Nov. 22, 2022
The loss snapped a 23-game home win streak for Head Coach Ben Limback’s program. During that run, Concordia (5-1, 3-1 GPAC) had beaten the Jimmies twice inside Friedrich Arena.
One could sense early on that this wasn’t going to be the Bulldogs’ night. Even the open looks that Concordia got would not fall. Jamestown proved to be the more energetic and aggressive team and even had a first half possession in which it hauled in four offensive rebounds. Of course Walters is typically always going to get his numbers, but the Jimmies also netted 13 3-point field goals and owned a 44-38 rebounding advantage for the night.
Too much of the onus fell upon the Bulldog frontcourt to generate offense. Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith notched 17 points apiece. Tristan Smith tried to keep Concordia afloat by attacking the rim for 13 of his points in the opening half. His older brother Gage Smith contributed seven points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Meanwhile, the starting backcourt combined for five points on 2-for-6 shooting from the floor. The Bulldogs did manage to get to the line for 25 free throws (made 17).
Jamestown (5-1, 2-1 GPAC) pushed the lead to as many as 33 points in the second half, which felt like a scrimmage in its latter stages. Walters powered home 33 points and added nine rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Three other Jimmie starters reached double figure in the scoring column: Reid Gastner (13), Cole Woodford (13) and Marc Kjos (10). Gastner pulled in nine rebounds of his own in narrowly missing a double-double. Jamestown shot 47.3 percent (35-for-74) for the game.
This was a rematch of the 2022 GPAC tournament title game won by Concordia, 77-70. The Bulldogs won all three meetings with the Jimmies during the 2021-22 season. Prior to Tuesday, the most recent Concordia home loss came to Morningside on Jan. 16, 2021.
The Bulldogs will attempt to regroup on Saturday as they head to Forest City, Iowa, for a 3 p.m. CT matchup with Waldorf University (3-4). The two sides met last season at the Cattle Classic with the result being an 89-72 win for Concordia.
Nov. 26, 2022
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad moved to 6-1 overall while staying perfect outside of league play (3-0). Concordia has beaten Waldorf, a North Star Athletic Association member, in back-to-back seasons.
“Coming into this game, it is a tough one because it’s sandwiched between conference games and right after Thanksgiving,” Limback said. “You have a little rust you have to shake off. I thought seeing us in warmups, our approach was good. The first half we gave up too many second-chance points and didn’t rebound well enough. Second half, we did a much better job converting our defense into offense.”
The Warriors (3-5) stayed within a single-digit margin for most of the first half and trailed 44-34 at the break. That was as good as it was going to get for Waldorf, which allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 54.9 percent (39-for-71) from the floor. The Elkhorn, Neb., native Bennett nearly matched the eight 3-point field goals he made earlier this season versus Ottawa University (Kan.) as he buried seven long balls on Saturday. Bennett dialed up from long distance at the 19:21, 17:40, 14:24, 13:46 and 12:44 marks of the second half. By the final Bennett triple, Concordia had constructed an insurmountable 69-42 lead.
That kind of perimeter shooting makes the Bulldogs an exceptionally tough team to handle. As usual, the frontcourt was stellar with Noah Schutte (19), Tristan Smith (18) and Gage Smith (12) each scoring in double figures. Tristan also dished out five assists and led the charge during the first half. Older brother Gage added 11 rebounds and seven assists to his stat line. Off the bench, freshman Zac Kulus made the most of five minutes of action as he went 3-for-4 from long range and notched nine points. Twelve Bulldogs registered in the scoring column.
“We did a really good job in the second half of getting in transition and also getting paint touches before we took threes,” Limback said. “That’s when we find our rhythm. Brad Bennett got loose on some kickouts and some hustle plays. He certainly had a great overall game. When you have 29 assists and only four turnovers, you’re making those extra passes like we’ve been talking about. When you move it like that, guys can start to get into a rhythm.”
The combination of prolific shooting and clean passing (only four turnovers) was more than enough to get the job done. Waldorf did manage to outrebound Concordia, 34-32. The top scorer for the Warriors was Jevon Taylor (10 points and eight rebounds). Waldorf has dropped four in a row since its 3-1 start.
The Bulldogs will get back to conference play on Wednesday with a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff with Morningside (6-1, 2-1 GPAC). Concordia took two of three meetings last season with the Mustangs, who saw their 2021-22 season end with a loss in Seward in the GPAC quarterfinals. Morningside has already defeated two ranked foes outside of conference play this season.
Nov. 28, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – This week will provide a strong indicator of where the 23rd-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team stands in relation to its conference competition. The Bulldogs were able to put behind their first loss of the season (a 90-59 blowout at the hands of No. 5 Jamestown) this past weekend by bouncing back with a 103-61 win at Waldorf University (Iowa). Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad sits at 6-1 overall (3-1 GPAC) heading into this week’s matchups with Morningside and Northwestern.
This Week
Wednesday, Nov. 30 at Morningside (6-2, 2-1 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Live Webcast | Live Stats | Max Country | Location: Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center (Sioux City, Iowa)
Saturday, Dec. 3 vs. Northwestern (6-2, 1-1 GPAC), 3:45 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· The showdown last week with Jamestown is one the Bulldogs will try to learn from. It was rough from the start as Concordia found itself down 34-12 while struggling to shoot from the perimeter – and to keep the Jimmies off the glass. The Bulldogs wound up shooting 33.9 percent (20-for-59) overall and made only 2-of-19 attempts from 3-point range. On the other side, Mason Walters filled the stat sheet like he normally does, as he went for 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Concordia was led by the 17 points apiece from Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. Gage Smith added seven points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Jamestown (7-1, 2-1 GPAC) shot 47.3 percent from the floor and netted 13 treys. The loss snapped a 23-game home win streak for the Bulldogs.
· Just after the Thanksgiving holiday, Concordia regained its mojo while running away from Waldorf in the second half. Once again, Brad Bennett got microwave oven hot as he went 7-for-9 from 3-point range on his way to a game high 25 points. After building a somewhat modest 44-34 halftime lead, the Bulldogs poured it on in the second half when they outscored the Warriors, 59-27. Three Concordia players joined Bennett in double figures: Schutte (19), Tristan Smith (18) and Gage Smith (12). Gage also grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out seven assists. Off the bench, Zac Kulus made the most of his five minutes of action and drained 3-of-4 3-point attempts for nine points. The Bulldogs shot 54.9 percent from the field while limiting Waldorf to 34.3 percent shooting. Concordia also defeated the Warriors last season at the Cattle Classic.
· Bennett’s 3-point stroke is something to behold. The Elkhorn, Neb., native also went 8-for-9 from beyond the arc in the 86-82 win over Ottawa University (Kan.) on Nov. 5. On the season, Bennett has made 23-of-44 (.523) attempts from long range. He ranks second among GPAC players in 3-point field goals per game (3.3) and in 3-point shooting percentage. At some point, Bennett might just break the program record for 3-point field goals in a single game. His eight against Ottawa equaled a feat also accomplished by past Bulldogs Josh Dahlke, John Puelz, Ryan Shrum and Bret Walter. Bennett has started in each of the past three games.
· Schutte has simply been steady and consistently good from game to game. The Laurel, Neb., native was recognized as the GPAC Player of the Week on Nov. 22. Schutte has scored at least 17 points in all seven games this season with a high of 26 versus Ottawa. He’s averaging 19.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the floor and 85.4 percent from the foul line. Schutte has increased his averages from last season: 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds. Schutte is one of four Bulldogs averaging in double figures in scoring. The others are Tristan Smith (14.1), Bennett (12.9) and Gage Smith (12.3).
· Gage Smith is currently the conference leader with an average of 11.4 rebounds per game. With 80 rebounds this season, Gage has pushed his career total to 714, a figure which ranks No. 7 in program history. This past weekend, he leapt Porter Birtell (712) on that list. Next up is Devin Smith (729) at No. 6. Meanwhile, Gage’s younger brother Tristan could end up as one of the breakout stars of the conference this season. Tristan is averaging 14.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game while moving into the starting lineup.
· There may be a bit of movement this week in the GPAC ratings. The Jimmies bounced back from their only loss (versus Dakota Wesleyan on Nov. 16) and went 3-0 this past week with three wins over teams either ranked or receiving votes nationally. In addition, Hastings (8-0, 2-0 GPAC) and Morningside (6-2, 2-1 GPAC) have made waves with their strong starts. The Broncos are the only team in the league that has yet to lose a GPAC game.
The opponents
Morningside slipped to 14-12 overall (11-9 GPAC) last season and missed the national tournament for the first time since 2017. Head Coach Trent Miller’s squad has started strong and has two top 25 wins outside of conference – over No. 16 Carroll College (Mont.) and No. 14 Indiana Wesleyan University. The Mustangs have four players averaging in double figures: Joey Skoff (17.9), Ely Doble (15.1), Jack Dotzler (13.3) and Trey Powers (10.6). Morningside has regrouped after saying goodbye to First Team All-GPAC honoree Zach Imig. The Mustangs are averaging 76.8 points and allowing 69.1. Concordia won two of three matchups last season with Morningside, including their GPAC quarterfinal meeting.
A national qualifier in 2022, Northwestern finished the 2021-22 season at 21-11 overall (13-7 GPAC). This is year 23 for Kris Korver as head coach of his alma mater. He led the program to NAIA Division II national titles in 2001 and 2003. The current squad is led by star post player Alex Van Kalsbeek, who has sat out the past four games. The team’s leading scorer has been NCAA Division II transfer guard Dillon Carlson, who is averaging 20.1 points per game while shooting 46.3 percent from 3-point range. Concordia won six-straight series meetings with Northwestern before the Red Raiders got the upper hand in last season’s matchup in Orange City. Northwestern will host Briar Cliff on Wednesday before traveling to Seward on Saturday.
Next week
The Bulldogs will welcome Mount Marty to Seward on Dec. 7 and will then play at Hastings on Dec. 10. The month of December will feature four GPAC games and three nonconference contests, including the game at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Dec. 20.
Bulldogs fall despite Gage Smith's triple-double at Morningside Nov. 30, 2022
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Gage Smith produced a triple-double on Wednesday (Nov. 30) evening at Morningside, but even that wasn’t enough for the 19th-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team to claim victory. Host Morningside benefited from a plus-seven turnover margin while pulling out the 69-62 victory at Allee Gym in Sioux City, Iowa. The Bulldogs had tried to overcome 4-for-18 shooting from the perimeter.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has dropped back-to-back conference games while slipping to 6-2 overall (3-2 GPAC). There were some positive takeaways, but Concordia felt like it shot itself in the foot too often.
“Defensively we were good enough tonight,” Limback said. “Offensively, when you shoot 52 percent and you hold the other team to 69 points, you win a lot of those games. We just turned it over too much. I thought that was the bottom line. Down the stretch is when we made some critical ones, the last four minutes. We have to be better on the execution side of things. It’s tough, but I thought the effort was there. We just didn’t take care of the ball.”
The effort from Gage Smith is never a question. His nonstop motor revved up like a diesel engine while he totaled 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a performance that marked the first triple-double by a Bulldog during Limback’s tenure that began with the 2013-14 season. The toughness inside of the Smith brothers and Noah Schutte (who played through pain) gave Concordia a shot. The Bulldogs hung within striking distance all night and fought back to tie the game in the second half after trailing by nine.
Then came a rash of turnovers and empty offensive possessions in the final four minutes. Morningside’s Will Pottebaum stepped up and drained a back-breaking trey at the 2:05 mark to push the home team lead to 67-58. Missed free throws by the Mustangs left the door open just a crack – Concordia had an open look at a three down 67-62 with just under 30 ticks left on the clock. Morningside (7-2, 3-1 GPAC) earned its third win over a top 25 team on the strength of 17 points from Ely Doble.
Tristan Smith equaled his brother in the scoring column with 18 points (on 8-for-10 shooting). Schutte grinded out 10 points while playing 34 minutes. The backcourt of Brad Bennett and Garrett Seagren combined for 13 points. A stellar defensive stopper, Seagren swiped two steals. The Bulldogs lost despite advantages in shooting percentage (51.9 to 50.0) and rebounding (31-27).
Said Limback of Gage Smith’s outing, “He had an amazing effort and defensively he played his tail off. I thought Noah gave us some good stuff even though he’s banged up. Certainly T-Ray was a big part of our run. I thought when he picked up his fourth foul that was a big moment. We have to bounce back. It was a good road test for us.”
The Bulldogs will return home to host Northwestern (7-2, 2-1 GPAC) at 3:45 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Red Raiders received votes in the NAIA poll earlier this season after reaching the national tournament this past March. Concordia and Northwestern split their two regular season meetings last season with the home team triumphing by double-digit margins in both contests.
Depth on display in rocking of Red Raiders Dec. 3, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – The bench came through with one of its best performances of the season and an overall stingy defensive effort allowed the 19th-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team to rule the day. The Bulldogs held visiting Northwestern to 31.1 percent shooting while cruising to an 81-55 victory on Saturday (Dec. 3). AJ Watson paced Concordia with 17 points and the bench combined for 31 points.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad shook off Wednesday’s loss at Morningside and moved to 7-2 overall (4-2 GPAC).
“Defensively, I thought we did a great job,” Limback said. “We just needed to finish. I thought our offense was better in the second half. We got some transition opportunities and I thought our bench – Joel (Baker), Logan (Wilson) and Payson (Gillespie) gave us a good spark. Too many turnovers prevented us from breaking it open earlier, but a lot of credit to Northwestern. They’re physical defensively. Once we got some threes and got to the free throw line, that made the difference.”
Northwestern got within 43-40 early in the second half before the Bulldogs made it a runaway thanks to a 24-5 run capped by Baker raining in a shot from long range. Concordia combined strong 3-point shooting (14-for-34) with gritty work on the glass (43-34 rebound advantage) while limiting the Red Raiders well below their season scoring average of 87.6. Northwestern (7-3, 2-2 GPAC) were once again without All-American big man Alex Van Kalsbeek.
Tristan Smith took advantage and enjoyed a fine night that included 16 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists. “T-Ray,” as his teammates call him, got loose with a steal and a one-hand dunk that punctuated the dominant second half run. On the defensive end, Garrett Seagren drew the task of defending top Red Raider scorer Dillon Carlson, who finished 4-for-13 with 14 points on Saturday.
“I would say the key was swinging the ball,” Tristan Smith said. “Coach talks about getting third-side reversals because it creates a lot of long closeouts. Payson came off the bench hit some big ones for us to allow us to push it from 10 to 20. Working as a team offensively helped a lot and getting offensive rebounds led to kickout threes. The bench was huge today.”
Of course it helps to have Watson back at the point guard spot. He swiped three steals and dished out three assists in addition to playing strong defensively. Concordia is at its best when Watson is too. Baker (12) and Gage Smith (10) also reached double figures in scoring. Three days after his triple-double, Gage Smith posted five assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks while again stuffing the stat sheet. Gillespie and Wilson both went 2-for-3 from 3-point range while combining for 14 points. Standout Noah Schutte was limited to 17 minutes as Limback attempts to get him closer to 100 percent health.
Said Limback, “We have a lot to clean up. We can always improve, but I really liked our defense tonight. I thought Garrett did a good job on their leading scorer to make it hard and we controlled the glass again.”
Northwestern, a 2022 national qualifier, received votes in the NAIA preseason poll. The Red Raiders were led on Saturday by 18 points from Craig Sterk. He and Carlson combined for 32 of the team’s 55 points.
The Bulldogs will be back at Friedrich Arena on Wednesday to host Mount Marty (5-7, 2-4 GPAC) for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff. The most recent meeting between the two programs resulted in a 70-67 overtime upset for the Lancers in Yankton, S.D. Mount Marty has won league games this season over Dakota Wesleyan and Midland.
Concordia set to take on Mount Marty, Hastings Dec. 5, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off an 81-55 win over Northwestern, the 19th-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team will look to string some victories together heading into another week of conference play. The Bulldogs got a little closer to full strength following their 69-62 loss at Morningside on Nov. 30. The 1-1 week leaves Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad at 7-2 overall (4-2 GPAC). In the jumbled up league standings, there are seven GPAC teams with exactly two conference losses. The Bulldogs now face matchups with Mount Marty and Hastings.
This Week
Wednesday, Dec. 7 vs. Mount Marty (5-7, 2-4 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Saturday, Dec. 10 at Hastings (8-2, 2-2 GPAC), 3:45 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | Max Country | Location: Lynn Farrell Arena (Hastings, Neb.)
By the numbers
· The Bulldogs have appeared in each of the first two NAIA coaches’ polls of the 2022-23 regular season. Concordia landed at No. 23 in the poll released on Nov. 16 and then jumped up to 19th in the poll unveiled on Nov. 30. That No. 19 ranking is actually higher than the 2021-22 national quarterfinalist Bulldog squad appeared at any point last season (there was no postseason poll released). It’s also the highest the program has been ranked in a national poll since the 2008-09 squad was placed at No. 17 during that campaign. The next poll is slated to be released on Dec. 14. Under Limback, Concordia has finished three seasons as a team either ranked or receiving votes nationally (2016-17, 2019-20 and 2021-22).
· The Bulldogs defeated Morningside twice at home last season but winning in Sioux City has never been an easy task. Concordia lost on last week’s road trip, 69-62, despite shooting 51.9 percent from the floor. The Bulldogs were unable to overcome a minus-seven turnover margin and offensive struggles down the stretch of the game. On the plus side, Gage Smith produced a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Brother Tristan Smith added 18 points and three rebounds. Noah Schutte chipped in with 10 points while playing in pain. The Mustangs (8-2, 4-1 GPAC) got 17 points from Ely Doble and shot much better from 3-point range (8-for-25 compared to 4-for-18).
· Stifling defensive play and strong rebounding made for a runaway, 81-55, against Northwestern three days later. The Red Raiders were limited to 31.1 percent shooting and were outrebounded, 43-34. Four Concordia players scored in double figures: AJ Watson (17), Tristan Smith (16), Joel Baker (12) and Gage Smith (10). Tristan’s stat line included eight rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists. Watson also swiped three steals in what was his first outing since Nov. 16. The victors went 14-for-34 (.412) from 3-point range. The Bulldogs have won seven of the past eight series meetings with Northwestern.
