. In a memorable championship tilt, Concordia edged DWU, 68-66, behind 17 points from Tanner Shuck. In Limback’s tenure (started with the 2013-14 season) alone, the Bulldogs and Tigers have met up four times in the GPAC tournament, including three-straight years from 2015 through 2017. All of those four matchups have taken place at the Corn Palace.
GPAC tournament games at DWU
2020 – W, 68-66 | Championship (Mitchell)
2017 – L, 90-98 | Quarterfinals (Mitchell)
2016 – L, 82-90 | Quarterfinals (Mitchell)
2015 – L, 65-78 | Quarterfinals (Mitchell)
GPAC tournament bracket
Had Morningside defeated Northwestern this past weekend, Concordia would have garnered the No. 2 seed in the bracket. Instead, the Bulldogs will have to hit the road. Below are the GPAC pairings for the quarterfinals.
No. 8 Mount Marty (9-16, 9-11) at No. 8 Morningside (20-4, 16-4), 8 p.m.
No. 5 Concordia (17-8, 14-6) at No. 4 Dakota Wesleyan (18-7, 14-6), 7 p.m.
No. 6 Dordt (18-7, 13-7) at No. 3 Jamestown (18-7, 14-6), 7 p.m.
No. 7 Briar Cliff (12-13, 9-11) at No. 2 Northwestern (20-5, 15-5), 8 p.m.
Scouting Dakota Wesleyan
The Tigers were 4-6 in their previous 10 games before pulling through with a 77-70 win over 21st-ranked Jamestown in the regular-season finale. That victory allowed DWU to host in the GPAC quarterfinals. Star senior guard Nick Harden led the way with 22 points and six assists in the win. A strong defensive team, the Tigers rank second in the GPAC in both scoring defense (71.3) and field goal percentage defense (.435). DWU split two meetings in the regular season with the home team winning in both instances. In the most recent matchup, Tiger forward Ace Zorr posted a career high 30 points.
Looking ahead
Wednesday’s winner will advance to Saturday’s GPAC semifinals and play either No. 1 seed Morningside or eighth-seeded Mount Marty. Tipoff times are to be announced. The GPAC championship game will be held on Tuesday, March 2.
Projected Starters
Concordia (17-8, 14-6)
G – Carter Kent, Jr. (15.2)
G – Sam Scarpelli, Sr. (6.1)
G – Justin Wiersema, Jr. (16.6)
F – Ryan Holt, Sr. (7.6)
F – Gage Smith, Jr. (14.1)
Dakota Wesleyan (18-7, 14-6)
G – Nick Harden, Sr. (17.8)
G – Sawyer Schultz, So. (9.7)
F – Mason Larson, Jr. (11.3)
F – Koln Oppold, Jr. (14.0)
F – Jeffrey Schuch, Jr. (9.7)
Season fades to black at Corn Palace
February 24, 2021
MITCHELL, S.D. – Hopes of repeating last year’s GPAC tournament championship run ended abruptly on Wednesday (Feb. 24). Instead of jubilation at the Corn Palace, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team walked away somberly after a 70-58 defeat in the quarterfinals of the GPAC tournament. Fourth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan’s rugged man-to-man defense got the best of the Bulldogs.
What hurts right now for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is the feeling that this team had the ability to make some noise in the postseason. Instead, Concordia concluded the 2020-21 season at 17-9 overall.
“When the dust settles you look at the entire season the body of work, tying the program record for most wins in the league (with 14),” Limback said. “It was just a fun team to coach. Unfortunately it came to an end too soon, but I’m thankful we had the season we did.”
The offensive production was not there like it was three weeks earlier when the Bulldogs had their way with DWU at home. Concordia actually started Wednesday’s game by going 3-for-6 from 3-point range while leading 15-11 in the opening half. The offense stagnated from that point on and the Tigers won the night in the hustle department. They outrebounded the Bulldogs, 37-28.
Star guard Nick Harden (game high 19 points) and his teammates took all the suspense out of the second half. DWU’s 14-4 run after halftime pushed a six-point lead to a 16-point spread (49-33). The lead grew as large as 24 when Sawyer Shultz poured in a trey with less than four minutes remaining. The Tigers shot 44.4 percent overall (9-for-21 from 3-point range), which was plenty good enough while holding Concordia to a 37.0 percent clip.
“They got a lot of 50-50 balls throughout the game,” Limback said. “I thought they outhustled us in a lot of ways. Offensively we just didn’t get into a good rhythm. Early on I thought the ball was moving pretty well. They’re really good defensively one-on-one and we didn’t handle it very well. We tried to go one-on-one too much. A lot of credit goes to them. They did a great job limiting our attacks to the basket. At that point you’re living and dying by the three.”
The Bulldog top three scorers of Justin Wiersema, Carter Kent and Gage Smith entered the night combining to average 45.9 points per game. They were held to a collective total of 37 (12-for-33 shooting) on Wednesday. Wiersema and Kent paced the team with 13 points apiece. Wiersema scored in double figures in all 26 games this season (and in 28 straight dating back to last season).
It's difficult to think about next season in the immediate aftermath of the loss, but the 2021-22 campaign looks promising for Concordia. Smith became a star in his first season as a starter while growth was shown across the board.
“I felt like we had a lot of guys step up this year,” Limback said. “Gage certainly was a huge one. That’s got to be our mindset going into next year. We really played well at home and saw guys improve individually and collectively as a team. I felt like Justin went up another notch this year and so many guys came on. I’m really proud of these seniors. It’s disappointing right now, but there are a lot of bright spots.”
Dakota Wesleyan (19-7) is no stranger to postseason success having qualified for the national tournament in six-straight seasons. Koln Oppold (14 points and eight rebounds) and Jeffrey Schuch (11 points and 12 rebounds) joined Harden as double-figure scorers.
The GPAC will be rewarded with two automatic berths to the national tournament. Morningside earned one of them as regular season champion while the other is up for grabs. The Mustangs were upset by Mount Marty in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Trio of Kent, Smith, Wiersema pull in All-GPAC honors
March 3, 2021
2020-21 All-GPAC Men’s Basketball Teams
SEWARD, Neb. – Strong seasons from a trio of Concordia University Men’s Basketball standouts have resulted in all-conference honors. As announced by the league on Wednesday (March 3), juniors Justin Wiersema (first team), Carter Kent (second team) and Gage Smith (second team) each landed on the 2020-21 All-GPAC squads. All three Bulldogs averaged 13.9 points or more while starring for Head Coach Ben Limback’s program.
Wiersema took a large step forward in 2020-21 while becoming one of the top players in the entire conference. The native of Loveland, Colo., averaged career highs of 16.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.58 steals per game this season while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 41.0 percent from 3-point range. Among GPAC players, Wiersema ranked fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in scoring, sixth in steals per game, 10th in 3-point field goal percentage and 11th in assists per game. Wiersema moved up to the first team after earning honorable mention All-GPAC accolades in 2019-20. He scored at least 10 points in all 26 games. Wiersema will enter next season having totaled 896 points.
Smith made a quantum leap from his sophomore to junior seasons. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., went from averages of 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2019-20 to 13.9 points and 9.2 rebounds this winter. As part of the breakout campaign, Smith shot 52.6 percent from the floor, 35.7 percent from 3-point range and 82.1 percent from the foul line. In career best single-game outings, Smith posted 32 points in a win over Dakota Wesleyan and 19 rebounds in a victory over Manhattan Christian College (Kan.). He ranked third among GPAC players in both rebounding and double-doubles (10).
Kent has earned some form of all-conference recognition in each of his three seasons having also been named honorable mention in 2018-19 and to the second team in 2019-20. As a junior, the Crete, Neb., averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the foul line. Kent racked up a career high 29 points in a win over Mount Marty. Back on Jan. 9, Kent became the 32nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points (currently at 1,145).