· According to available records, it had been nearly a quarter century since a Concordia Men’s Basketball player had achieved a triple-double. Gage Smith’s triple-double was the first for a Bulldog since Ben Limback posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in an 83-73 win over Hastings on Feb. 7, 1998. For those who aren’t aware, Coach Limback had game. A true stat-sheet stuffer, Limback was named the 1998-99 NIAC Player of the Year while averaging 14.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game that season. As for Gage Smith, he’s notched 20 career double-doubles and his 730 career rebounds rank in a tie for No. 5 in program history (he surpassed Devin Smith, 729, this past weekend). The program’s top four rebounders are Matt List (928), Chandler Folkerts (868), Scott Beck (781) and Jon Zeigler (762).
· The 6-foot-5 Tristan Smith has been better than advertised in his first season as a starter. Through nine games in 2022-23, he’s averaging 14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor. While coming off the bench for last season’s GPAC championship team, Tristan averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds and became most well-known for his dramatic alley-oop layup that lifted Concordia over Briar Cliff in a pivotal late season game at home. He’s more than just a good athlete. Tristan has scored in double figures in eight of the season’s first nine games and has notched at least 16 points in each of the past four outings.
· Defense and rebounding have been the facets of the game that these Bulldogs have hung their hats on to this point. Among all NAIA teams, the Bulldogs rank first in defensive rebounds per game (33.0), seventh in opponents field goal percentage (.378), 10th in opponents 3-point field goal percentage (.257) and 12th in total rebounds per game (41.9). Not surprisingly, Concordia’s top rebounders are its frontcourt starters: Gage Smith (10.7), Noah Schutte (6.0) and Tristan Smith (5.9). Gage is leading the GPAC in rebounds per game. Somewhat of an unsung hero, Garrett Seagren has drawn praise from Limback for his defensive prowess in the backcourt.
The opponents
Mount Marty has competed closely within GPAC play and has secured wins over Dakota Wesleyan and Midland. This is year two for Head Coach Collin Authier as the leader of the program. The Lancers are hoping to make progress following last season’s 7-22 (3-17 GPAC) campaign. One of the highlights of last season was the 70-67 overtime upset of Concordia in Yankton. That was the most recent matchup between the two sides. Last season’s meeting in Seward was won by the Bulldogs, 87-72. The ’22-23 Mount Marty team is averaging 72.8 points while allowing 76.1. The leading scorer is Tash Lunday at 20.5 points per game.
Hastings has gotten a jolt from a new Head Coach in Todd Raridon (who entered this season with 33 prior years of college head coaching experience) and a revamped roster. The Broncos raced to an 8-0 start before road losses this past weekend to No. 6 Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan. The eight victories have already matched the program’s win total from 2021-22 when it went 7-23 overall (2-18 GPAC). Concordia has won 13 consecutive meetings over Hastings, a squad it got a good look at earlier this season at the Cattle Classic. Freshman guard Reggie Thomas is averaging 20.7 points per game.
Next week
Final exams will take place next week at Concordia. As such, the lone outing will be on Dec. 15 when Doane visits Friedrich Arena.
Interior advantage pulls Bulldogs through in GPAC home win Dec. 7, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Some familiar themes repeated themselves on Wednesday (Dec. 7) as the 19th-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team used its muscle inside to gain the advantage over Mount Marty. Those areas of strength allowed the Bulldogs to absorb a strong push from the Lancers and win, 86-64, inside Friedrich Arena. It took roughly 38 minutes for Concordia to feel like it had put away Mount Marty, which twice drew within seven during the second half.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won back-to-back GPAC home games while pushing the overall mark to 8-2 (5-2 GPAC). The Bulldogs have won 25 of their last 26 home contests.
“We got the result we wanted, but I didn’t feel like we were very in-tune to the game today,” Limback said. “We kind of muddled around the first half and gave up some threes we knew they could shoot. We weren’t sharp. Second half, I thought we gave pretty good effort. I thought their freshman (Tash) Lunday had a great second half and got it going, which kept things interesting. We weren’t very good offensively, but I told them, you get a win and still score 86, that’s how fortunate we are.”
That second half surge Concordia hoped for finally came late in the action. Mount Marty still had a puncher’s chance when Lincoln Jordre’s bucket made it a 10-point game (71-61) with just over six minutes to play. The Bulldogs responded with their best stretch of the night as they finished the game on a 15-3 run that began with Payson Gillespie’s driving layup. Gillespie and Brad Bennett knocked in a trey apiece during the spurt and finally, AJ Watson and Tristan Smith provided a treat for those who stuck it out to the finish. On the game’s final basket, Watson lobbed an alley-oop in transition to T-Ray, who emphatically slammed the ball home with the right hand.
In the end, Concordia’s frontcourt was too much for another opponent. The Bulldogs owned the glass (38-22) and got a combined 52 points from Tristan Smith (20), Noah Schutte (18) and Gage Smith (14). Gage just missed a double-double as he snared nine rebounds while little brother Tristan snagged seven rebounds. The energetic Watson ran the show and added 11 points, five assists and three steals. Off the bench, Bennett got hot and poured in 18 points while making 4-of-5 shots from deep.
The impressive freshman Lunday produced right at his season scoring average (20.5) with a game high 21 points. The Lancers (5-8, 2-5 GPAC) got behind by 14 points early in the second half and then trailed by as little as seven points (60-53) with less than nine minutes remaining. Mount Marty had hoped to stun the Bulldogs the way they did last season in Yankton – a 70-67 overtime win.
Schutte looked closer to form on Wednesday as he has fought through pain in recent action. Said Limback, “He’s getting healthier. You could see it tonight. He’s one of those guys who can move and manufacture buckets inside. I thought Brad Bennett was really good again and gave us some good stuff. Payson certainly hit two big shots for us. We score 86, but it just didn’t feel like Bulldog Basketball. That’s something we have to address and know that we have to be better.”
The Bulldogs will attempt to continue their series dominance of Hastings (9-2, 3-2 GPAC) on Saturday when the two sides meet inside Lynn Farrell Arena for a 3:45 p.m. CT tipoff. Concordia has won each of the past 13 matchups with the Broncos, who have a new head coach in Todd Raridon. Hastings began this season at 8-0 while surpassing its win total from 2021-22 (7-23 overall).
Series win streak ended in pulse-pounder at Hastings Dec. 10, 2022
HASTINGS, Neb. – Two clutch treys in the closing minute allowed rival Hastings to erase a four-point deficit and break up the series stranglehold the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program previously held. Phil Cisrow’s 3-point field goal with less than 10 seconds remaining provided the final tallies as the Broncos won, 70-68, inside Lynn Farrell Arena on Saturday (Dec. 10). The Bulldogs had won 13 straight meetings with Hastings.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad slipped to 8-3 overall (5-3 GPAC) while up against a vastly improved Bronco squad. No. 19 Concordia went 1-1 during a week that included an 86-64 home win over Mount Marty.
“Certainly we had some fight in that second half, but our message was that we just can’t come out that way in this league,” Limback said. “I give a lot of credit to Hastings. They outplayed and outcoached us in all areas in the first half. Second half, we settled in but they hit a big shot down the stretch and we didn’t. We didn’t deserve this one. You hate to keep learning those lessons, but we have to be better from the start.”
The deficit ballooned to as many as 13 points before the Bulldogs stormed back and eventually took the lead (58-55) on Brad Bennett’s trey at the 7:21 mark of the second half. It became a GPAC white knuckler from there. In the final few minutes, both Gage Smith and Noah Schutte powered their way to three-point plays. The latter one by Smith made it a 68-64 Concordia lead heading into the final minute.
That’s when the Broncos broke Bulldog hearts with a triple apiece from Grady Corrigan and Cisrow. Concordia had one last chance down by two but had a potential game-tying shot blocked at the buzzer. Hastings point guard Reggie Thomas (24 points, eight rebounds and five assists) emerged as the star of the night. Not since Jan. 20, 2016, had the Bulldogs suffered a loss to the Broncos.
A switch to zone defense helped Concordia gain some traction, but Limback still left disappointed by the first half performance. Hastings led at the break, 37-26.
Said Limback, “We were just trying to get some momentum. Their point guard was doing really well and we were having problems keeping him out of the lane. We just tried to switch some things up, and it gave us a little momentum and allowed us to get in transition a little bit easier. It wasn’t enough. We still had too many turnovers and we have to look at what that was about. Valuing the ball is going to be a big key going forward and we have to fight through some of those screens defensively.”
The Broncos (10-2, 4-2 GPAC) overcame a 20-point outing for Schutte, who went 7-for-8 from the floor. Gage Smith finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Bennett and Garrett Seagren also reached double figures with 10 points apiece. Tristan Smith added seven points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots while AJ Watson contributed seven points and three assists. Concordia fell despite shooting 50 percent (27-for-54) from the floor and holding a 33-29 rebound advantage.
Hastings has already gone well beyond its total of seven wins in 2021-22. The starters played nearly all of the minutes for the Broncos, who got 14 points from Corrigan, 11 from Evan Kingston and 10 from Cisrow.
The Bulldogs will have a bit of a breather before entertaining Doane (7-5, 4-2 GPAC) inside Friedrich Arena on Thursday. Game time is set for 7:45 p.m. CT. In their most recent GPAC outing, the Tigers upset sixth-ranked Jamestown, 83-79, in North Dakota. Concordia defeated Doane in two of the three 2021-22 matchups with both victories coming at home.
Concordia-Doane matchup to wrap up semester's final week on campus Dec. 12, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – The final week of the fall 2022 semester has arrived on the Concordia campus. Once exams are in the books, the Bulldog Men’s Basketball team can shift complete focus to Thursday evening’s home matchup with rival Doane. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. CT from Friedrich Arena. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has experienced an up-and-down ride of late. In last week’s action, Concordia protected the home court with an 86-64 win over Mount Marty before being upset on the road, 70-68, by Hastings. The 19th-ranked Bulldogs enter the week at 8-3 overall (5-3 GPAC).
This Week
Thursday, Dec. 15 vs. Doane (7-5, 4-2 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· There’s enough parity in the league that fans and observers ought to expect the unexpected at this point. While the Bulldogs are 3-3 over their last six games, those three losses have come against teams that are a combined 29-7 overall this season. Other than Midland (0-7 GPAC), every other team in the GPAC has won at least two league games and every team has dropped at least two GPAC contests. It’s been unpredictable to the point that co-2021-22 GPAC regular season champion Briar Cliff has started out 2-4 in conference despite returning most of its pieces from last season.
· Limback will look back at both of last week’s outings and likely feel as though his team started out a bit underwhelming. In the win over Mount Marty (5-9, 2-6 GPAC), Concordia did gain some separation late in the first half. Then finally, the Bulldogs closed the game on a 15-3 run that put it out of reach. The highlight of the evening came on a Tristan Smith alley-oop dunk via a lob from AJ Watson. Tristan finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. Four teammates joined him in double figures in scoring: Noah Schutte (18), Gage Smith (14) and Watson (11). Concordia shot 53.4 percent from the floor and had its way on the boards, 38-22.
· The 13-game series win streak over Hastings has fallen by the wayside. The Bulldogs spent much of this past Saturday afternoon playing catch-up on the road. Concordia looked like it might escape with a win when Gage Smith’s three-point play made it a 68-64 lead with a minute to play. Unfortunately, the Broncos (10-2, 4-2 GPAC) made the plays down the stretch. Grady Corrigan and Phil Cisrow knocked down a trey apiece to pull it out for Hastings. Corrigan then blocked a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer. The Bulldogs fell despite 20 points from Schutte and a 14-point, eight-rebound effort from Gage Smith.
· Through 11 games, Concordia remains a statistically sound squad that shoots 46.9 percent from the floor and holds the opposition to 39.0 percent shooting. Nationally, the Bulldogs rank third in defensive rebounds per game (32.0), 16th in opponent field goal percentage (.390), 16th in opponent 3-point percentage (.272), 29th in rebound margin (plus-7.7) and 33rd in free throw percentage (.749). Four Bulldogs are scoring in double figures: Schutte (17.3), Tristan Smith (14.5), Gage Smith (12.9) and Brad Bennett (11.5) with Watson (9.7) right near that mark.
· The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School alum Schutte continues to perform as a model of consistency. Schutte has reached 20 points four times this season and has failed to score in double digits only once (mostly due to being held back in the blowout win over Northwestern). Schutte has notched 20 or more points 11 times in his career with his career high being 27 points in a win last season over Jamestown. Over his career, Schutte has gone from averages of 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds as a freshman to 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds as a sophomore to 17.3 points and 5.6 rebounds so far this season. His career totals in 63 career collegiate games are 724 points and 302 rebounds.
· Currently the GPAC’s leading rebounder at 10.3 boards per game, Gage Smith now stands alone at No. 5 in program history with 747 career rebounds (he’s also pushed his career point total to 1,108). Smith is looking up on the rebound list at Matt List (928), Chandler Folkerts (868), Scott Beck (781) and Jon Ziegler (762). It’s true that Gage is in his fifth season of college hoops, but he’s piled up the numbers in a fairly modest number of games – 115. Kind of like Schutte, Smith used his freshman season to adjust to the college game.
· In his first nine seasons as head coach of the Bulldogs, Limback owns a record of 13-6 versus Doane. Concordia has won four of the last five meetings in a series that has often resulted in close contests. The 2021-22 matchups saw the Bulldogs win twice at home (by scores of 60-50 and 67-65) and fall in Crete, 54-50. In recent years, the meetings have showcased a contrast in styles with a Concordia team that likes to get out and run in transition and a Doane squad that has frequently tried to slow the pace and play in the half court. That might change a little this season with the Tigers averaging 74.3 points per game, an increase from 69.8 last season.
The opponent
Doane has gone a combined 26-18 since the start of the 2021-22 season while taking a significant leap forward. The 19-13 record put forth in 2021-22 marked the program’s first winning season in nearly a decade. The stars of the show in 2022-23 are the likes of Alec Oberhauser (18.3) and Brady Timm (17.8), who combined to average more than 35.0 points per game. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster so far this season for the Tigers, who have already had three games go to overtime within league play. Doane’s potential has been on display in quality wins over the likes of Morningside and sixth-ranked Jamestown. One thing the Tigers have done particularly well is limit their turnovers. They rank 19th nationally for fewest turnovers committed per game (10.6).
Probable Lineups
Concordia (8-3, 5-3 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (287-274, 19th season overall; 172-116, 10th season at CUNE)
Doane (7-5, 4-2 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ian McKeithen (85-136, 8th season at Doane)
Next week
The anticipated Battle in the Vault is coming up next Tuesday, Dec. 20. On that date, the Bulldogs will take on eighth-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University at 1 p.m. CT inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, home to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Tickets remain on sale via Ticketmaster . The contest at PBA will be the only action of next week for Concordia.
Hot perimeter shooting propels Concordia back into win column Dec. 15, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – This looked like Bulldog Basketball. Concordia netted 9-of-12 treys to open the game, built an 18-point lead and then coasted to a 74-61 victory over Doane inside Friedrich Arena on Thursday (Dec. 15). Noah Schutte could not be cooled off in the first half and then Tristan Smith made the big buckets to stamp out a potential Tiger comeback in the second half.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad was locked in from the tipoff after it let one get away on the road this past weekend. The Bulldogs jumped to 9-3 overall (6-3 GPAC).
“It was a great start to the game,” Limback said. “We talked about that after a tough one (at Hastings) and bouncing back. I could tell in pregame warmups that we were locked in and ready to go. We knew Doane wasn’t going to go away. They have tough kids, and they’ve been in that situation before. We kept grinding – I thought we weathered a couple runs in the first half. It always helps when you shoot the three well.”
Doane knocked in the first points of the game on a triple before Concordia went on a 14-0 run that set the tone for the evening. During that splurge, Schutte poured in three treys and Gage Smith capped it with one of his own. Schutte was 4-for-4 from long range when he hit another perimeter jumper at the 3:26 mark of the first half to make it a 42-24 lead. The Tigers (7-6, 4-3 GPAC) did make a run at it, but they never got any closer than 10.
Every time Doane threatened to make things interesting in the second half, Tristan Smith had an answer. Twelve of his game high 21 points came over the final 20 minutes. He delivered a dagger at the 4:24 mark with a trey to push the lead to 68-55. With just over a minute remaining, AJ Watson fluttered in three more for good measure. Concordia had answered the bell against a Tiger squad that owns a win at Jamestown to its credit.
What did Limback see from his team down the stretch? “Toughness,” Limback replied. “Gage Smith did a pretty good job on their big guy and we forced some turnovers, which is key. Tristan hit a big three in a big moment. Noah Schutte in the first half got in the flow. Putting it away and not having any drama at the end is important. Now we can make sure we get rest and get healthy.”
The Bulldogs wound up 16-for-31 (.516) from beyond the arc. Tristan Smith added nine rebounds to go with his 21 points. Schutte finished with 19 points (5-for-7 from beyond the arc) and five rebounds and Watson chipped in 14 points and eight assists. Gage Smith posted nine points and 11 rebounds while Brad Bennett added six points off the bench.
Concordia wasn’t about to drop back-to-back games to in-state rivals. Said Watson, “Us being together and playing together was the mentality we had coming into this game. As fast as we play, it was about slowing down our minds and making sure whatever we do, we do it together. Our mentality coming in was just playing Bulldog Basketball.”
Backcourt standout Brady Timm led Doane with 21 points while Alec Oberhauser and Nick Saiz put up 14 apiece. The Tigers shot a respectable 46.3 percent (25-for-54) from the floor but couldn’t make up the difference in perimeter shooting. Concordia has now won five of the past six meetings with Doane.
The highly anticipated Battle in the Vault game is coming up Tuesday from Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, where the Bulldogs will take on fifth-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University (12-1). Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT. Tickets remain on sale via Ticketmaster.com . One ticket is good for all three games that will be played that day inside PBA.
Previewing the Battle in the Vault vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan Dec. 16, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – The highly anticipated Battle in the Vault (presented by Campio) is up next for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program. The Bulldogs can now focus their attention upon the matchup with fifth-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University after polishing off final exams and a 74-61 home win over Doane on Thursday. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will kick off the Battle in the Vault at 1 p.m. CT from Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln on Tuesday. Two additional games between NCAA Division I schools will follow at the same venue. Tickets remain on sale (see link below).
Battle in the Vault (presented by Campio)
--Live Coverage: Stream | Stats | Max Country Radio Ticketmaster.com
1 p.m. – Concordia vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan
4 p.m. – Mississippi State vs. Drake
6:30 p.m. – Nebraska vs. Queens
By the numbers
· Concordia now stands at 9-3 overall (6-3 GPAC) following Thursday’s victory. As of Wednesday, the Bulldogs slipped just outside of the NAIA coaches’ top 25 poll, appearing as the first team among “others receiving votes” in the latest national rankings. In previous editions of the coaches’ poll, Concordia landed at No. 23 (Nov. 16) and at No. 19 (Nov. 30). Currently, the Bulldogs are listed as the GPAC’s third-ranked team behind Jamestown and Morningside. Nationally, the Jimmies are ranked No. 9 while the Mustangs are ranked No. 23. In addition, Dordt is also receiving votes. According to Massey Ratings, Concordia is the No. 12 team in the NAIA and has played the nation’s 32nd most challenging schedule to this point.
· The most recent Concordia-Doane meeting had occurred in the 2022 GPAC tournament semifinals and went right down to the wire with Carter Kent’s pull-up jumper proving to be the difference in a 67-65 Bulldog win. There wasn’t as much drama this time around as the Bulldogs maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the night. An early 14-0 run gave Concordia control in a contest it led by as many as 18 points (42-24) in the first half. Noah Schutte knocked down each of his first four 3-point attempts on his way to 19 points. In the second half, Tristan Smith answered the call every time the Tigers threatened to make things interesting. Tristan finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. Point guard AJ Watson also added 14 points and eight rebounds and Gage Smith contributed nine points, 11 rebounds and three steals. As a team, the Bulldogs went 16-for-31 (.516) from 3-point range. Brady Timm paced Doane (7-6, 4-3 GPAC) with 21 points.
· Pinnacle Bank Arena will not be a completely foreign experience for former Nebraska prep stars like Schutte, who led Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School to a Class D1 state championship as a senior in 2020. In the championship game played at PBA, Schutte notched 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Bears rolled past Southern Valley, 76-31, in front of limited fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other Bulldogs who played at PBA during their high school careers include Joel Baker, Brad Bennett, Payson Gillespie, Zac Kulus, Brayson Mueller, Trey Scheef, Jaxon Weyand, Logan Wilson and Skyler Woita.
· Schutte has pushed his career collegiate totals to 743 points and 307 rebounds in 64 games as a Bulldog. He’s one of five Concordia players averaging in or very near double figures: Schutte (17.3), Tristan Smith (14.5), Gage Smith (12.9), Brad Bennett (11.5) and AJ Watson (9.7). In terms of team scoring average, Concordia ranks fourth among GPAC teams with an average of 79.6 points per game – behind Dordt (95.3), Jamestown (90.8) and Northwestern (84.8). The Bulldogs have been arguably the GPAC’s best defensive team while currently leading the league in fewest points per game allowed (65.1) and field goal percentage defense (.395) and ranking second in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.277).
· Currently the GPAC’s leading rebounder at 10.3 boards per game, Gage Smith now stands alone at No. 5 in program history with 758 career rebounds (he’s also pushed his career point total to 1,117). Smith is looking up on the rebound list at Matt List (928), Chandler Folkerts (868), Scott Beck (781) and Jon Ziegler (762). It’s true that Gage is in his fifth season of college hoops, but he’s piled up the numbers in a fairly modest number of games – 116. Kind of like Schutte, Smith used his freshman season to adjust to the college game.
· Based on this week’s NAIA coaches’ poll, Oklahoma Wesleyan will be the highest-rated foe Concordia will play this regular season. The Bulldogs have endured losses to No. 9 Jamestown and to No. 23 Morningside (and will play both once more this regular season). Back on Nov. 12, the Bulldogs dominated (78-58 final score) a Briar Cliff team that was ranked 24th at the time. Concordia also comfortably beat Dordt (receiving votes) on the road, 87-72. To date, the three teams the Bulldogs have defeated outside of GPAC play are unranked: Tabor College (Kan.), Ottawa University (Kan.) and Waldorf University (Iowa).
The Opponent
Oklahoma Wesleyan will enter the contest with a record of 12-1. Head Coach Donnie Bostwick led the program to the same round as Concordia reached this past season – the NAIA national quarterfinals. The Eagles have won eight consecutive games since their 73-68 loss at Evangel University (Mo.), a squad now ranked 20th in the NAIA poll. Oklahoma Wesleyan has been one of the nation’s top defensive teams and sports NAIA national rankings of first in opponent field goal percentage (.356) and 12th in scoring defense (61.7) while ranking No. 9 in the NAIA in rebound margin (+10.4). The leading scorers for the Eagles are Jaden Lietzke (14.9), Kaleb Stokes (12.2) and Brandon Bird (11.9). OKWU has been especially dominant in the month of December in winning 78-52 over Friends University (Kan.), 75-44 over Kansas Wesleyan University, 58-39 over Avila University (Mo.) and 98-64 over Ottawa University.
Probable Lineups
Concordia (9-3, 6-3 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (288-274, 19th season overall; 173-116, 10th season at CUNE)
Oklahoma Wesleyan (12-1)
Head Coach: Donnie Bostwick (9th season)
Quotable
Coach Limback: “They’re (Oklahoma Wesleyan) a really good basketball team. It’s fun to play outside our league against a top 10 team – they’re well-coached and they’re deep. It should feel like a tournament game. It’s fun to play in Pinnacle, a big arena. A lot of guys haven’t been there yet.”
Noah Schutte: “It’s a game we had circled on the schedule at the beginning of the year. We’re playing a really good team at Pinnacle Bank Arena where a lot of fans can come and support a lot of Nebraska guys we have on the roster. There’ll be a lot of my family there. They’ve talked about it for a long time. Some of my family has courtside seats. I think they’re really excited.”
Up Next
Following Tuesday's game, the Bulldogs will take a break for Christmas and then get prepared to take on Texas Wesleyan University on Dec. 28 and the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 30 as part of a trip down south.
Schutte, Bulldogs compete to the wire in Battle in the Vault defeat Dec. 20, 2022
LINCOLN, Neb. – In a first-time experience at Pinnacle Bank Arena for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program, Noah Schutte and the Bulldogs went toe-to-toe with fifth-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Concordia led by as many as five points in the second half but could not overcome the Eagles’ sizeable advantage in points in the paint (56-34). The visitors from Bartlesville came out on top, 79-74, on the home hardwood of the Cornhuskers on Tuesday (Dec. 20) afternoon. This was the first of three games set to be played at the Battle in the Vault.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad again proved it could hang with the very best the NAIA has to offer. The Bulldogs (9-4, 6-3 GPAC) can take away some lessons heading into a few off days for Christmas.
“I already felt like we had a pretty good team,” Limback said. “Then you get a challenge like this in a wonderful environment in Pinnacle Bank. Our fans and alums get to come out. It was a great test for us. We had a great overall effort. We shot really well in the first half and got beat up on the glass a little bit. Second half, we weathered some storms before their run. Against tough teams like this, you just can’t make many mistakes. We’ll learn from it.”
Spurred by Schutte, Concordia felt like it was making some traction when it ended the first half on a 7-0 run (37-34 lead at the break) and then put together an 8-0 spurt early in the second half. Schutte’s offensive board and dish to Gage Smith for two made it a 45-40 Bulldog lead with just under 16 minutes remaining. The contest stayed tight until Oklahoma Wesleyan (13-1) went on a 12-2 run that staked it to a 72-61 lead with fewer than four-and-a-half minutes to play. That run was punctuated by Austin Poling’s trey.
To their credit, the Bulldogs chiseled the deficit back down to four (78-74) in the final minute as the Eagles left the door open a crack with poor free throw shooting (9-for-22 for the game). A starting five that handled most of the minutes pulled it out for OKWU. Lightning quick guard Derrick Talton Jr. tallied 17 points, seven steals and five assists. Down low, Eagle big man Jaden Lietzke is a load to handle. He wound up with 23 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.
During times when Concordia got a big stagnant, Schutte persevered. He equaled a game high with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds and handed out four assists. Gage Smith moved up to No. 4 on the program’s all-time rebound list in the process of totaling 17 points and 15 rebounds. Two others reached double figures: Payson Gillespie (12) and Tristan Smith (10). Foul trouble for Tristan limited him to 20 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Payson’s outside shooting stroke (4-for-8 from beyond the arc) kept the Bulldogs close in the second half.
Oklahoma Wesleyan won this game by getting good looks around the rim. It led to 58.6 percent (34-for-58) shooting from the floor. On the other end, the Bulldogs shot 42.9 percent (27-for-63). Lietzke and Talton Jr. combined to go 19-for-28 from the floor. Both programs were NAIA national quarterfinalists this past March.
Even in defeat, Schutte was as impressive as ever. Said Limback of Schutte, “He’s really good. He continues to step up when we need him to. With guys like that, you always have a chance to compete against the best. That certainly showed tonight. I’m really proud of him. I think half his family was courtside, which makes it even better.”
The Bulldogs will take a break for Christmas before shifting their focus towards a trip south next week. Concordia will be in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 28 to take on Texas Wesleyan University and will then head to Chickasha, Okla., to challenge the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 30. Conference play will resume after New Year’s.
Said Limback, “We get a little break, which is good. Now we go on the road and play against two nonconference opponents that are good teams. That’s going to make us battle-tested and hopefully prepare us for making a run.”
Smith Brothers built (different) on family, fitness and chicken and rice Dec. 22, 2022
On a Friday morning in mid-December, Gage and Tristan Smith are recalling memories of a childhood steeped in family, fitness and chicken and rice. Had Gage decided that four years of life as a student-athlete at Concordia was enough, he wouldn’t be sitting there that day, laughing and sometimes trading playful barbs with his “little brother.” A fifth and final season of college basketball meant one more year together with Tristan, and that was too good for Gage to pass up.
It's been roughly 10 months since that moment occurred, but they still light up when asked about it – “The Alley-Oop” this past February versus Briar Cliff. In an instant, Tristan became a central figure in the most viral moment in Concordia Athletics history. Gage produced a monster effort that night: 23 points and 17 rebounds. But it was Tristan’s layup at the buzzer to beat Briar Cliff, 74-73, that will be forever remembered by those who witnessed it.
The discussion surrounding that play cuts to the essence of who they are as brothers. For that specific moment, Gage the senior had taken a backseat to Tristan the freshman. The way Gage and Tristan are wired, the dynamics never caused any problems. As Gage says, “My Dad loves using that. He’s like, ‘Man, Gage, you had 23 and 17, and T-Ray had two points, and he got featured on SportsCenter.’ I was happy for him. That was so cool.”
Gage isn’t just paying lip service. He means it. There’s a rather obvious and refreshing respect Gage and Tristan share for one another. Basketball is one thing, but family is everything when it comes to the Smiths. When Tristan’s alley-oop went through the net courtesy of Carter Kent’s perfectly placed length-of-the court baseball pass, father Lance Smith didn’t hesitate to rush the floor himself. Lance is always there, and so too is their mother Michelle and oftentimes their sisters Kylee and Haley.
Elizabeth, Colo., may be their hometown, but Seward is most certainly a second home to the Smiths. The family even owns a home in Seward that allows for extended stays without having to make the continual eight-hour commute. In other words, Gage and Tristan see a lot more of their parents than typical out-of-state student-athletes likely would. They wouldn’t have it any other way. As Tristan jokes, “We get free food out of it.”
The nourishment helps support basketball careers that have flourished at Concordia. The Smith Brothers make up two-thirds of the starting frontcourt, along with star Noah Schutte. From a basketball standpoint, Gage and Tristan both consistently ‘wow’ observers with their athleticism and physical talents. The crafty veteran Gage knows how to use his muscle-bound 6-foot-6 frame to overpower opponents – and his motor never stops. His growth over his college years has been striking (he now ranks in the top five in school history for career rebounds). As for the 6-foot-5 Tristan, he’s proving as a sophomore that he’s a whole lot more than just that guy who finished The Alley-Oop. He’s averaging 14.7 points per game and the arrow keeps pointing straight upward.
Gage first found his way to Concordia due to a connection he had with a former Bulldog, also a native Coloradoan. The basketball program, the coaching staff and the whole Christian atmosphere felt right for Gage. At the time of his commitment (then just a scrawny young man), no one could have known just how significant the decision would become for Concordia Men’s Basketball.
“I like the Christian culture here,” Gage said. “You can tell that Coach (Ben) Limback is a big Christian guy. All the coaches and staff are really big on their faith. I really like that in a school. I like being around people that have a lot of those same beliefs. I think I’ve grown as a person. T-Ray is really good. He could have gone D-I, so I think it’s pretty cool he came to Concordia to play with me. It’s been a great ride.”
The pull of family certainly played a role in Tristan making his own decision to sign with Concordia. Limback and his staff knew they were getting a potential star who was still figuring out how to best implement his freakish athleticism. Both Gage and Tristan were blessed with height they never would have expected to have. Both grew past their father, who was a fine athlete in his own right. A former JUCO football player who became a bodybuilder, Lance Smith fittingly met his wife Michelle in a fitness setting – at 24-hour gym he used to work at.
It's no wonder a healthy lifestyle was ingrained in Gage and Tristan from an early age. Said Gage, “Our whole lives we’ve lived the fitness lifestyle. Our mom is super cautious about bringing into our home non-toxic, non-chemical products, very environmentally friendly products. Our Godfather owned a 24-hour fitness. My Dad worked with him at the gym and that’s how my parents met.”
Added Tristan, “We grew up on chicken and rice. I think I started lifting at 12 but I didn’t get serious into it until I was about 14. We learned the technique early. We did body-building type lifting until probably high school and we started switching to more athletic lifting.”
The fast pace of basketball jived well with the way the Smiths like to live their lives. On the family driveway, rough and tumble basketball ensued, preparing them perfectly for the rigors of GPAC hoops. With three years advantage over his brother, Gage had the upper hand. Admitted Tristan, “We would go out there and Gage would beat me pretty bad. It caused a few fights.” Eventually, both brothers were getting the best of their father on the basketball court. In Lance’s defense, the series of rotator cuff surgeries didn’t necessarily allow for a fair fight.
Lance never backed down though. His competitiveness surely rubbed off on his children. Says Tristan, “He’s a strong dude. He loves fitness. He’s probably the biggest reason we got into sports.”
While the Smith brothers both chose Concordia, the Smith sisters currently live together while attending Colorado State University. Gage and Tristan will vouch for the athleticism of their sisters. Tristan went so far as to say that Kylee is “possibly” the best athlete of the siblings. She was a two-time state champion gymnast who committed long hours to the craft before going to CSU strictly as a student. Tristan also remarked that Haley had a “pretty shot” on the basketball court. The sport just wasn’t her thing.
Said Gage of Kylee and Haley, “They were both insane. They’re very athletic.”
No matter what, each of the Smiths have supported one another’s endeavors. The Smith Brothers found what they liked, and they went all in on it. Basketball it was and hockey it wasn’t. Tristan conceded while smiling that they are “not good Coloradoans” because they never gravitated towards skiing, snowboarding or ice skating. They found plenty of other activities. Gage and Tristan even tried golf on a whim. Tristan once shot a 118 at a regional meet – not quite good enough for a golf scholarship.
Only once during their youth did Gage and Tristan play together on an organized team. It happened when Gage was in fifth grade and Tristan was in second. Tristan tore his quad as a freshman in high school and missed an opportunity to play on the same Elizabeth High School basketball team as Gage. He’ll take the fall for that one. Said Gage, “That was my bad. I made him deadlift. I thought he had it.”
It simply makes the current circumstances that much more rewarding and fulfilling. The entire Smith family is going to keep soaking up the opportunities to watch Gage and Tristan compete together at Concordia. If they were playing on opposite ends of the Earth, Lance Smith would probably still find a way to be there. Work-from-home jobs have come in clutch for Lance and Michelle.
“They’ve made our games our whole life,” Tristan said. “I don’t think my dad has missed more than five games my entire life, and that includes club, AAU and all that. It’s been a blessing.”
The Smiths are all about making memories together. We couldn’t help but relive that Briar Cliff moment at least one more time.
Said Gage, “I thought the game was over. I didn’t even pay attention to the play call. I was fouled out.” Replied Tristan, “I think we ran it wrong. Sam (Scarpelli) ran over like three dudes. I just ran to the rim. Justin (Wiersema) and Sam just sandwiched the guy. Carter threw a dime. I did not think we executed that play that well.” Added Gage, “That throw by Carter off-balance was ridiculous.”
Who knows what else is waiting yet in this 2022-23 season. The Smiths know they were part of something special last season in a campaign that was about more than what happened on the basketball court. They will never forget the Briar Cliff game, three court storms in a three-week stretch, winning the GPAC tournament title at home, boogie boarding in Florida and appearing on the national stage at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
Family makes the memories sweeter. It’s that influence that raised Gage and Tristan up right.
Says Gage, “Family is everything, man. No matter what happens, you have your family. They are with you forever.”
“Our motto this year is family, which means, ‘forget about me, I love you,’” Tristan said. “The team is like our second family. It makes it easier when you have those guys behind you and know you can trust everyone on the floor. It makes it a lot easier to play the game. Having my actual brother on the team makes it kind of easy too. If I’m having a bad game, he can kind of hit me. He would do anything to watch me succeed and have the greatest career I possibly could.”
Take their advice. Eat the chicken and the rice.
Road trip south to highlight resumption of play Dec. 26, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Following a short break to celebrate Christmas, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team is back to work readying to travel south for a pair of nonconference games. The Bulldogs will look to learn from their 79-74 loss to fifth-ranked Oklahoma Wesleyan University at Pinnacle Bank Arena last week. Concordia is set to play road games at Texas Wesleyan University on Wednesday and at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Friday. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad stands at 9-4 overall (6-3 GPAC).
This Week
Wednesday, Dec. 28 at Texas Wesleyan (6-5), 8 p.m. Live Webcast | | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Sid Richardson Center (Fort Worth, Texas)
Friday, Dec. 30 at Science & Arts (8-4), 7 p.m. Live Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Drover Fieldhouse (Chickasha, Okla.)