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad finished the 2020-21 campaign with an overall record of 17-9. Concordia’s 14 GPAC wins tied a program single-season record for conference victories. The Bulldogs tied for third place in the conference regular season.
Season-In-Review: 2020-21 Concordia Men's Basketball
March 12, 2021
While the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program fell short of its goal of returning to the national tournament in back-to-back seasons, the 2020-21 Bulldogs proved they could beat anyone in the GPAC. After playing the very last NAIA Division II national tournament game ever (March 12, 2020), Concordia resumed action in late October and proceeded to navigate a relatively normal season, considering the circumstances caused by COVID-19. The likes of Carter Kent, Gage Smith and Justin Wiersema powered the Bulldogs to a tie for third in the GPAC regular season standings.
Under Head Coach Ben Limback, the program has progressed to a healthy position of expecting to be a top four team in the GPAC. Concordia’s ability to remain in the thick of things as one of the league’s upper tier teams, despite significant personnel losses, says a lot.
“The consistency of those three guys (Carter, Gage and Justin) really helped us win 14 league games and tie for third in the league,” Limback said. “We don’t do that without having special players play at a high level. They did that for us throughout the year. When all three were clicking on all cylinders, we were really, really tough to beat. They are in for special senior years (in 2021-22) and they’re already hungry. They are talking about next year and what they want to accomplish. We also have some other guys who might be ready to take that Gage Smith type of leap.”
The Bulldogs finished the season at 17-9 overall. Their 14 GPAC wins equaled a school record for most conference victories in a single season. Concordia certainly did click when playing at Friedrich Arena, where it defeated eight GPAC opponents by double-digit margins. As a sign of the team’s potential, the Bulldogs swept the regular season series from GPAC postseason champion Northwestern, which earned the No. 9 overall seed in the national tournament.
Somehow, Concordia’s postseason fate always seems to depend upon having to win at the Corn Palace. That venue will be remembered by many within the program for the GPAC title celebration that occurred there in 2020, but it was not to be this year. The fifth-seeded Bulldogs struggled mightily on the offensive end and fell at Dakota Wesleyan in the GPAC quarterfinals. It marked the fifth time Concordia has played at Dakota Wesleyan in the GPAC tournament in Limback’s eight years leading his alma mater.
“In other years we may have gotten a higher seed (in the GPAC tournament),” Limback said. “There is great depth in the league this year. The eighth seed (Mount Marty) made it to the championship game. It just shows the strength of our league. There are no gimmes. We certainly have to get better and tougher. We have to be able to win those types of games on the road.”
Despite the quick postseason exit, the Bulldogs have plenty to build upon from this past winter. Wiersema and Smith made quantum leaps forward in their junior campaigns. Both players give opponents fits with their nonstop motors. The team appears to feed off of the energy of Wiersema, who averaged 16.4 points and shot 55.6 percent from the floor this season. He was one of only two GPAC players to score in double figures in every game this season. Limback knew what to expect from Wiersema every time out.
Smith may have been one of the biggest surprises in the entire GPAC. He went from averaging 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore to averages of 13.9 points and 9.2 rebounds as a junior.
Said Limback, “The consistency throughout the year was much improved for Gage. He really came into his own and started to figure out what he could do inside, especially offensively. He always was a solid shooter and perimeter player, but he put on size and strength and worked really hard. He added that inside part to his game. He’s only going to get better. He goes hard every day. It was fun to see his work and his passion come to a head this year.”
In mid-January, Kent moved past 1,000 career points by pouring in a career best 29 points in the win at Mount Marty. The Crete High School product averaged a career best of 15.2 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor. The trio of Kent, Smith and Wiersema were joined in the starting lineup by seniors in point guard Sam Scarpelli and forward Ryan Holt. Both players could end up returning in 2021-22 to use the extra year of eligibility granted by the NAIA.