By the numbers
· Concordia just missed out on a signature nonconference win in last week’s unique opportunity to play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. As of Dec. 14, the Bulldogs slipped just outside of the NAIA coaches’ top 25 poll, appearing as the first team among “others receiving votes.” In previous editions of the coaches’ poll, Concordia landed at No. 23 (Nov. 16) and at No. 19 (Nov. 30). Currently, the Bulldogs are listed as the GPAC’s third-ranked team behind Jamestown and Morningside. Nationally, the Jimmies are ranked No. 9 while the Mustangs are ranked No. 23. In addition, Dordt is also receiving votes. According to Massey Ratings, Concordia is the No. 18 team in the NAIA and has played the nation’s 26th most challenging schedule to this point.
· It went wire-to-wire at PBA in the Battle in the Vault. The Bulldogs led by as many as five points in the second half while up against an Oklahoma Wesleyan squad that featured lightning quick guard Derrick Talton Jr. and star post player Jaden Lietzke. Those two standouts played a major role in the Eagles owning a 56-34 advantage in points in the paint. OKWU overcame its 9-for-22 foul shooting by shooting 58.6 percent (34-for-58) from the floor. Concordia got strong performances from Noah Schutte (23 points, six rebounds and four assists) and Gage Smith (17 points, 15 rebounds). Two others scored in double figures: Payson Gillespie (12) and Tristan Smith (10). Gillespie made 4-of-8 attempts from 3-point range. The Bulldogs’ 10-for-33 shooting from 3-point range helped keep them close all the way through.
· The high shooting percentage for Oklahoma Wesleyan was a departure from the norm for Concordia opponents. By most measures, the Bulldogs rank as the top defensive team in the GPAC. Among league squads, Concordia ranks first in scoring defense (66.2), field goal percentage defense (.409), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.270) and defensive efficiency (.905). Seven foes have been held to less than 45 percent shooting. A starter for all 13 games this season, Garrett Seagren has made his mark as a defensive stopper in the backcourt. Gage Smith has been productive in all areas and is averaging 1.53 blocks and 1.15 steals per game.
· Gage Smith has also moved up a rung on the program’s all-time rebound list. In last week’s action, he surpassed Jon Ziegler (762) for No. 4 on the list with 773 career boards. The top three in school history are Matt List (928), Chandler Folkerts (868) and Scott Beck (781). This marks year five in the program for Smith, a native of Elizabeth, Colo. Currently the GPAC leader with an average of 10.7 rebounds per game, Gage has accumulated 1,134 career points and has 21 career double-doubles to his credit. He’s been part of two separate GPAC championship teams (2019-20 and 2021-22).
· Schutte has pushed his career collegiate totals to 766 points and 313 rebounds in 65 games as a Bulldog. He’s one of five Concordia players averaging in or very near double figures: Schutte (17.8), Tristan Smith (14.7), Gage Smith (12.9), Brad Bennett (10.6) and AJ Watson (9.4). In terms of team scoring average, Concordia ranks fourth among GPAC teams with an average of 79.2 points per game – behind Dordt (95.3), Jamestown (93.1) and Northwestern (84.8). Expanding upon Schutte, his 23-point outing at Pinnacle Bank Arena marked the 12th time in his collegiate career that he scored at least 20. Schutte’s career high remains the 27 points he scored last season in a win over Jamestown.
· The Bulldogs are now 3-1 outside of conference play with wins coming over Tabor College (Kan.), Ottawa University (Kan.) and Waldorf University (Iowa). As part of the 28-game regular season slate, four contests remain outside of league play – the two on the road this week and then two at home at the Concordia Invitational Tournament (Jan. 27-28). As part of the 70th CIT, CUNE will take on Concordia Chicago and then either Concordia Ann Arbor or Concordia Wisconsin on day two of the event.
The opponents
Texas Wesleyan moved to 6-5 overall this season after it claimed a 119-67 win over North American University on Dec. 20. The Rams missed out on the national tournament in 2022, but the program has been a regular on that stage with 18 all-time national qualifications and won a national title as recently as 2017. Head Coach Brennen Shingleton’s squad likes to play up-tempo, as evidenced by its scoring average of 91.8, a figure that ranks No. 4 nationally. In the scoring department, Texas Wesleyan has been led by guard Akili Vining and his average of 17.5 points per game.
Science & Arts is not far removed from its 106-89 home win over Texas Wesleyan (Dec. 14). The Drovers received votes in the latest NAIA coaches’ poll and have qualified for the national tournament in five of the past six seasons. Head Coach Chris Francis’ team also likes to run and gun while averaging 90.6 points through the season’s first 12 games. Despite its frenetic pace, USAO turns it over only 10.9 times per contest on average. The team’s leading scorer has actually come off the bench more often than not. Samkelo Cele is averaging 21.7 points per game and has notched at least 27 points in each of the past six outings.
Probable starters
Concordia (9-4, 6-3 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (288-275, 19th season overall; 173-117, 10th season at CUNE)
Texas Wesleyan (6-5)
Head Coach: Brennen Shingleton (11th season)
Science & Arts (8-4)
Head Coach: Chris Francis (8th season)
Next week
It will be back to conference play as the calendar flips to 2023. Concordia will travel to play at Mount Marty on Jan. 4 and will then host Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 7.
Schutte shines as Bulldogs hold off Rams in Lone Star State battle Dec. 28, 2022
FORT WORTH, Texas – It was nothing if not entertaining. Two teams that like to get up and down the floor played to the wire before the star power of Noah Schutte became too much for host Texas Wesleyan University. Schutte muscled home a career high 32 points while helping the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team hold off the Rams and exhale with an 81-74 victory in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday (Dec. 28). Texas Wesleyan had come all the way back to tie the game after it had trailed by as many as 15 points.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is in the midst of three-straight nonconference games to finish the calendar year 2022. The Bulldogs bumped their overall mark to 10-4.
“That was a fun one. That was a toughness test,” Limback said. “There were a lot of moments in that game where we sustained their run. They turned up the aggressiveness. I thought their point guard was outstanding, but we had a lot of toughness plays. Noah Schutte clearly – amazing performance, and we needed that … I’m so proud of our guys. This is a tough place to win and it’s a very talented basketball team.”
Schutte simply has an incredible feel for how to score when he gets near the basket – and the Rams found that out the hard way. Schutte made his first seven shots from the floor on Wednesday and came to the rescue when the contest was on the brink. The Laurel, Neb., native’s steal and immediate three-point play provided a 71-67 advantage with just over six minutes to play. Schutte also drained two key free throws and put home a layup that essentially iced it, making the score 77-72 late in the contest.
Concordia needed all of those points because the high-flyin’ Rams (6-6) kept on coming. They mounted a 14-1 run in the second half that cut the 14-point Bulldog lead all the way down to one. It was later tied at 71-all and 72-all before Schutte and company pulled it out of the fire. Garrett Seagren put in a key stick-back in crunch time and Concordia locked down defensively just in time.
The Bulldogs were forced to scratch and claw to victory even though they shot 57.7 percent (30-for-52) from the floor. Free throw shooting was roughly even, Concordia enjoyed a 28-24 edge in rebounding and Texas Wesleyan was plus-three in turnover margin. The biggest difference: one team had Noah Schutte and the other did not.
Said Limback, “They’re a big team, a very strong team on the glass. The adjustment we made was making sure we kept four out of the paint. Offensively, we just wanted to keep going to Noah until they brought a double team. I can’t say enough about this team. It takes a lot to come on the road and pretty much control the game, and then finish it at the end. That’s the whole reason you play.”
Schutte totaled his career high on 13-for-17 shooting from the floor (6-for-7 from the foul line). His previous high was 27 in a win last season over Jamestown. Another physical force, Tristan Smith added 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. Meanwhile, AJ Watson chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds and Gage Smith added eight points and five rebounds. Off the bench, Payson Gillespie canned two treys.
Texas Wesleyan played its first official game in more than two weeks. The Rams entered the contest averaging 91.8 points per game. They were led on Wednesday by 20 points from slashing point guard Akili Vining. He was one of four Texas Wesleyan players in double figures. The Rams made 25-of-55 (.455) shots from the floor.
The Bulldogs will track back north for a Friday matchup at Science & Arts, which calls Chickasha, Okla., home. The Drovers (8-4) have been idle since defeating Texas Wesleyan, 106-89, at home on Dec. 14. A national qualifier in five of the past six seasons, USAO is receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches’ poll.
Adversity hits as Dawgs dealt loss at USAO Dec. 30, 2022
CHICKASHA, Okla. – The tenor of Friday (Dec. 30)’s contest in Chickasha, Okla., flipped dramatically in the middle of the first half once Tristan Smith was helped off the floor following an injury painfully visible to those who witnessed it. The turn of events saw the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team run out to an 11-0 lead before eventually falling, 76-66, at the University of Science & Arts. Neither Tristan nor Gage Smith played over the contest’s final 30-plus minutes.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (10-5 overall) went 1-1 on the southern swing with the victory coming by an 81-74 score at Texas Wesleyan University on Wednesday. Understandably, the focus was not so much about basketball after the game.
“I was so proud of our team, overcoming some of those emotions and still competing,” Limback said. “We had guys playing in different positions and stepping up in lots of ways. That team’s really good and they had to play through that emotion too.
“We prayed as a team right before we went back out. You try to get your emotions back in check. Tristan kept saying while he was laying there on the ground, ‘I’m fine. Get the guys ready. We have a game to play. We’ve got to win this game.’ We talked about competing like Tristan would want us to compete.”
In following up his 32-point performance on Wednesday, Noah Schutte played 38 minutes while attempting to shoulder a heavy load. Schutte and company regrouped well enough after the lengthy break (due to Tristan’s injury) to take a 31-29 halftime lead. The productive trio of Gerard Makuntae (20), Langston Gaither (20) and Samkelo Cele (17) combined for 57 points and took control of the game. The Bulldogs held onto a glimmer of hope when Garrett Seagren nailed back-to-back treys to cut the deficit to 70-62. After a Seagren steal, AJ Watson missed a trey that could have gotten Concordia within five in the final minute.
Considering the circumstances, a win would have been an especially impressive feat for the Bulldogs. It was a case of next man up. Off the bench, Seward High School product Kelly Vyhnalek took advantage of 21 minutes of action and totaled eight points, six rebounds and a steal. The two double-figure scorers for Concordia were Schutte (19) and Watson (10). Watson also dished out eight assists and swiped three steals. Seagren chipped in eight points (and two steals) thanks to his late flurry. Before departing the arena, Tristan Smith notched six points, three rebounds and a block.
Soon after the moment T-Ray was helped from the court, both teams gathered together in prayer. Gage then accompanied Tristan to a local hospital. As Tristan made mention of recently, “Our motto this year is family, which means, ‘forget about me, I love you.’ The team is like our second family.”
The absence of the Smith brothers left an obvious void. The Bulldogs wound up shooting 36.4 percent (24-for-66) from the floor and hoisted 38 treys (made nine). Concordia still managed to win the rebound battle, 44-37, but was minus-three in turnovers (13-10). As for USAO (9-4), it played for the first time since defeating Texas Wesleyan, 106-89, on Dec. 14. The idle stretch may have played a part in the slow start for the Drovers, who trailed by as many as 13 points.
Said Limback, “We clearly weren’t sharp, but I thought we competed hard. It showed the heart and the character of this team. When you lose a brother like that and you see the injury happen, that’s pretty emotional. We’ll keep praying for him and hopefully his recovery is not too long. We really don’t know right now. Our biggest concern is making sure the Smith family is hanging in there.”
The Bulldogs will return to conference play in the year 2023 as they look forward to a trip to Yankton, S.D., on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. CT from Cimpl Arena, home to Mount Marty (5-10, 2-6 GPAC). Concordia will attempt to complete a season sweep of the Lancers having defeated them, 86-64, on the strength of a 38-22 rebound advantage in Seward on Dec. 7.
Bulldogs to tip off 2023 with return to GPAC play Jan. 2, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Coming off a road swing into Sooner Athletic Conference territory, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team has returned to the GPAC footprint for a pair of conference games this week. In last week's action, the Bulldogs won at Texas Wesleyan University, 81-74, and then endured a 76-66 loss at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. Those results leave Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad at 10-5 overall (6-3 GPAC) just over halfway through the regular season. Eleven of the final 13 contests in the regular season will be played within the league.
NOTE: Inclement weather is expected to impact the area this week. Please follow @CUNEathletics on Twitter and be sure to check the website schedule for potential changes to game dates and/or times.
This Week
Thursday, Jan. 5 at Mount Marty (5-11, 2-7 GPAC), 6:45 p.m. Live Webcast | | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Cimpl Arena (Yankton, S.D.)
Saturday, Jan. 7 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (7-7, 3-3 GPAC), 3:45 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· Fifteen of 28 regular season games on the slate are in the books for Concordia as the calendar moves to 2023. Six nonconference games have been played with the Bulldogs having defeated Tabor College (Kan.), Ottawa University (Kan.), Waldorf University (Iowa) and Texas Wesleyan. Though early to mention the GPAC standings, Concordia currently resides in fourth place behind three teams that are 5-2 in conference play: Dordt, Hastings and Morningside. The most recent NAIA coaches’ poll (released on Dec. 14) saw the Bulldogs land as the first team outside of the top 25. Massey Ratings currently lists Concordia as the NAIA’s 19th best team with a strength of schedule ranked 20th.
· A contest the Bulldogs led by a 33-18 score in the middle of the first half turned into a nail-biter down the stretch at Texas Wesleyan. The Rams (6-6) rallied to tie the game with fewer than four minutes remaining. They just didn’t have an answer for Noah Schutte, who powered in a career high 32 points on 13-for-17 shooting from the floor and 6-for-7 shooting from the foul line. Schutte’s steal and layup in the closing two minutes helped seal the 81-74 victory. Concordia shot 57.7 percent from the floor and also got double-figure scoring outputs from Tristan Smith (17) and AJ Watson (11). Meanwhile, Gage Smith supplied eight points and five rebounds.
· An opportunity for a second quality road win last week slipped through the Bulldogs’ fingers at Science & Arts despite the visitors jumping out to an 11-0 lead. Emotionally, Concordia wasn’t the same after Tristan Smith went down with an awkward and painful injury in the middle of the first half. Tristan had to be helped off the court, and both teams gathered together in prayer as part of a lengthy break. Play eventually resumed and the Bulldogs took a 31-29 lead to halftime. Also receiving votes nationally, USAO took control of the second half behind three players that ended up with 17 or more points (led by 20 from Gerard Makuntae). Schutte paced Concordia with 19 points and eight rebounds while Watson posted 10 points, eight assists and three steals. Garrett Seagren chipped in eight points and two steals and Seward’s own Kelly Vyhnalek notched eight points and six rebounds in extended action.
· A specific diagnosis has not yet been made on Tristan Smith, but the Bulldogs are preparing to play without his services for upcoming games (and perhaps for the remainder of this season). The Elizabeth, Colo., native had taken off in what is his second collegiate season. Tristan is averaging 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds and stands out as one of the more athletic players in the GPAC. He’s been a major reason why Concordia has ranked as the top defensive team in the GPAC. Of course, many remember Tristan for his alley-oop layup at the buzzer to beat Briar Cliff in mid-February last season.
· Tristan’s older brother Gage Smith is on the verge of moving up a rung on the program’s all-time rebound list. He recently surpassed Jon Ziegler (762) for No. 4 on the list with a current total of 778 career boards. The top three in school history are Matt List (928), Chandler Folkerts (868) and Scott Beck (781). This marks year five in the program for Smith, a native of Elizabeth, Colo. Currently the GPAC’s second leading rebounder with an average of 9.7 boards per game, Gage has accumulated 1,142 career points and has 21 career double-doubles to his credit. He’s been part of two separate GPAC championship teams (2019-20 and 2021-22).
· Schutte has pushed his career collegiate totals to 817 points and 326 rebounds in 67 games as a Bulldog. His 32 points in the win at Texas Wesleyan surpassed his previous career high of 27 points in the 92-76 win over Jamestown on Nov. 23, 2021. Schutte has reached 20 or more points 13 times in his collegiate career. His 32-point performance also marked the highest individual single game output for a Concordia player since Carter Kent racked up a career high 35 points at Mount Marty on Jan. 5, 2022.
The opponents
Mount Marty was handed an 86-64 loss in Seward on Dec. 7. The Lancers did manage to defeat the Bulldogs in the most recent meeting in Yankton, S.D. Concordia dropped a 70-67 overtime decision last season at Mount Marty. Head Coach Collin Authier’s squad came up empty during the month of December, going 0-6 with four conference defeats. The team’s most recent win came by a 67-62 score over Midland on Nov. 30. The Lancers hope to grow in 2023 behind one of the league's top freshman in Tash Lunday, who is averaging 20.7 points (third most in the GPAC). As a team, Mount Marty averages 73.1 points and allows 78.9 points per outing.
Dakota Wesleyan and Concordia are getting set to meet for the first time this season. The Bulldogs won both of last season’s matchups. It’s been an up-and-down ride so far for Matt Wilber’s crew, which is 7-7 and boasts a win at then fifth-ranked Jamestown. The team’s most accomplished star is returning First Team All-GPAC forward Koln Oppold, who is averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Wilber guided the program to six straight NAIA national tournament appearances from 2015 through 2020. His 2014-15 squad was the NAIA Division II national runner up. The current DWU team is averaging 74.4 points and allowing 73.6 per game. In recent action, the Tigers have added some help in the form of transfer Diang Gatluak, a 6-foot-6 forward.
Probable starters
Concordia (10-5, 6-3 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (289-276, 19th season overall; 174-118, 10th season at CUNE)
Mount Marty (5-11, 2-7 GPAC)
Head Coach: Collin Authier (2nd season)
Dakota Wesleyan (7-7, 3-3 GPAC)
Head Coach: Matt Wilber (10th season)
Next week
The Bulldogs will be off in the middle of next week before returning to action with a trip to North Dakota for a matchup with No. 9 Jamestown on Jan. 14.
Schutte garners second GPAC Player of the Week honor Jan. 3, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – For the second time this season, Concordia University Men’s Basketball standout Noah Schutte has been recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week. Schutte’s latest weekly award was announced on Tuesday (Jan. 3) and comes as a result of his performances in action at Texas Wesleyan University and the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. Schutte also garnered the conference player of the week honor on Nov. 22.
The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School alum Schutte poured in a career high 32 points on 13-for-17 shooting from the floor and 6-for-7 shooting from the foul line in the win over Texas Wesleyan. He also added 19 points and eight rebounds in the loss at USAO and totaled 51 points and 13 rebounds for the week. Schutte made 19-of-29 (.655) shots from the floor as part of the road trip down south. Schutte’s previous career high point total was 27 in the 92-76 win over Jamestown on Nov. 23, 2021.
On the season, Schutte is averaging 18.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game with shooting percentages of 61.1 from the floor, 48.7 from 3-point range and 82.5 from the free throw line. Among GPAC players, Schutte ranks fourth in field goal percentage, fifth in scoring average and 18th in rebounding. In his collegiate career, Schutte has totaled 817 points and 326 rebounds in 67 games.
Schutte and the Bulldogs (10-5, 6-3 GPAC) will return to action on Wednesday with a road trip to Mount Marty. They will be back at home on Saturday to host Dakota Wesleyan.
Bennett scores 22 in defeat at Mount Marty Jan. 5, 2023
YANKTON, S.D. – Trips to Yankton, S.D., always seem to come with their share of landmines. The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team struggled mightily on the defensive end on Thursday (Jan. 5) and stumbled at Mount Marty, 89-64. The Bulldogs have fallen in back-to-back trips to Yankton, S.D. Concordia played for the first time this season without the services of Tristan Smith.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is in the process of rediscovering its identity to some degree. The Bulldogs slipped to 10-6 overall (6-4 GPAC). As Limback put it, “We got outplayed and outcoached. We have to be better tomorrow (at practice).”
Concordia will want to quickly flush this one. It trailed 11-2 out of the gate and never really gained much traction throughout the night. It became a two-man show put on by Mount Marty standouts Lincoln Jordre and Tash Lunday, who combined for 46 points. The freshman Lunday is a budding star who piled up 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the floor. He knocked down five 3-point field goals. As a team, the Lancers (7-11, 3-7 GPAC) shot 56.1 percent (32-for-57) from the floor and 52.2 percent (12-for-23) from 3-point range.
The bright spot for the Bulldogs on this evening was the play of Brad Bennett, who notched 22 points while making his fifth career start. The Elkhorn, Neb., native made 8-of-13 shots from the floor. The only other Concordia player to reach double figures was Gage Smith, who tallied 12 points and six rebounds. Smith has moved to No. 3 on the program’s all-time rebound list with 784 in his career (surpassing Scot Beck, 781, on Thursday).
It was an uncharacteristically inefficient shooting night for reigning GPAC Player of the Week Noah Schutte, who went 2-for-10 from the floor and totaled eight points. At the point, AJ Watson dished out six assists. In the absence of Tristan Smith, the Bulldogs were outrebounded, 31-28, and did not look like the same stellar defensive team it had been all season. With the game out of hand in the second half, 14 Concordia players saw action.
The Bulldogs had beaten Mount Marty by an 86-64 score back on Dec. 7. Concordia slipped to 4-4 in true road games (compared to 6-1 at home). Meanwhile, the Lancers are 4-5 at home this season.
Next up, the Bulldogs will welcome Dakota Wesleyan (7-7, 3-3 GPAC) to Seward on Saturday for a 3:45 p.m. CT tipoff in what will be the first home game since Dec. 15. Concordia swept the regular season series from the Tigers in 2021-22. The perennially strong DWU program qualified for the national tournament each season from 2014-15 through 2019-20.
Gage Smith pilots bounce-back as Bulldogs toughen up on defensive end Jan. 7, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – There’s no time to sulk about the adversity the Concordia University Men’s Basketball time has found itself up against. In a bounce-back performance, the Bulldogs got tough on the defensive end and used a monster outing from Gage Smith to earn a 78-69 home win over Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday (Jan. 7). Concordia limited the visitors to 35.9 percent shooting in a major reversal of what occurred two days earlier in the loss at Mount Marty.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad remains near the top of the GPAC standings at 7-4 in league play (11-6 overall). As a program, the Bulldogs are 27-1 over their last 28 home games.
“Any time you win it’s a great feeling, but I thought it was the way we won,” Limback said. “Defensively we played really hard and made some toughness plays. Certainly Gage Smith had an All-American effort today – double-double. You see the offense, but defensively he was really, really good. He held their leading scorer to 10 points and had some blocks and some tips. Brad Bennett – he didn’t shoot well, but he had a double-double as well. I’m just so proud of the toughness and the hustle today.”
With his brother Tristan sidelined for the foreseeable future, Gage Smith decided to take things into his own hands on Saturday. He finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals in a complete outing on both ends. He set the tone defensively as Concordia made it difficult for Dakota Wesleyan (8-8, 4-4 GPAC) to score in the paint. To their credit, the Tigers did whittle a 13-point first-half deficit down to four (62-58) with less than five-and-a-half minutes remaining. On the next two offensive possessions, Noah Schutte and Gage Smith responded with back-to-back layups.
The hustle of Schutte was also evident. He muscled inside for five offensive rebounds (eight total boards) as part of a 21-point outing. The Laurel, Neb., native also added two blocks on a day when Concordia rejected eight shots as a team. In the backcourt, Bennett spent a good portion of the game handling the ball and filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It was also a fine contest for Garrett Seagren, who chipped in eight points, five steals, four rebounds and three assists. He threw down an emphatic dunk in the game’s closing seconds.
The loss at Mount Marty on Thursday wasn’t Bulldog Basketball. Gage Smith and company were determined to get the season back on track. Said Gage, “Thursday was rough. We met in the locker room and we were just like, this has to stop right now. We have to bring the energy and that’s going to get us going. On Friday, we met as a group, just the players. It’s next man up. We have a lot of great players on this team.”
Payson Gillespie got his first career start at the collegiate level and posted six points. He nailed one of the team’s two 3-point field goals. In the absence of efficient perimeter shooting, Concordia won by taking care of the ball (five turnovers) and by converting inside. The Bulldogs shot 44.8 percent (30-for-67) overall from the floor.
Dakota Wesleyan got a team high 21 points from Kallan Herman, who went 7-for-19 from the floor. Star forward Koln Oppold posted 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Nick Wittler chimed in with 15 points off the bench. The Tigers were coming off a 78-76 overtime win over Briar Cliff on Thursday. Concordia has now won three straight in the series with DWU.
The Bulldogs will be off from game action in the middle of next week as they set their sights on a trip to ninth-ranked Jamestown (13-3, 5-3 GPAC) next Saturday (Jan. 14). Tipoff from Newman Arena is set for 3:45 p.m. CT. Concordia will attempt to learn from what occurred on Nov. 22 when the Jimmies emerged from Seward with a 90-59 blowout win.
Rematch with Jamestown up next following mid-week break Jan. 10, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Following the uplifting win over Dakota Wesleyan, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team has a full week to prepare for a rematch with ninth-ranked Jamestown. In last week’s action, the Bulldogs experienced a rough road outing in an 89-64 loss at Mount Marty before regrouping to claim a 78-69 home victory over Dakota Wesleyan. It’s been an up-and-down ride lately with the Bulldogs going 3-4 over their past seven outings. Even so, Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad remains in the thick of things near the top of the league standings with a 7-4 GPAC mark (11-6 overall).
This Week
Saturday, Jan. 14 at No. 9 Jamestown (13-3, 5-3 GPAC), 3:45 p.m. Live Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Newman Arena (Jamestown, N.D.)
By the numbers
· A fresh set of GPAC ratings were released on Monday via NAIA.org. The conference lists Jamestown, Morningside, Dordt, Northwestern, Concordia and Hastings (in that order) up for consideration for the new NAIA national poll that will be unveiled on Wednesday. In the current GPAC standings, the Bulldogs sit third behind Morningside (6-2) and Dordt (6-3) while just above Jamestown (5-3) and Northwestern (5-3) by percentage points. Concordia has work to do if it is to get back into the NAIA top 25. The Bulldogs have been ranked as high as 19th this season (in the Nov. 30 poll). Massey Ratings lists Concordia as the NAIA’s No. 22 team with a strength of schedule rating of 18th.
· The Bulldogs unraveled in just about all aspects of the game in the loss to Mount Marty (7-11, 3-7 GPAC). Concordia allowed the Lancers to shoot 56.1 percent (32-for-57) from the floor and surrendered 26 points to star freshman Tash Lunday. On the offensive end, the Bulldogs shot 38.9 percent (21-for-54), went 7-for-29 from 3-point range and struggled from the foul line (15-for-27). Brad Bennett stepped into the starting lineup in Tristan Smith’s absence and paced the team with 22 points. Gage Smith supplied 12 points and six rebounds while Noah Schutte was held to eight points on 2-for-10 shooting from the floor. Concordia has fallen in trips to Yankton, S.D., in back-to-back seasons.
· It was a much different story when the Bulldogs returned home to host the Tigers (8-8, 4-4 GPAC). Concordia toughened up on the defensive end and limited Dakota Wesleyan to 35.9 percent (23-for-64) shooting from the floor. Individually, Gage Smith starred in posting 25 points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals. In supporting roles, Schutte notched 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks and Bennett produced 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Garrett Seagren chipped in with eight points, five steals, four rebounds and three assists. The Bulldogs made up for 2-for-20 3-point shooting by taking care of the ball (five turnovers) and by scoring in the paint. Concordia has won three straight in the series with DWU and is 27-1 over its last 28 home games.
· Gage Smith moved up another rung on the program’s all-time rebound list last week while pushing his career rebound total to 795. He recently moved past the likes of Jon Ziegler (762) and Scott Beck (781). Gage ranks behind only Matt List (928) and Chandler Folkerts (868) for career rebounds. In terms of career scoring, Gage ranks 24th in school history with 1,179 points and has totaled 213 assists, 111 steals and 59 blocks in his time as a Bulldog. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., is in his fifth year in the program and has been part of teams that won GPAC championships in 2019-20 and 2021-22.
· Since going down with an injury at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 30, Tristan Smith has missed both games in the year 2023. Concordia was actually down two starters in the win over Dakota Wesleyan. The new-look starting lineup versus Dakota Wesleyan included Schutte and Gage Smith in the frontcourt and a backcourt of Bennett, Payson Gillespie and Seagren. An Omaha native and Westside High School alum, Gillespie started for the first time in his collegiate career. All five starters played at least 30 minutes in the victory. The rotation went nine deep as Limback used Joel Baker, Zac Kulus, Kelly Vyhnalek and Logan Wilson off the bench. It will be a collective effort in trying to make up for the injury to Tristan Smith, who is averaging 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Now averaging 10.3 points, Bennett is shouldering a much heavier load in the backcourt.
· Schutte has become a star on the collegiate scene after he accomplished the rare feat of reaching 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during his prep career at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School. Among GPAC players, Schutte ranks fifth in field goal percentage (.568), eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (.426), eighth in scoring average (18.4) and 18th in rebounding (5.8). Over 69 career games at Concordia, Schutte has totaled 846 points and 339 rebounds and has shot 50.4 percent from the floor. Schutte has reached the 20-point mark in seven games this season with a career high of 32 coming in the win at Texas Wesleyan University.
The opponent
Jamestown dealt the Bulldogs a 90-59 blow inside Friedrich Arena back on Nov. 22. That result gave the Jimmies a measure of revenge after Concordia took three meetings from Jamestown during the 2021-22 season. The conversation about Jamestown always begins with big man Mason Walters, the two-time GPAC Player of the Year. On the season, he’s averaging 28.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. Head Coach Danny Neville’s squad can play inside and out thanks to a backcourt that features the likes of Will Cordes, Marc Kjos and Cole Woodford. Jamestown leads the NAIA in 3-point field goals per game (11.6) while ranking fourth in scoring average (90.9). It’s worth noting that the Jimmies have been upset twice at home within GPAC play – by Dakota Wesleyan and Doane. Jamestown is 4-2 at home and 9-1 in road/neutral site contests this season. The Jimmies will host Briar Cliff on Wednesday before welcoming the Bulldogs to town on Saturday.
Probable starters
Concordia (11-6, 7-4 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (290-277, 19th season overall; 175-119, 10th season at CUNE)
Jamestown (13-3, 5-3 GPAC)
Head Coach: Danny Neville (163-77, 8th season)
Next week
The Bulldogs will host No. 23 Morningside on Jan. 18 and then will play at Northwestern on Jan. 21.
Seagren-powered rally comes up just shy at No. 14 Jamestown Jan. 14, 2023
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – There were many moments during which the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team appeared dead in the water on Saturday (Jan. 14) in Jamestown, N.D. But the Bulldogs showed high character in frantically rallying in the final minutes behind starring performances from Gage Smith and Garrett Seagren. Mason Walters and the 14th-ranked Jimmies ultimately held off Concordia, 69-64. The Bulldogs got within three points after trailing by as many as 19.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad had been idle since defeating Dakota Wesleyan, 78-69, last Saturday. Concordia now stands at 11-7 overall (7-5 GPAC).
“They’re a really, really good basketball team,” Limback said of Jamestown. “We struggled at both ends in the first half. Defensively, we were giving up a lot of easy stuff. They were attacking us and we could never get them on their heels. Their pressure in the first half disrupted us – we just couldn’t settle in. We switched to zone and we started to get them to think twice about shooting and got into a little bit of a rhythm offensively. We weren’t good enough to beat these guys, but I was proud of our effort and heart.”
The Bulldogs won all three series matchups in 2021-22, but Jamestown has flipped the script this 2022-23 season. The Jimmies had seemingly put the latest matchup in a vice grip before Seagren and his teammates came alive down the stretch. Trailing 66-54 with fewer than 3:30 left to go, the Bulldogs mounted a 10-1 run that got them within three (67-64) in the final minute. The spurt included seven points from the suddenly unstoppable Seagren. A layup by Reid Gastner in the closing 30 seconds was enough for the Jimmies to seal the game.
An Oakland, Neb., native and Chaminade University transfer, Seagren filled it up with a career high 18 points. He attacked the basket with the type of vigor that should give him confidence moving forward. On the interior, Gage Smith followed up his monster game versus DWU with 19 points and eight rebounds before fouling out late in the game. Gage and Noah Schutte had both been whistled with three fouls by the 14:21 mark of the second half. Schutte was limited to four points on 2-for-10 shooting from the floor. Meanwhile, Brad Bennett chipped in nine points, seven rebounds and three steals and Kelly Vyhnalek led the reserves with five points.
Said Limback, “We had some great moments there and made it interesting. They’re just too good for us to get down 19 and be able to come back. It was nice to see that from Garrett. He’s got the ability and I think he gained some confidence, so that’s what we took away. Our leading scorers maybe didn’t play their best and we hung with one of the top teams in the country.”
Walters actually finished well below his scoring average while putting up 18 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday. He was equaled in scoring by teammate Cole Woodford, who made 4-of-8 attempts from long range. No other Jimmies registered in double figures. Jamestown (15-3, 7-3 GPAC) shot 45.3 percent (24-for-53) overall and held a slight rebound advantage, 33-31. On the other end, Concordia shot 43.9 percent (25-for-57) from the field. Jamestown led by a 41-22 score late in the first half and held an advantage as large as 17 points in the second half.
The Bulldogs will be back inside the friendly confines of Friedrich Arena on Wednesday for a 7:45 p.m. CT matchup with No. 20 Morningside (14-3, 8-2 GPAC). Concordia will look to avenge its 69-62 loss on the home court of the Mustangs on Nov. 30. The Bulldogs are 27-1 over their past 28 home games.
GPAC frontrunners Morningside, Northwestern up next on slate Jan. 16, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Two significant challenges await Concordia University Men’s Basketball this week as the second half of the conference schedule continues. The Bulldogs will host No. 20 Morningside on Thursday before traveling to play at Northwestern on Saturday. Both foes are situated above Concordia in the standings, making this a pivotal week if the Bulldogs are to put themselves in the hunt for another GPAC regular season championship. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is coming off a 69-64 loss at No. 14 Jamestown this past weekend. That loss put Concordia at 11-7 overall, 7-5 GPAC.
This Week
Thursday, Jan. 19 vs. No. 20 Morningside (14-3, 8-2 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Saturday, Jan. 21 at Northwestern (14-4, 7-3 GPAC), 3:45 p.m. Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Bultman Center (Orange City, Iowa)
By the numbers
· A mixed bag of late resulted in the Bulldogs receiving no votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll released on Jan. 11. Concordia had ascended as high as No. 19 with the unveiling of the Nov. 30 poll. In the most recent GPAC ratings, the Bulldogs were slotted into a tie at No. 4 with Northwestern. The top three teams are Jamestown, Morningside and Dordt. To date, Concordia’s most impressive win was the 87-72 triumph it took at Dordt back on Nov. 19. The Bulldogs have gone 3-5 over their past eight games as they continue to adjust to different lineups and life without two starters. Tristan Smith has been sidelined since the injury he suffered at the University of Science & Arts (Okla.) on Dec. 30 and will not return this season.
· In back-to-back games, Limback has started a lineup that has included guards Brad Bennett, Payson Gillespie and Garrett Seagren and post players Noah Schutte and Gage Smith. That group played a major role in lifting Concordia to the 78-69 win over Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 7. This past Saturday, the Bulldogs dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of. They trailed by as many as 19 points (41-22) in the first half at Jamestown and still faced a deficit of 12 with less than 3:30 remaining in the game. That’s when Garrett Seagren got going with seven points during a 10-1 run that made it a three-point contest (67-64) with less than a minute remaining. However, Concordia failed to score again and suffered a regular season sweep to the Jimmies (15-3, 7-3 GPAC). Gage Smith led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds before fouling out. Seagren finished with a career high 18 points and Bennett added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.
· A native of Oakland, Neb., and a Chaminade University transfer, Seagren is in his second season as a Bulldog. He routinely draws praise from Limback for his work on the defensive end of the floor. Now he has something he can build upon from an offensive perspective. Prior to last week, his career high scoring total had been 12 in this season’s win over Ottawa University (Kan.). He’s now averaging 4.8 points per game after his outburst at Jamestown. Seagren spent three seasons at Chaminade and appeared in 12 games as a redshirt sophomore. The 6-foot-2 guard graduated from Oakland-Craig High School and is an NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
· Schutte and Gage Smith are shouldering a major load in the frontcourt in the absence of Tristan Smith. Gage has done his part with a combined 44 points and 18 rebounds over the past two GPAC outings. The fifth-year senior from Elizabeth, Colo., has pushed his career totals to 1,198 points and 803 rebounds in 122 games. On the program’s all-time rebound list, he ranks behind only Matt List (928) and Chandler Folkerts (868). In this past week’s action, Gage moved up one spot on the school’s all-time scoring list, passing Eli Ziegler (1,194) for 23rd. At some point this season, Schutte could join Gage in the 1,000-point club. Schutte has totaled 850 points in 70 career collegiate games.