Scarpelli supplied a confident presence in the backcourt while Holt is a gritty veteran who can do a little bit of everything. The 2020-21 team also got key contributions from its bench performers such as AJ Watson, Klay Uher, Cory Davila, Grant Wragge and Jackson Hirschfeld. Limback believes many of those names will be capable of taking on larger roles in the future. Watson was always good for energy off the bench and Davila possesses intriguing post skills. Wragge and Thomas Young were members of a senior class that helped grow the program over four years. Wragge left a lasting impression with his emphatic alley-oop slam in the finale of the regular season.
The freshman class included Davila and Noah Schutte, another name to watch moving forward. Schutte showcased his athleticism on multiple occasions with monstrous dunks. The rookie group had time to learn and develop behind talented veterans this season.
On paper, Concordia projects as a strong national tournament contender a year from now. That most certainly will be the goal for Kent, Wiersema and company who weren’t too happy about missing out this March. Still, the Bulldogs have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to a 2020-21 season that saw them play a fairly complete regular season (other than the cancellation of CIT) and create lasting memories. Some other programs around the country did not have the same opportunities.
“We’re very blessed,” Limback said. “If you told us four months ago we would play 26 games, win 14 league games and finish tied for third, I think we would all have taken that. God is good and we are very thankful to have had the season we did have.”
Wiersema chosen as All-Nebraska honorary captain
April 27, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – The continued elevation of Justin Wiersema’s game has led to a major award. The first team All-GPAC award winner has been named the honorary captain of the Omaha World-Herald’s Midlands NAIA Men’s Basketball All-Nebraska Team. Wiersema was joined as an All-Nebraska honoree by teammates Gage Smith and Carter Kent (honorable mention).
Wiersema took a large step forward in 2020-21 while becoming one of the top players in the entire conference. The native of Loveland, Colo., averaged career highs of 16.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.58 steals per game this season while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 41.0 percent from 3-point range. Among GPAC players, Wiersema ranked fifth in field goal percentage, sixth in scoring, sixth in steals per game, 10th in 3-point field goal percentage and 11th in assists per game. He scored at least 10 points in all 26 games. Wiersema will enter next season having totaled 896 career points.
Smith made a quantum leap from his sophomore to junior seasons. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., went from averages of 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2019-20 to 13.9 points and 9.2 rebounds this winter. As part of the breakout campaign, Smith shot 52.6 percent from the floor, 35.7 percent from 3-point range and 82.1 percent from the foul line. In career best single-game outings, Smith posted 32 points in a win over Dakota Wesleyan and 19 rebounds in a victory over Manhattan Christian College (Kan.). He ranked third among GPAC players in both rebounding and double-doubles (10).
As a junior, Kent (Crete, Neb.) averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the foul line. Kent racked up a career high 29 points in a win over Mount Marty. Back on Jan. 9, Kent became the 32nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points (currently at 1,145).
NAIA/NCAA DIII Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Team
G — Mason Hiemstra, Hastings, 15.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg
G — Jemeil King, Bellevue, 14.2 ppg, 3.3 apg
G — *Justin Wiersema, Concordia, 16.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg
F — Gage Smith, Concordia, 13.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg
F — Henry Tanksley, Peru State, 17.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Honorable mention: Bellevue: Lewis Hayes. Concordia: Carter Kent. Doane: Jaxon Harre, Anthony Laravie. Hastings: Karson Gansebom, Deshawn Walker. Midland: Laurence Merritt, Jake Rueschhoff, Bo Sandquist. Nebraska Wesleyan: Connor Riekenberg. Peru State: Tyrece Griggs, Skyler Wilson. York: Keyaun Hoskin, Eric Lenear.
Kent named Academic All-District for second straight year
May 9, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second year in a row, Concordia University Men’s Basketball student-athlete Carter Kent has been chosen as an Academic All-District® Team honoree by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Kent landed on the 2020-21 NAIA District 3 team that covers the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The District 3 list is an exclusive one of five team members, including two others from the GPAC.
The 2020-21 Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Teams, selected by CoSIDA, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes basketball honorees in four divisions — NAIA, NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III.
A native of Crete, Neb., Kent continues to carry a spotless 4.0 grade-point average while studying biology. Named the 2018-19 GPAC Freshman of the Year, Kent has now collected second team all-conference accolades in back-to-back seasons. As a junior in 2020-21, Kent averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the foul line. Kent racked up a career high 29 points in a win over Mount Marty this past season. Back on Jan. 9, Kent became the 32nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points (currently at 1,145).
First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team (if applicable) Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in late May.
Kent garners CoSIDA Academic All-American honors
May 25, 2021
SEWARD, Neb. – Announced as an Academic All-District® honoree on May 6, Concordia University Men’s Basketball standout Carter Kent can now call himself an Academic All-American®. Kent landed on the Academic All-America NAIA Men’s Basketball First Team, as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and revealed on Tuesday (May 25). Kent becomes the program’s first Academic All-American since Chandler Folkerts earned the award three-straight years from 2015-17.
The 2020-21 Academic All-District® and All-America® Men's Basketball Teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes basketball honorees in four divisions — NAIA, NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III.
A native of Crete, Neb., Kent continues to carry a spotless 4.0 grade point average while studying biology. Named the 2018-19 GPAC Freshman of the Year, Kent has collected second team all-conference accolades in back-to-back seasons. As a junior in 2020-21, Kent averaged 15.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor, 34.6 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the foul line. Kent racked up a career high 29 points in a win over Mount Marty this past season. Back on Jan. 9, Kent became the 32nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points (currently at 1,145).
Kent is a back-to-back Academic All-District Award winner. In addition to Kent and Folkerts earning multiple CoSIDA academic honors, former Bulldog Tanner Shuck reeled in Academic All-District accolades in 2019 and 2020.
2021-22 Schedule Release: Concordia Men's Basketball
June 17, 2021
2021-22 Men’s Basketball Schedule
SEWARD, Neb. – After playing a reduced nonconference slate in 2020-21, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program will return to a more standard 30-game regular season this coming winter. Head Coach Ben Limback and company have announced their varsity schedule for 2021-22 (as of June 17). The new campaign is set to open up Oct. 29-30 at the Hastings Classic.
This past season, the Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 17-9 while tying for third place in the GPAC regular season. With a 14-6 league mark, the 2020-21 team equaled a program record for most conference wins in a single season. All-GPAC honors went to Justin Wiersema (first team), Carter Kent (second team) and Gage Smith (second team). All three will return this winter.
Concordia will make its first home appearance of 2021-22 when it hosts the annual Cattle Classic (Nov. 5-6). Waldorf University (Iowa) and Benedictine College (Kan.) will serve as the opponents for that event. Additionally, the program looks forward to hosting the Concordia Invitational Tournament, which was wiped out this past season. The 2022 CIT will take place Jan. 28-29 in the newly renamed Friedrich Arena. Another major highlight of the nonconference schedule will be a trip to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the Daytona Beach Shootout just before Christmas.
Wiersema and company will tip off GPAC play on Nov. 13 with a trip to Briar Cliff. As usual, the GPAC regular season is made up of 20 league contests. The GPAC sent three teams to the NAIA national tournament in 2021. The Bulldogs hope to return to the national tournament after appearing on the national stage in 2020.
Dates for the GPAC tournament are set for Feb. 23 for the quarterfinals, Feb. 26 for the semifinals and March 1 for the championship game. The opening round of the national tournament will take place March 11-12 with action at the final site (Kansas City, Mo.) running from March 17-22.
2021-22 Nonconference Opponents
--2020-21 record in parentheses
· Benedictine College (Kan.) (21-7)
· Concordia University, Ann Arbor (8-12) OR Concordia University, Wisconsin (7-5)
· Concordia University, Chicago (5-11)
· Daytona Beach Shootout: two opponents to be determined
· Friends University (Kan.) (8-16)
· Presentation College (S.D.) (4-23)
Waldorf University (Iowa) (5-17)
Forever 22: the Engelbarts
July 6, 2021
In most cases, alumni games can be easily forgotten. But not the Concordia Men’s Basketball alumni game of 21 years ago. The outcome from that contest mattered very little (except to the intense competitors on the floor), but it’s what happened prior to tipoff that brothers Darin and Derek Engelbart will never forget.