· Strong defensive play will continue to be a key if Concordia is to challenge for another GPAC championship. Despite the hiccup at Mount Marty on Jan. 5, the Bulldogs rate as one of the league’s best defensive teams. Among GPAC squads, Concordia ranks first in scoring defense (68.7), first in defensive efficiency (.948), second in field goal percentage defense (.421) and second in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.295). It also ranks second in the conference in rebound margin (plus-5.4). Without Tristan Smith, three Bulldogs are averaging in double figures in scoring: Schutte (17.6), Gage Smith (12.9) and Bennett (10.2).
· With the win over Dakota Wesleyan on Jan. 7, Concordia moved to 27-1 over its last 28 home games. The only defeat during that stretch was the 90-59 loss to then fifth-ranked Jamestown on Nov. 22. The Bulldogs polished off the 2021-22 conference title campaign with a spotless 16-0 home mark. From the 2020-21 season forward, Concordia’s home record stands at 34-2. The high point of that success at home came last season when the Bulldogs knocked off the Jimmies in the GPAC tournament championship game.
The opponents
Morningside has bounced back nicely in year two of Trent Miller’s tenure as head coach. The Mustangs went 14-12 last season and missed out on the national tournament. They currently lead the GPAC standings with an 8-2 league mark. Morningside is 3-0 in the month of January with wins over Midland, Hastings and Doane. Big man Ely Doble averages 17.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Mustangs burst onto the scene in November when they upset two ranked opponents: No. 16 Carroll College (Mont.) and No. 14 Indiana Wesleyan University. Miller’s squad averages 79.4 points per game and shoots an efficient 50.3 percent from the floor. It allows 70.6 points and 45.1 percent shooting. Morningside won the first meeting over Concordia, 69-62, in Sioux City.
Northwestern took a licking in Seward, 81-55, on Dec. 3 and then tightened things up. The Red Raiders carry a seven-game winning streak into a week that will include a trip to Briar Cliff. Head Coach Kris Korver’s squad has put the pieces together in the absence of All-American Alex Van Kalsbeek, who was injured early in the season. The roster got a big boost with the addition of Dillon Carlson, who leads the team with an average of 19.4 points per game. He leads an up-tempo attack that ranks third in the league in scoring (82.5 ppg). Northwestern also shoots a healthy 38.9 percent from 3-point range. The Red Raiders got a signature win on Jan. 6 when they defeated then ninth-ranked Jamestown, 65-57. Concordia has won seven of the past eight meetings with Northwestern.
Probable starters
Concordia (11-7, 7-5 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (290-278, 19th season overall; 175-120, 10th season at CUNE)
Morningside (14-3, 8-2 GPAC)
Head Coach: Trent Miller (28-15, 2nd season at Morningside)
Northwestern (14-4, 7-3 GPAC)
Head Coach: Kris Korver (514-205, 23rd season at Northwestern)
Next week
Next week will be jampacked with home action as the Bulldogs will host Hastings on Jan. 25 before shifting focus to the 70th Concordia Invitational Tournament (Jan. 27-28). On day one of the event, CUNE will take on Concordia University Chicago.
Schutte, Bennett catch fire in defeat at hands of No. 20 Morningside Jan. 20, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Brad Bennett and Noah Schutte attempted to play the role of heroes in spearheading a comeback from 15 points down. It wasn’t quite enough though as the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team struggled to shoot from the perimeter and didn’t come through with enough of the hustle plays that Coach Ben Limback was looking for on Thursday (Jan. 19). No. 20 Morningside managed to fend off the Bulldogs, 76-71, inside Friedrich Arena. The Mustangs swept the two regular season meetings.
Limback’s squad has dropped back-to-back contests while up against the two highest-rated teams in the GPAC. Concordia (11-8, 7-6 GPAC) fought back valiantly from large deficits in both instances.
“That’s a good basketball team we just played,” Limback said. “I felt like we didn’t have enough consistent toughness plays. There were little things where we didn’t get a rebound in an important moment, turned it over or gave up a transition bucket. We gave up too many points off turnovers. I thought we guarded okay. When it’s all said and done, we cut it to two and made a good run. I just felt like we didn’t have enough of those toughness plays throughout the game.”
Reminiscent of the rally last weekend in Jamestown, it was too little and too late. The loss came despite herculean second half efforts from both Bennett and Schutte. The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School product Schutte went off for 20 of his 27 points during the final 20 minutes while Bennett produced 17 of his 24 points after halftime. Schutte and Bennett went back-to-back on 3-point field goals as part of an 11-2 run that got the Bulldogs within two (71-69) with just over a minute remaining. Concordia proceeded to come up empty on its next two possessions – and that was that.
The GPAC leading Mustangs (15-3, 9-2 GPAC) led virtually the entire way on the strength of a double-double from Ely Doble (17 points and 10 rebounds) and double-figure scoring totals from Joey Skoff (16), Jack Dotzler (13), Aidan Vanderloo (13) and Dylan Johnson (11). Morningside overcame a 45-36 disadvantage on the boards while shooting 41.3 percent (26-for-63) from the floor. The Mustangs committed only eight turnovers. Their largest lead rested at 43-28 early in the second half.
Schutte grabbed 10 rebounds (five offensive) in a double-double outing. Gage Smith also filled the stat sheet with 13 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Smith scored the bucket that put Concordia within two late in the contest. Bennett added nine rebounds and two steals to his stat line. The Bulldogs could have perhaps used a little more balance, but Schutte and Bennett proved capable of carrying the load.
Said Limback, “They have the ability. I thought Noah was really good in the second half. He was a lot more aggressive and played stronger. Brad just makes those sneaky tough plays, and he defends. He just does a lot of things for us that we need. Those guys had great individual games, but we just need more.”
The Bulldogs are in the midst of a five-games-in-10-days stretch that will continue on Saturday with a road trip to Northwestern (14-5, 7-4 GPAC). Tipoff from the Bultman Center in Orange City, Iowa, is set for 3:45 p.m. Concordia will be aiming for a season sweep of the Red Raiders, a foe it defeated by a score of 81-55 in Seward on Dec. 3. The Bulldogs have won seven of the past eight meetings with Northwestern.
Dawgs experience rough road trip in Orange City Jan. 21, 2023
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – It felt like a long afternoon in Orange City, Iowa, for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team. The Bulldogs fell behind by as many as 26 points and struggled to a 79-65 loss to Northwestern on Saturday (Jan. 21). Less than seven minutes into action, Concordia already faced a double-digit deficit and didn’t have enough to make it interesting as it did while rallying in recent deficits that came against No. 14 Jamestown and No. 20 Morningside.
A number of factors have made for some adverse conditions this January for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad. A three-game skid has left the Bulldogs at 11-9 overall (7-7 GPAC).
“The first half we didn't shoot well and I felt like it affected our defensive effort,” Limback said. “The majority of the game, other than maybe the last 10 minutes, we were on our heels. They were the aggressor. We really didn't do much to make them feel uncomfortable. They got in a rhythm. On the road, you can't allow teams to get comfortable. It just snowballed. The last couple games we were able to come back and make it interesting, but this was too much.”
The result on Saturday was a complete reversal of the 81-55 decision Concordia took from the Red Raiders at home on Dec. 3. Dillon Carlson (game high 22 points) and company got revenge while draining seven of their first 12 shots from beyond the arc. Uncharacteristically, the Bulldogs allowed Northwestern to shoot 53.3 percent (32-for-60) for the game. Concordia fell way behind while shooting only 34.5 percent in the first half and 43.1 percent (25-for-58) on the day.
There wasn’t much the Bulldogs were able to hang their hats on. They were even outnumbered on the boards, 37-30, a category they have typically dominated. Noah Schutte paced the team with 12 points and seven rebounds as Concordia’s lone double-figure scorer. Gage Smith produced nine points, six rebounds and five assists. There were six other Bulldogs that tallied at least five points as Limback got a long look at the bench: Zac Kulus (eight), Garrett Seagren (eight), Kelly Vyhnalek (seven), Jaxon Weyand (seven), Payson Gillespie (six) and Logan Wilson (five).
In addition to Carlson’s 22, the Red Raiders (15-5, 8-4 GPAC) got 17 points from Grant DeMeulenaere and 16 from Matt Onken. The trio of Carlson, DeMeulenaere and Conner Geddes combined to go 10-for-21 from 3-point range. Northwestern has won eight of its last nine outings while finding a groove in the absence of All-American Alex Van Kalsbeek, who suffered a season ending injury.
Limback knows his team will get after it again in practice on Monday. Said Limback, “We have guys that work hard in practice. It's about having production when the lights come on and having attention to detail. I like our young guys. Jaxon Weyand and Zac Kulus got some opportunities today. We were trying to see some different lineups. We're at a point now where we have to toughen up and strengthen an identity. We were guarding teams for the most part, but today we didn't do that. The only bright spot we took away is that we have three home games next week. Northwestern was the better team for sure today.”
A jampacked week at home is coming up as the Bulldogs will welcome Hastings (13-7, 6-6 GPAC) to Friedrich Arena for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff. Once that game is in the books, focus will shift to the 70th Concordia Invitational Tournament set for Jan. 27-28. As for the matchup with the Broncos, Concordia will try to settle the score in response to the 78-60 loss it endured at Hastings on Dec. 10.
Previewing #CIT2023 week on the men's side Jan. 22, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – CIT week on the Concordia University Nebraska campus has arrived. The Bulldogs are going to get comfortable inside Friedrich Arena while hosting action on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Before focusing on the 70th Concordia Invitational Tournament, Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will welcome Hastings to Seward on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs are looking to shake off losses last week to No. 20 Morningside, 76-71, (home) and to Northwestern, 79-65 (away). Those results have put Concordia at 11-9 overall (7-7 GPAC). CUNE has dropped three games in a row.
This Week
Wednesday, Jan. 25 vs. Hastings (13-7, 6-6 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
CIT – Friday, Jan. 27 vs. Concordia Chicago (8-2), 8 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
CIT – Saturday, Jan. 28 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor/Concordia Wisconsin, 2/7 p.m. Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
2023 CIT Schedule – Jan. 27-28
--Admission at the door will be $15 for a day pass and $25 for a tournament pass; tickets can be purchased in advance by ordering online at https://www.cune.edu/athletics/tickets .Streaming : All eight CIT games will be streamed via the Concordia Sports Network . The cost for streaming will be $15 for a day pass and $25 for a tournament pass. Live stats will be available for free and all CUNE games will also be broadcast live via 104.9 Max Country radio.
Visit our official CIT webpage for more information: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/hosted-tournaments-and-meets/concordia-invitational-tournament .
Friday, Jan. 27
1 p.m. CST - Ann Arbor vs. Chicago (Women) 3 p.m. CST - Ann Arbor vs. Wisconsin (Men) 6 p.m. CST - Nebraska vs. Wisconsin (Women) 8 p.m. CST - Nebraska vs. Chicago (Men) Saturday, Jan. 28
9 a.m. CST - Dance Competition 9:45 a.m. CST - Cheer Competition 12 p.m. CST - Women's Consolation Game 2 p.m. CST - Men's Consolation Game 5 p.m. CST - Women's Championship Game 7 p.m. CST - Men's Championship Game Trophy presentation and all-Concordia devotions following last game By the numbers
· The Bulldogs have some work to do down the stretch if they are going to secure a national tournament berth in back-to-back years and for the third time in four seasons. The NAIA released official ratings percentage index calculations and ARC ratings on Jan. 16. Concordia landed at No. 51 in the RPI while having played the 41st toughest strength of schedule. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs were ranked ninth in the North-Central region . According to the RPI, Concordia’s best wins have come over No. 27 Northwestern, No. 28 Dordt. The Bulldogs have also competed closely with No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan University and No. 7 Morningside.
· Concordia won two of three matchups with the Mustangs last season, but Morningside (16-3, 10-2 GPAC) has had the Bulldogs’ number going back several years. In the latest matchup, Concordia found itself down 15 (43-28) early in the second half before snapping out of a lull. Noah Schutte scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half while Brad Bennett posted 17 of his 24 points after halftime. Their exploits helped the Bulldogs get within two (71-69) with just over a minute to play. Unfortunately, Concordia came up empty on its next two possessions and the Mustangs sealed the victory. The Bulldogs shot only 39.0 percent from the floor (4-for-21 from 3-point range). Both Schutte (27 points and 10 rebounds) and Gage Smith (13 points and 13 rebounds) posted double-doubles.
· Concordia found itself down double digits within the first seven minutes of the game in Orange City, Iowa, and never made it competitive. The Red Raiders (15-5, 8-4 GPAC) built a lead as large as 26 points and shot 53.3 percent from the floor. Dillon Carlson led the way with 22 points while making four 3-point field goals. There wasn’t much it could hang its hat on as Concordia even got outrebounded, 37-30. Facing a large deficit, the Bulldogs extended the bench and got nice contributions from Zac Kulus (eight points) and Jaxon Weyand (seven points). Schutte totaled 12 points and seven rebounds and Gage Smith added nine points, six rebounds and five assists.
· The Morningside game was just another example of why Schutte is considered one of the GPAC’s best players. His 27-point outing last week marked the eighth time this season that he’s scored at least 20. Among GPAC players, Schutte ranks seventh in scoring (17.8), ninth in free throw percentage (.789), 10th in field goal percentage (.537), 17th in rebounds per game (5.9) and 22nd in 3-point field goal percentage (.390). In his career, Schutte has totaled 889 points and 358 rebounds in 72 games (49 starts). He was named to the 2022 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship All-Tournament Team.
· Limback used another new starting five last week while inserting Joel Baker into the lineup at Northwestern. Three Bulldogs have started all 20 games this season: Schutte, Gage Smith and Garrett Seagren. Tristan Smith had started the first 15 contests before going down with an injury that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season. Freshman Payson Gillespie started three games in a row heading into the trip to Northwestern. The sharpshooting Brad Bennett has opened nine games in the backcourt and figures to have locked in a spot for the rest of this season. Gage Smith has now started 78 games in his career (124 career games played).
Five facts about CUNE Men’s Basketball at CIT
· The Bulldogs have dominated the Concordia Invitational Tournament, capturing an event record 28 all-time CIT titles. Only two other Concordias have won more than 10 CIT championships: St. Louis (16) and Chicago (14). Under head coach Ben Limback, the Bulldogs have won CIT titles in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020.
· Only one CUNE player in tournament history has twice been named the CIT MVP, Chandler Folkerts. The Milford, Neb., native was named CIT MVP in 2016 and 2017. Folkerts piled up 136 points in his eight career CIT games. At the most recent CIT (held in River Forest in 2020), Tanner Shuck earned MVP honors as the Bulldogs rolled past Ann Arbor, 79-57, and Wisconsin, 92-55.
· Six different head coaches have led the Bulldogs to CIT titles (in order): Reuben Stohs (two), Kent Einspahr (two), Brian Mueller (two), Tom Baack (two), Grant Schmidt (16) and Ben Limback (Four). Schmidt’s 16 CIT championships are tied with Eldon Pederson (Concordia-St. Louis) for the most coaching CIT titles in the history of the tournament.
· The Bulldogs won their first-ever CIT title in 1964 under the direction of head coach Reuben Stohs while being led by MVP Gordon Bredow. CUNE has won 26 of the past 38 CIT tournaments dating back to 1983. The first CIT was held in 1951.
· Ben Limback is the only coach in the history of the event to win CIT titles with two different Concordias. Limback also guided Concordia-Ann Arbor to CIT championships in 2006 and 2007 while up against his college coach, Grant Schmidt.
Hastings and the CIT field
Concordia University, Nebraska Bulldogs Head Coach: Ben Limback, 10th year (175-122 at CUNE)Record: 11-9 (7-7 GPAC)Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference (NAIA)Location: Seward, NebraskaScoring Offense: 75.9 ppg / .455 FG%Scoring Defense: 69.6 ppg / .426 FG%CIT Titles: 28 (most recent: 2020)
Probable Lineup
Hastings College Broncos Head Coach: Todd Raridon, 1st yearRecord: 13-7 (6-6 GPAC)Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference (NAIA)Location: Hastings, NebraskaScoring Offense: 73.3 ppg / .470 FG%Scoring Defense: 71.3 ppg / .455 FG%
Probable Lineup
Concordia University Ann Arbor Cardinals Head Coach: Ricky Yahn, 10th yearRecord: 7-13 (7-7 WHAC)Conference: Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (NAIA)Location: Ann Arbor, MichiganScoring Offense: 67.5 ppg / .401 FG%Scoring Defense: 71.6 ppg / .467 FG%CIT Titles: 4 (most recent: 2018)
Probable Lineup
Concordia University Chicago Cougars Head Coach: Steve Kollar, 4th yearRecord: 8-2 (5-0 NACC)Conference: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NCAA Division III)Location: River Forest, IllinoisScoring Offense: 81.7 ppg / .472 FG%Scoring Defense: 75.2 ppg / .468 FG%CIT Titles: 14 (most recent: 2011)
Probable Lineup
Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons Head Coach: Shawn Cassidy, 16th yearRecord: 4-12 (2-8 NACC)Conference: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NCAA Division III)Location: Mequon, WisconsinScoring Offense: 76.3 ppg / .462 FG%Scoring Defense: 79.7 ppg / .458 FG%CIT Titles: 4 (most recent: 2019)
Probable Lineup
Next week
It will be strictly conference play the rest of the regular season. The Bulldogs will play at Midland on Feb. 1 before returning home to host No. 3 Dordt on Feb. 4.
Schutte celebrates birthday by leading rout of Hastings Jan. 26, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – It was Noah Schutte’s birthday bash and he wasn’t sharing any of the cake with Hastings. The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School product outscored the Broncos by himself in the opening half while surgically picking apart the opposition. The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team limited Hastings to 31.5 percent shooting in the 80-42 demolition inside Friedrich Arena on Wednesday (Jan. 25). The Bulldogs successfully avenged their mid-December loss at Hastings.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad shook off what had been a three-game losing streak. The Bulldogs (12-9, 8-7 GPAC) will carry positive vibes into the Concordia Invitational Tournament.
“Guys were locked in,” Limback said. “I told them after the game – that response is what champions do. We had a couple games where we didn’t get it done. We had some great meetings and some great talks. This was the response we all expected. I’m just proud of – especially defensively – how hard we competed. The attention to detail was outstanding today.”
It was Noah Schutte 17 and the Hastings Broncos 15 at halftime. Concordia owned an insurmountable 38-15 at that point. At the conclusion of 20 minutes, the Broncos were a miserable 6-for-23 (.261) from the floor and star guard Reggie Thomas had only two points. Schutte was mostly a spectator during the second half but finished with a game high 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the floor. Less than seven minutes after tipoff, the Bulldogs already owned a double-digit advantage.
Concordia made it a priority not to let Thomas get loose like he did in the first meeting when he tallied 24 points and led Hastings to a 70-68 victory. He did manage to total 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting, but none of his teammates reached double figures. The Bulldogs have stood out as one of the GPAC’s top defensive teams this season, and it looked like it again on Wednesday.
Said Schutte, “We kind of switched our game plan on Reggie from the first time we played them, but I think our defense was suffocating on them. They got frustrated and we forced 19 turnovers. We were able to get out and run a lot and get easy buckets.”
In strong outings, Gage Smith tallied 10 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds and Garrett Seagren collected 10 points and two steals. Notably, Jaxon Weyand made his first career start and contributed eight points, including four in the very early stages of the game as Concordia quickly build a sturdy advantage. In addition, Brad Bennett snared eight rebounds, Trey Scheef went 3-for-5 from 3-point range and Zac Kulus (seven points, two steals) and Kelly Vyhnalek (six points, four rebounds) pitched in off the bench. The Bulldogs shot 50 percent (28-for-56) from the floor and were an impressive 16-for-17 from the foul line.
After riding a bit of a rollercoaster over the past four weeks, the Bulldogs hope they’ve found a way to calm the waters. It doesn’t hurt to feed Schutte, who is fewer than 100 points away now from 1,000 in his Concordia career.
Said Limback, “Obviously Noah, birthday boy today, was good in both halves. He made the plays and got us going. I thought Jaxon took advantage and helped us get a lead early. He provides us with some speed. I really liked what he did for us. Gage looked healthy today. You can see his ability to pass and move. He’s so versatile. He’s kind of that unsung hero sometimes.”
The 70th Concordia Invitational Tournament will tip off on Friday from Friedrich Arena. In round one of the event, the Bulldogs will take on Concordia University Chicago (8-2) at 8 p.m. CT on Friday. CUNE will be attempting to claim the program’s 29th all-time CIT championship. For more details on CIT 2023, including ticket information, click HERE .
Kulus shoots Bulldogs into CIT title game Jan. 28, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Visiting Concordia University Chicago showcased plenty of fight on Friday (Jan. 27), but it ultimately got buried in a flurry of Zac Kulus treys down the stretch. The breakout game for Kulus helped carry the Concordia University Nebraska Men’s Basketball team to an 89-70 win over the Cougars on day one of the 70th Concordia Invitational Tournament. Kulus and familiar standouts Noah Schutte and Gage Smith were the ringleaders in the latest triumph.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad also defeated Hastings on Wednesday and has moved to 13-9 overall. Limback and his crew faced a lot of unknowns on Friday against a squad that had not yet played in the calendar year 2023.
“We knew they weren’t going to go away,” Limback said. “They had a lot to play for and that’s a good basketball team. It took everything in us. I loved Zac coming off the bench and hitting those big threes in big moments. I thought our defense was forcing some tough shots, and they were making them. They got loose in transition a little bit. I’m proud of our guys to fight through. They were a very tough team to guard. It’s all about getting to that next night and the championship game.”
Kulus waited until crunch time before unloading from downtown, each successive triple causing greater uproar from a frenzied Friedrich Arena. The Concordia Omaha High School product showed no fear in finding the bottom of the net at the 10:17, 6:49, 6:19, 3:56 and 2:50 marks of the second half. When that barrage began, CUNE held a tenuous 63-56 lead. When it ended, the advantage had swollen to 86-66 in the final few minutes. The Bulldogs shot 52.9 percent from the floor in the second half while eventually pulling away.
Prior to Friday, Kulus’ season high point total had been nine at Waldorf University (Iowa). His game is growing exponentially. Said Kulus, “I started off pretty good and then my teammates were finding me. Coaches were putting me in the right spot. From there I was just continuing to get shots up within the offense. It just all came together really well.”
It’s been a beastly week for Schutte, who totaled 22 points (10-for-13 from the floor) and 12 rebounds on Friday. CUC struggled to contain him in the post. As for Gage Smith, he wasn’t far off a triple-double with his line of 13 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two blocked shots. As a 6-foot-6 post player, Gage has shown an incredible gift for setting up his teammates. Other solid contributors included Kelly Vyhnalek (nine points), Brad Bennett (eight points and five rebounds), Garrett Seagren (six points) and Jaxon Weyand (five points and eight rebounds).
Some unfortunate circumstances have put the Cougars (8-3) in a tough spot after they shared their conference regular season title last season. Despite the challenges, they never backed down on Friday. CUC got 23 points from Jordan Matthews and 15 from Emanuel Wilson. The Cougars shot 42.0 percent for the game. CUC enjoyed a large advantage in turnovers (plus-11) but was also struck by a major disadvantage in rebounding (48-26).
Said Limback, “It’s always fun when you get into the championship game. We’ve had some good battles over the years (with Concordia Wisconsin). It looks like they play a lot of zone, and we’re going to have to be sharper with taking care of the basketball. I love the atmosphere and I’m excited to see what tomorrow night holds.”
The 70th CIT will continue on Saturday with cheer and dance competitions and four more basketball games. In the 5 p.m. CT championship game, the Bulldogs will go up against fellow NAIA member Concordia University Wisconsin (6-12). The Falcons toppled Concordia University Ann Arbor, 80-68, in the first men’s game of the event. Winner of 28 all-time CIT titles, CUNE will be aiming to repeat its championship celebration of 2020.
Schutte named MVP as CUNE treats raucous crowd to CIT championship Jan. 29, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Game day atmospheres don’t get much better than this in collegiate athletics. With a boost from a raucous Friedrich Arena crowd, the Concordia University Nebraska Men’s Basketball team reigned supreme at the Concordia Invitational Tournament once again. CIT MVP Noah Schutte helped spearhead an 82-64 victory over Concordia University Wisconsin in Saturday (Jan. 28)’s championship clash. Brad Bennett knocked down seven treys in a scintillating performance of his own.
The weekend marked the seventh time Head Coach Ben Limback has led teams to CIT titles (including two during his tenure at Concordia Ann Arbor). The 2022-23 Bulldogs (14-9) have seized the program’s 29th all-time CIT championship.
“I think both teams were feeding off the atmosphere,” Limback said. “There were great runs and great momentum plays. We had a tough opponent. I thought Wisconsin was locked in too. What a night. Hopefully the fans and alums enjoyed it. We certainly did. It’s always nice when you come up on the winning side.”
This was a rematch of the 2020 CIT title game rout won by CUNE, 92-55, in River Forest. But this matchup wasn’t quite like that one. CUW (6-13) didn’t just go away quietly. It put together a 10-1 run early in the second half and trailed just 48-42 at the time. The Bulldogs responded and maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the contest. On both Friday and Saturday, it was freshman Zac Kulus who stepped up to deliver daggers from 3-point range. Kulus called game when he drained a trey at the 3:47 mark of the second half pushed the advantage to 74-57.
The sniper Bennett rained in six of his 3-point field goals during a dizzying first half effort. He finished with a game high 23 points to go along with six rebounds. On the interior, Schutte put away a hard-earned 19 points as he went 11-for-12 from the foul line and posted five rebounds and five assists. The MVP Schutte also collected 22 points and 12 rebounds in Friday’s victory over Concordia University Chicago. In the title game, Kulus (14) and Payson Gillespie (10) reached double figures off the bench.
The growth of the young guys is a key to the Bulldogs’ chances of gelling in the final month of the regular season. Said Limback, “That was our biggest takeaway – we had some guys who really grew up this weekend, this week, really. I thought our freshmen were really good this weekend. Obviously Brad shot it really well today. Kelly Vyhnalek did some really good things in the second half for us. It was really good to play in this environment and see some growth out of our guys.”
Gage Smith made his way onto the all-tournament team for a solid two-game run that included a near triple-double on Friday. He added six points, eight rebounds and six assists in the championship game. The Bulldogs shot only 39.1 percent from the field but got to the foul line (19-for-27), won the rebound battle (45-35) and netted 13 triples. Meanwhile, CUW shot 40.7 percent (24-for-59).
The Falcons played to a level this weekend that belies their overall season record. CUW landed Jared Jurss on the all-tournament team. He posted 12 points in the championship game. A team high 21 points came from big man Gabe Pruss.
As a fifth-year player, Gage had experienced two other road CITs, but this one takes the cake. Said Smith, “There’s nothing like it, honestly. I thought the GPAC championship last year couldn’t be topped, but this was close. There were a lot of people out here that came to support us. It was a crazy environment. It made us all go harder.”
It will be GPAC play for the remainder of the regular season as the Bulldogs now get set for Wednesday’s trip to Fremont, Neb., home to Midland (9-14, 3-12 GPAC). Tipoff from the Wikert Event Center is set for 7:45 p.m. CT. CUNE manhandled the Warriors on the boards in the season’s first matchup and ran away with it, 83-47, on Nov. 16.
2023 CIT All-Tournament Team
Following CIT title, attention shifts to GPAC stretch run Jan. 30, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – By Wednesday, it will be time for the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team to come down from the high of winning the 2023 Concordia Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs now focus their attention on the final month of the regular season, which includes five games against GPAC opponents. Concordia will attempt to carry over the momentum from a three-win week that saw it defeat Hastings, 80-42, Concordia University Chicago, 89-70, and Concordia University Wisconsin, 82-64. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad enters the week at 14-9 overall (8-7 GPAC) and sits in fifth place in the GPAC standings. The Bulldogs will honor their senior class prior to Saturday’s home game.
This Week
Wednesday, Feb. 1 at Midland (9-14, 3-12 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Wikert Event Center (Fremont, Neb.)
Saturday, Feb. 4 vs. Dordt (17-5, 9-5 GPAC), 3:45 p.m. (Senior Day) Live Webcast/Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· Home games have typically been a cure for anything that may be ailing the Bulldogs. The home mark on the season stands at 10-2 and CUNE has gone 30-2 over its last 32 contests played inside Friedrich Arena. During that run, the Bulldogs have played in front of some of the most raucous crowds the arena has seen since it first went into use beginning with the 2009-10 season. Examples included last week’s CIT games and the GPAC tournament contests of February 2022. In this season’s 12 home games, Concordia has outscored its opponents by an average margin of 79.8 to 64.3 and has outshot its foes 45.8 to 38.3 percent.
· A 13-game series win streak over Hastings ended on Dec. 10 when the Broncos came back in the closing minutes to take it, 70-68. The Bulldogs avenged that defeat in emphatic fashion last week as they jumped on Hastings early and never gave the visitors a chance. Noah Schutte needed less than seven minutes of game time to knock down three treys, the final one making it a double-digit lead that carried through the rest of the way. Schutte finished with 23 points and five rebounds in only 23 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Gage Smith and Garrett Seagren recorded 10 points apiece and Trey Scheef poured in three triples off the bench. Concordia shot 50.0 percent from the floor while limiting the Broncos (13-9, 6-8 GPAC) to 31.5 percent.
· The Bulldogs did not know exactly what they were going to see against Concordia Chicago (8-4), a squad that had not played in the calendar year 2023 due to some unfortunate circumstances. CUNE found itself in a battle with its lead cut to five (66-61) with just over eight minutes remaining. The evening marked a breakout performance for freshman Zac Kulus, who netted treys at the 10:17, 6:49, 6:19, 3:56 and 2:50 marks of the second half. The Omaha Concordia High School product finished the game with a career high 19 points on 5-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Schutte totaled 22 points and 12 rebounds and Gage Smith (13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists) narrowly missed a triple-double. In making his second career start, Jaxon Weyand snared eight rebounds.
· An early second half push from Concordia Wisconsin (6-13) made things interesting in the CIT championship game. The Bulldogs’ 15-point lead was slashed to six (48-42) before the likes of Schutte and Kulus helped restore order. Brad Bennett was red hot with six treys in the first half on his way to a game high 23 points. Schutte booked 19 points (11-for-12 free throw shooting), five assists and five rebounds. Other double figure scorers were Kulus (14) and Payson Gillespie (10). For the night, CUNE made 13-of-28 shots from 3-point range and owned a 45-35 rebound advantage. Schutte was named the CIT MVP and Smith was chosen to the all-tournament team.
· Limback has now won seven CIT championships as a head coach, including two (2006 and 2007) during his tenure at Concordia University Ann Arbor. Since returning to his alma mater, Limback has guided the Bulldogs to CIT titles in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2023. As a program, CUNE has won 29 all-time CIT championships with 16 coming under the direction of former Head Coach Grant Schmidt. The event first got started in 1951 and has occurred annually (with a few exceptions) since then. Friedrich Arena has played host to the event in 2013, 2017 and 2023.
· Fresh off his CIT MVP award, Schutte has 1,000 career points in his sights. He enters the week having totaled 953 points in 75 career collegiate games. No one who saw him play in high school would be surprised by that production. Schutte totaled more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in his prep career at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School. Among GPAC players, Schutte ranks seventh in scoring average (18.2), seventh in free throw percentage (.806), eighth in field goal percentage (.539) and 15th in rebounding (6.1). He’ll be in line for plenty of postseason accolades after last season being named Honorable Mention All-GPAC and an NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team selection.
The opponents
After starting 0-7 in conference play, Midland has found some footing and picked up GPAC wins over Doane, Mount Marty and Briar Cliff during the month of January. The Warriors very nearly earned a season sweep of Doane. They were defeated on a buzzer beater in Crete this past weekend. This is year one for Head Coach Tyler Erwin at Midland, his alma mater. The Warriors are led by freshman Jake Orr, who averages 14.8 points per game out of the backcourt. Midland has averaged 73.4 points per game while allowing 78.5. Concordia’s series win streak against the Warriors grew to eight with this season’s 83-47 triumph in Seward on Nov. 16.
A national tournament qualifier last season, Dordt continues to receive votes nationally while putting to use the NAIA’s second ranked scoring offense (91.4 ppg). The experienced Defenders have four starters who average in double figures: Jacob Vis (19.9), Bryce Coppock (16.4), Lucas Lorenzen (13.5) and Cade Bleeker (11.8). This past week, Dordt fell at Dakota Wesleyan, 70-66, and then won at Hastings, 71-61. Concordia will have to contend with a Dordt team that shoots 54.6 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from 3-point range. Head Coach Brian Van Haaften’s squad will be out to avenge the 87-72 home loss it suffered to the Bulldogs on Nov. 19. Concordia has won each of the past three series meetings.
Probable starters
Concordia (14-9, 8-7 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (293-280, 19th season overall; 178-122, 10th season at CUNE)
Midland (9-14, 3-12 GPAC)
Head Coach: Tyler Erwin (1st season)
Dordt (17-5, 9-5 GPAC)
Head Coach: Brian Van Haaften (5th season at Dordt)
Next week
The Bulldogs will be at Doane on Feb. 8 before enjoying the weekend of Feb. 11 off from game action. Concordia defeated the Tigers, 74-61, in Seward on Dec. 15.
Schutte garners third GPAC weekly award of 2022-23 season Jan. 31, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – For his work in leading the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team to three wins last week, Noah Schutte has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Tuesday (Jan. 31). Schutte has earned the award for the third time this season. Schutte was recognized this past weekend as the MVP of the Concordia Invitational Tournament.
The Laurel, Neb., native posted respective point totals of 23, 22 and 19 last week as the Bulldogs defeated Hastings, 80-42, Concordia University Chicago, 89-70, and Concordia University Wisconsin, 82-64. His averages over those three victories were 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He shot 54.8 percent (23-for-42) from the floor, 40.0 percent (4-for-10) from 3-point range and 93.3 percent (14-for-15) from the foul line on the week.
The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School alum enters the week having totaled 953 points in 75 career collegiate games. Among GPAC players, Schutte currently ranks seventh in scoring average (18.2), seventh in free throw percentage (.806), eighth in field goal percentage (.539) and 15th in rebounding (6.1).
Schutte and the Bulldogs (14-9, 8-7 GPAC) will return to action on Wednesday for a 7:45 p.m. CT contest at Midland. CUNE will return home to host Dordt at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Early blitz carries Bulldogs to rout at Midland Feb. 1, 2023
FREMONT, Neb. – Using the past eight days as an indication, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team has found a way to reinvent itself. Of course it helps when Brad Bennett and Noah Schutte are making shots at a blistering rate. The Bulldogs jetted out to a 15-0 lead at Midland on Wednesday (Feb. 1) and never looked back in the 91-63 route in Fremont, Neb. The trio of Bennett, Schutte and Garrett Seagren combined for 60 points and Gage Smith came with an eyelash of a triple-double.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad effectively followed up a three-win week at home that included a Concordia Invitational Tournament championship. The regular season sweep of the Warriors has pushed the Bulldogs to 15-9 overall (9-7 GPAC).
“The leadership in the locker room showed for us to come out the way we did,” Limback said. “It was 15-0 right out of the gate. That’s what sets the tone. A lot of credit goes to our leaders to get everybody going and talking scouting report. I thought Garrett Seagren was outstanding today at both ends. He always guards, but I thought he had a little chip on his shoulder. It’s fun to see him get going like that. I was proud of the way he approached the game.”
Bennett and Schutte combined for all 15 of Concordia’s points during the 15-0 spurt right after tipoff. The Elkhorn, Neb., native Bennett dropped in his third trey already at the 14:09 mark to make it a 27-5 advantage in the Bulldogs’ favor. Midland never shaved the deficit to any fewer than 14 points the rest of the way. It had no answer for the star players that wore navy. Not just a defensive stopper, Seagren scored Concordia’s first seven points of the second half while ensuring there would be no comeback.