Two decades later, that moment continues to symbolize the bond between the Engelbarts, a name that became synonymous with 1990s Bulldog Basketball. Throughout his standout collegiate career from 1992 through 1996, Darin proudly wore No. 22 as the dynamic point guard for Head Coach Grant Schmidt. For three seasons from 1997 through 2000, 6-foot-4 Derek donned 24. That changed late in the fall of 2000 on a day when their father Dennis (also a Concordia alum) even laced up the sneakers.
Explains Darin, “Before the alumni game I go to the cage and I get my jersey. It’s 22. No doubt about it – 22 is what I’m wearing. I wore 22, my dad wore 24 and Derek was expected to wear 24 that game. We go through warmups and then the starting lineups. They announce Derek and I’ll never forget it. He changed to 22. It wasn’t about me. He did it so proudly. That meant a lot to me. It’s a special thing for us. It stayed within our family. Call it a tribute. He felt something when he put on that jersey beyond the Concordia name. There was a Bulldog on it – and that was awesome in itself.”
The small, but impactful gesture stirs up emotion within Darin and Derek to this day. Recalled Derek, “I did it to pay homage to him and his teammates. It was a tip of a cap to those guys who paved the way for me. Our era of guys wanted to emulate what they did.”
Though they were never teammates, the Engelbarts lived Concordia Basketball through each other. They share a reverence for the program, for its winning tradition and most importantly, for the relationships that were formed. They were also really good on the court. No other brother combo in program history has ever reached the 1,000-point club. Darin finished with 1,335 points while Derek accumulated 1,105. Over a 10-year period, there was an Engelbart on the roster for nine of those seasons.
As Derek’s career wound down in the early 2000s, Schmidt wrote, “The Engelbarts have definitely left a mark on this program that will be remembered and respected for many years.”
Both Lincoln, Neb., natives, the Engelbarts starred on the hardwood at Lincoln Northeast High School. Out of high school, Darin made the decision to head to the University of Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA Division II at the time) to play basketball. The course of his career quickly changed when he transferred to Concordia after one semester and hopped into action for the trailblazing 1991-92 team that reached the NAIA national semifinals.
Darin was the real deal. By the 1992-93 season he had become a significant contributor on the way to landing in the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame, as he did in 2011. His 657 career assists remain a program record. Darin earned Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors following the 1994-95 season that saw the Bulldogs rise as high as No. 2 in the NAIA Division II national poll. That ’94-95 squad has also been recognized with Concordia Hall of Fame induction. Darin still remembers the first time he practiced with his new Bulldog teammates and the intensity of it while surrounded by future Hall of Famers such as John Puelz, Devin Smith and Mike Works.
“When I reflect back it’s always about the relationships that you build with your teammates,” Darin said. “Road trips were always great because of the fun you have and the conversations you have. That year (1992) we went to the final four it was in Texas. We had a couple days of a break so we went out and found this field and played whiffle ball. We just did fun things like that as a team.”
After a season (1996-97) without an Engelbart, Derek enrolled at Concordia in the fall of 1997, on the heels of helping Lincoln Northeast to an impressive string of state championships. Derek served as a role player his first two seasons before averaging 16.1 points per game as both a junior and senior. He was voted the Team’s MVP in 2000-01 when he spurred the Bulldogs to an appearance in the NAIA national round of 16. At that time, Derek and his teammates referred to the rivalries with Doane and Nebraska Wesleyan as the “triangle of hate.” Derek laughs when recalling how Doane students used to bring their own furniture into the fieldhouse in Crete and sit directly behind the opposition’s basket.
Darin had reserved a particular level of disdain for Wesleyan. It was a big deal to knock off that school in Lincoln. Darin remembered having some of his best games against Wesleyan (such as the 27-point outburst in a 97-88 Concordia win over NWU in January 1995). Meanwhile, Derek reveled in toppling a fine Wesleyan team (that advanced to the national title game) on its own senior day. Because Darin had played at Concordia, Nebraska Wesleyan coaches assumed that Derek had already made up his mind about becoming a Bulldog.
“We got wound up for those Wesleyan games mainly because we were Lincoln kids,” Derek said. “You had a lot of former teammates or opponents from high school that were playing for Wesleyan. If I looked at a rivalry, it was them. Of course you had Doane too with them being so close. There was always kind of a rivalry too with Hastings between Grant Schmidt and Mike Trader (former Bronco coach). Those conference rivalries were unmatched, and it was high-caliber basketball.”
The Engelbarts are associated with a glorious time in Concordia Men’s Basketball history. They played alongside many of the other program’s all-time greats and remain deeply connected to Concordia. Current men’s basketball coach Ben Limback’s college playing career overlapped with both Engelbarts and women’s basketball coach Drew Olson was a teammate with Derek. Furthermore, everyone who surfaced during the era of 1989-2012 played under Schmidt. Everyone has a Coach Schmidt story.
Says Derek, “The more you look back on it, you feel his influence. It was about playing for each other and having pride and playing for the guys who came before you. He had a passion for not only the sport of basketball, but for Concordia in particular. I think that was contagious. He made things enjoyable. As intense and passionate as things could get at times, there were always so many fun moments. I could remember him, (assistants) Devin (Smith) and Micah (Parker) laughing uncontrollably at times on road trips and the light moments in practice that would happen. He would always be there for us.”
Derek and his teammates respected Schmidt to the point that they even bought him a milkshake and a card after he had earned a milestone coaching win on the road. Said Derek, “You don’t get that unless guys care and have a bond for their coach.”
Darin went so far to suggest that a book should be written about Coach Schmidt’s career and personal impact upon his players. Said Darin, “I don’t think there was any coach who knew his personnel and players as well as he did. He’s a man of faith and integrity.” A story that came to mind for Darin involved a mishap on a road trip. The van Darin was riding in hit a patch of ice, spun out and rolled into the ditch along Interstate-80. On a frigid winter day, Schmidt, who was in a van in front of the one that lost control, came sprinting towards the scene to check on his players. “It was like a parent making sure his kids were okay,” Darin said. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Some of the post-graduate successes of Darin and Derek can be traced back to these days, which were some of the best of their lives. A conversation Darin, then a college freshman, had with his father set in motion a different course for the Engelbarts, and for Concordia Basketball. Darin wanted to transfer to Concordia and a talk with his father provided the blessing he needed. Now here they are in 2021, still beaming with pride that both had the opportunity to experience life as student-athletes at Concordia.
Says Derek, “Darin did influence my decision to go there, but he wasn’t in my face about it. He let me make my own decision. I embraced being in my big brother’s shadow. I got to Lincoln Northeast and I was Darin’s little brother. You’re playing the same sports and you have the same coaches. Then when it comes to a college choice, it was like, ‘I’m going to go there and be Engelbart’s little brother again.’ That didn’t bother me. That was an honor to be called his brother.”
Darin joked that it would take hours to discuss the relationship between he and his brother and their bond over the game of basketball. Said Darin, “The memories are cherished. Derek and I started playing basketball in the driveway and at our elementary school. Our dad was the principal so we were the first ones there and the last ones to leave. We even played in our kitchen area – we had a nerf hoop in there. He was an inspiration to me even though he was younger. He was on state championship high school teams as part of a four-peat. I was in college at the time and that inspired me to be better. Whether he knows it or not, he was always an inspiration to me.”
In turn, it's likely the Engelbarts inspired the Bulldogs that came after them. In that packed old gym that also produced fond memories, the Engelbarts supplied plenty of thrills. When it comes to the Engelbarts, the heartfelt connection with Concordia will live on. Before wrapping up an interview that called to mind all these memories, Darin exclaimed, “Go Dawgs!” Added Derek, “Concordia Athletics is special to a lot of people.”
The Engelbarts are forever No. 22 and are forever a cherished brother duo in Concordia Basketball history.