Seagren racked up a career high 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the floor. The reigning GPAC Player of the Week Schutte posted 22 points and eight rebounds while making 8-of-11 shots in 27 minutes. Meanwhile, Bennett collected 16 points on the strength of 4-for-5 shooting from long range. While not a double-figure scorer, Gage Smith steered the bus in recording a stat line of eight points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots. In making his fourth straight start, Jaxon Weyand chipped in with six points and two assists.
Midland (9-15, 3-13 GPAC) allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 48.5 percent (33-for-68) for the night. Concordia also owned a significant advantage in rebounding, 43-31, and made 13-of-30 (.433) attempts from 3-point range. The only Warrior to reach double figures was Emanuel Bryson with 14. Over the two meetings with Midland this season, the Bulldogs have won by a combined total of 174-110.
Concordia hit a rough patch in the middle of January, but it has regrouped and has the belief it can do some damage in the month of February. There’s work to be done if the Bulldogs are to make a return trip to the national tournament.
Said Limback, “Guys are dialed in. There’s a buy-in right now. Guys off the bench have some confidence and our young guys are starting to do some stuff. I really like the way Gage Smith played today. He does so many things with loose balls and hustle plays. He guarded really well and led a lot of our transition game.”
The Bulldogs will return home to host Dordt (18-5, 10-5 GPAC) this Saturday with tipoff slated for 3:45 p.m. CT inside Friedrich Arena. A combined 41 points from Schutte and Gage Smith helped Concordia to an 87-72 victory in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Nov. 19. The Defenders will attempt to snap a three-game series skid against the Bulldogs, who are 10-2 at home in 2022-23. Concordia will celebrate its seniors prior to tipoff.
Gage-led comeback falls short, win streak ended by Dordt Feb. 4, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – In a game of ebbs and flows and twists and turns, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team found itself up 11 points early and then down 11 points late in the second half. A few cracks at a potential game-tying three rimmed out in the final seconds and allowed the visitors from Dordt to escape Friedrich Arena with a 74-71 victory on Saturday (Feb. 4). The Defenders managed to overcome a season high 28 points from Gage Smith.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad saw its win streak halted at four. The loss keeps the Bulldogs in fifth place in the GPAC standings at 9-8 in league play (15-10 overall).
“We had a good fight there at the end,” Limback said. “A lot of credit goes to Dordt. They’re a tough team. I thought they out-toughed us on a lot of plays, especially in the second half. They were physical and that bothered us. Every time we’d go on a little bit of a run, they would get an open three on a missed talk on our end. We didn’t do a good enough job executing defensively and we couldn’t offensively get into a rhythm. We just weren’t good enough today to beat them.”
Dordt dominated for extended stretches of the second half, but somehow, some way, Concordia found itself with an opportunity to tie the game on its final possession. A furious 10-2 rally got the Bulldogs to within the game’s final margin (74-71) in the last minute. With a chance at forcing overtime, Smith, Noah Schutte and Payson Gillespie all misfired on hurried 3-point attempts with the clock ticking down. The Defenders exhaled, fortunate that a lack of a single field goal over the game’s final three-and-a-half minutes didn’t cost them.
It was a 15-2 Dordt second half run that turned the tide of the game in the second half. The Bulldogs led virtually the entire first half, but found stops hard to come by when the Defenders’ experienced starting five got going. Luke Rankin (15 points) caused trouble with his quickness while teammates Bryce Coppock and Jacob Vis put away 18 points apiece. Dordt looked like it had just about knocked Concordia out when it went up 72-61 at the 3:35 mark.
Gage Smith nearly willed the Bulldogs all the way back. He made 11-of-22 shots from the floor (4-for-10 from 3-point range) in his most aggressive offensive game all season. He was backed by 19 points and nine rebounds from Schutte (now at 994 career points at the college level). Smith canned a triple at the 3:19 mark and Schutte poured one in at the 2:03 mark as part of the late rally. No other Concordia players scored in double figures, though Brad Bennett and Jaxon Weyand added six points apiece and Payson Gillespie and Garrett Seagren posted five apiece.
Said Limback, “It’s a tough loss because I feel like we didn’t play very well. I didn’t think we played through adversity very well. You’ve got to respond now. Champions have to respond. We’ve got to go on the road at Doane next week. We have to get better on Monday … Gage obviously had a nice individual performance.”
Concordia and Dordt split the regular season series. The Bulldogs won, 87-72, in Sioux Center, Iowa, back in November. The Defenders had not triumphed inside Friedrich Arena since Dec. 7, 2013. Prior to tipoff on Saturday, the Bulldogs recognized a senior class that includes Seagren, Kelly Vyhnalek, Skyler Woita and manager Braedon Thompson.
Up next, the Bulldogs will take the short drive to Crete, Neb., on Wednesday for a 7:45 p.m. CT matchup with Doane (10-14, 7-9 GPAC). Concordia will shoot for a season sweep after having taken the first meeting, 74-61, in Seward on Dec. 15. In his head coaching tenure, Limback owns a record of 14-6 versus the Tigers.
Concordia prepping for road game at Doane in week's lone outing Feb. 6, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – There’s no margin for error left as the situation relates to the chances of the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team finishing inside the top four of the GPAC standings. The Bulldogs enter this week in fifth place and in need of a push over the final two weeks of the regular season. In last week’s action, Concordia rode a hot start to a 91-63 blowout win at Midland before returning home for a 74-71 nail-biting loss to Dordt. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad sits at 15-10 overall (9-8 GPAC) with three games left on the regular season slate. The only action this week with be Wednesday’s trip to Doane.
This Week
Wednesday, Feb. 8 at Doane (10-14, 7-9 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Haddix Center (Crete, Neb.)
Saturday, Feb. 11 – Bye
By the numbers
· The metrics that are released by the NAIA paint a picture of where the Bulldogs stand in relation to a potential national tournament berth. In late January, Concordia stood at No. 49 in the official RPI and had played the 33rd toughest schedule. In addition, the Bulldogs are rated 10th in the North-Central “ARC Rankings” that were released on Jan. 29. The top four teams in region are all from the GPAC: Jamestown, Morningside, Northwestern and Dordt. In other words, Concordia has work to do in order to strengthen its season profile leading up to selection day. The GPAC is awarded two automatic bids to the national tournament.
· Each of the Bulldogs’ wins during the recent four-game streak came by margins of 18 or more points. Concordia hammered Midland (9-16, 3-14 GPAC) by opening the contest on a 15-0 spurt with all 15 points coming from the combination of Brad Bennett and Noah Schutte. The Bulldogs held a double digit lead for 37:19 of game time while shooting 48.5 percent (33-for-68) from the floor and 43.3 percent (13-for-30) from 3-point range. Schutte finished with 22 points and eight rebounds on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor. Garrett Seagren equaled Schutte with a career high 22 points. Meanwhile, Bennett recorded 16 points (4-for-5 from 3-point range) and Gage Smith just missed a triple-double in posting eight points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. The Bulldogs swept the season series from the Warriors.
· In a game featuring many twists and turns, Concordia saw an early 11-point lead shift to a late 11-point deficit in its matchup with Dordt. Gage Smith spearheaded a comeback effort that featured a 10-2 run. Down 74-71 in the closing seconds, the Bulldogs misfired on three attempts from beyond the arc. The Defenders (19-5, 11-5 GPAC) escaped with their first win inside Friedrich Arena since December 2013. They did so despite a season high 28 points from Smith, who also grabbed six rebounds and four steals. Schutte posted 19 points and nine rebounds as the only other Concordia player in double figures. Dordt got 18 points apiece from Bryce Coppock and Jacob Vis. The Bulldogs had won the season’s first meeting, 87-72, in Sioux Center, Iowa.
· Schutte enters this week six points shy of becoming the program’s 34th all-time player to score 1,000 points for a career. He’s also totaled 397 rebounds in 77 career collegiate games. The Laurel, Neb., native would seem to be a virtual lock for First Team All-GPAC honors at this point. Among conference players, he ranks sixth in scoring average (18.4), ninth in free throw percentage (.786), 10th in field goal percentage (.542), 12th in 3-point field goal percentage (.411) and 12th in rebounding average (6.3). Schutte is on a run during which he has totaled at least 19 points in five-straight games.
· This past weekend, Smith moved up a rung to No. 18 on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,285 career points (leaping Justin Wiersema, 1,276). Smith is also on the verge of jumping up from No. 3 on the program rebound list. His current rebound total stands at 860, putting him behind only Matt List (928) and Chandler Folkerts (868) in school annals. In addition, Smith ranks 15th all-time in assists (255). The Elizabeth, Colo., native is a shining example of a player who has improved by leaps and bounds over time. He went from averages of 2.3 and 4.7 points per game, respectively, over his first two seasons to an all-conference player by year three when he averaged 13.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest.
· The senior class that was honored prior to tipoff versus Dordt included Garrett Seagren, Kelly Vyhnalek and Skyler Woita, as well as student manager Braedon Thompson. In terms of on-court production, Seagren has played the most significant role. A transfer from Chaminade University in Hawaii, Seagren has started all 25 games this season and is averaging 5.9 points while serving as the team’s top backcourt defender. A Seward High School product, Vyhnalek has worked his way into the rotation as a senior and is averaging 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Woita has appeared in 13 games this season.
The opponent
Doane has had a rollercoaster of a season that has seen it win on the home court of the first-place team in the GPAC (Jamestown) and lose by 15 points to the last place team in the league (Midland). Of course not having the services of standout big man Josiah Gardiner this season has played a role in the team’s inconsistency. Head Coach Ian McKeithen’s squad has two main stars in 5-foot-10 guard Brady Timm and 6-foot-8 forward Alec Oberhauser. Timm ranks third in the conference in scoring at 20.0 points per game. As a team, Doane has averaged 70.9 points per game (44.8 percent shooting) and has allowed 74.3 points per contest (46.2 percent shooting). Concordia won this season’s meeting in Seward, 74-61, but has had its share of shooting struggles when playing at the Haddix Center. The 2021-22 matchup in Crete was a grinder won by Doane, 54-50.
Probable starters
Concordia (15-10, 9-8 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (294-281, 19th season overall; 179-123, 10th season at CUNE)
Doane (10-14, 7-9 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ian McKeithen (8th season at Doane)
Next week
The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season next week when they are slated to host Briar Cliff on Feb. 15 and then make a road trip to Dakota Wesleyan on Feb. 18. Concordia ended last season with those same two opponents as it wound up sharing the GPAC regular season title.
Seagren, Schutte fuel harrowing win at the Haddix Center Feb. 8, 2023
CRETE, Neb. – It’s sometimes akin to pulling teeth and it seems to always come down to the final minute when Concordia University Men’s Basketball visits Crete, Neb. The emotional highs and lows of the second half on Wednesday (Feb. 8) were felt in the form of a 10-point lead transitioning into a nine-point deficit for the Bulldogs. Behind milestone man Noah Schutte, Concordia pulled this one out of the fire, 85-79, defeating Doane, which entered the contest with a 7-4 home record.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won five of its last six outings with the only loss being this past Saturday’s 74-71 nail-biting defeat at the hands of Dordt. Concordia (16-10, 10-8 GPAC) hopes to make a push that will improve its chance of a national tournament at-large spot.
“This is a tough place to play. They’ve beaten some good teams here,” Limback said. “I thought in the first half we did some good things. Brady Timm was good in both halves. That second half, they had the big run. Even through that, Garrett Seagren had another great game. He just continues to build confidence offensively. Kelly Vyhnalek showed some great stuff and played really hard. Noah Schutte hits that big three, has a big momentum play and scores 1,000 points. He does the gritty work for us – I’m so proud of this team to come on the road and do this tonight.”
It took some switching of defensive tactics and impressive efficiency inside the arc for the Bulldogs to white-knuckle their way to victory. Concordia shot 62.5 percent (35-for-56) from the floor as the likes of Schutte and Garrett Seagren carved up the Tigers. Every bit of their production was needed on a night that saw the Bulldogs fall behind, 67-58, with less than eight minutes to play. Thankfully, Doane had no answers defensively.
Schutte and Seagren combined to score 20 of the team’s next 22 points over a game defining surge that put Concordia in front, 80-77, with just over a minute to play. Schutte curled in a 3-point field goal at the 2:27 mark to make it a 78-77 advantage (following a Schutte steal). The Bulldogs got one critical stop in the final 60 seconds and sealed the win as Brad Bennett and Schutte both went 2-for-2 from the foul line. Schutte finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds while Seagren piled up 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
Said Limback, “They hit some threes in the second half and that really hurt us. We stayed with the zone and we were able to get some rebounds out of it. That led to some good transition for us. It was a fun game to be part of. Both teams had some runs but nice to see us close it out.”
During the first half, Schutte became the 34th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points (currently at 1,021). He’s scored at least 19 points in six-straight games. Bennett (16 points on 7-for-10 shooting) and Gage Smith (12 points and five assists) joined Schutte and Seagren in double figures. Vyhnalek chipped in with six points (3-for-3 from the floor) off the bench.
Meanwhile, Doane (10-15, 7-10 GPAC) shot 50.8 percent (30-for-59) from the field. Timm racked up 27 points on 10-for-20 shooting and fellow standout Alec Oberhauser posted 14 points and seven rebounds. The Tigers also dropped the matchup with Concordia in Seward, 74-61. Doane was hoping to knock off the Bulldogs at home as it did last season by a 54-50 score.
The Bulldogs will enjoy a weekend off from game action while looking forward to their final home game of the regular season, which will take place next Wednesday (Feb. 15). Briar Cliff (12-11, 6-10 GPAC) will be in town for a 7:45 p.m. CT tipoff inside Friedrich Arena. Last year’s contest in Seward between the two sides resulted in a memorable finish that saw Tristan Smith score the game winner at the buzzer.
Concordia hoping to improve tourney profile in final week of regular season Feb. 13, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The final week of regular season action has arrived for Concordia University Men’s Basketball and for programs across the NAIA. The Bulldogs accomplished their aim on Feb. 8 in pulling out a close one, 85-79, at Doane in the lone contest of the week. Following a weekend bye, Concordia will finish its home slate on Wednesday by welcoming Briar Cliff to Friedrich Arena. Then on Saturday, the Bulldogs will invade the Corn Palace for a matchup with Dakota Wesleyan. The best Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (16-10, 10-8 GPAC) can hope for is to lock up the league’s No. 5 seed. The top four in the current GPAC standings are Jamestown (15-4), Dordt (13-5), Morningside (13-5) and Northwestern (12-6).
This Week
Wednesday, Feb. 15 vs. Briar Cliff (13-12, 7-11 GPAC), 7:45 p.m. Webcast/Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Friedrich Arena (Seward, Neb.)
Saturday, Feb. 18 at Dakota Wesleyan (12-14, 8-10 GPAC), 3:45 p.m. Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Corn Palace (Mitchell, S.D.)
By the numbers
· It would appear that the Bulldogs still have a shot at earning an at-large national tournament bid (provided they come up short of winning the GPAC tournament). Concordia likely needs to win twice this week and then perhaps reach at least the conference semifinals, in order to strengthen its profile. One factor working in the Bulldogs’ favor is a solid strength of schedule ranking of 33rd (as of late January). Concordia landed at No. 49 in the official RPI released by the NAIA on Jan. 29. Last season, three at-large berths were awarded to GPAC teams. Concordia and Briar Cliff were the automatic qualifiers while Dordt, Jamestown and Northwestern gained entry via at-large selection. Official national qualifiers for the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship tournament are scheduled to be announced at 7 p.m. CT on March 2.
· It always seems to come down to the wire when Concordia makes a visit to the Haddix Center in Crete. In last week’s clash, the Bulldogs saw a 10-point lead transition into a nine-point deficit before the contest became a white-knuckler down the stretch. During the game defining push, Noah Schutte and Garrett Seagren combined to score 20 of the team’s 22 points while giving Concordia an 80-77 with just over a minute to play. The Bulldogs held Doane (10-16, 7-11 GPAC) to one basket the rest of the way and sealed the win by making 5-of-6 free throw tries in the final 30 seconds. As part of the victory, Schutte became the 34th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. He finished the game with 27 points and 10 rebounds while going 11-for-17 from the floor. Seagren backed him up with 20 points and three steals while Brad Bennett (16) and Gage Smith (12) also hit double figures. Concordia shot an impressive 62.5 percent (35-for-56) as a team.
· Schutte’s career point total now stands at 1,021. He’s the second Bulldog this season to eclipse 1,000 points, joining teammate Gage Smith (1,297). Eight other Concordia players have hit that mark during Limback’s tenure that began with the 2013-14 campaign: Chandler Folkerts (1,963), Carter Kent (1,699), Tanner Shuck (1,579), Justin Wiersema (1,276), Brevin Sloup (1,246), Eli Ziegler (1,194), Robby Thomas (1,170) and Joel Haywood (1,091). As for Schutte, he has also produced 407 rebounds while making 369-of-670 shots (.551) from the floor in his career. Schutte enters this week having scored at least 19 points in six-straight games.
· While Gage Smith ranks 18th on the program’s all-time scoring list, he’s on the verge of cracking the top two in rebounding. The Elizabeth, Colo., native enters this week with 865 career rebounds to his credit. On the program’s career list, that total stands behind only Matt List (928) and Chandler Folkerts (868). It’s true that Gage Smith has had the benefit of a fifth year of college basketball, but he played limited minutes as a freshman in 2018-19 when he snared 25 rebounds. His respective year-by-year rebound totals since then have been 117, 238, 254 and 231. In addition, Gage has climbed to No. 15 on the all-time assists list with 260.
· The offensive game of Seagren has taken off during the second half of the season. Since the middle of January, the Oakland, Neb., native has reset his career high scoring total twice. Notably, he scored 18 at Jamestown on Jan. 14, poured in 22 at Midland on Feb. 1 and then racked up 20 last week at Doane. Over the past month, Seagren’s scoring average has gone from 4.1 to 6.4 currently. In addition, the 6-foot-2 transfer from Chaminade University routinely draws the opposing team’s top backcourt scorer on the defensive end. Seagren, Schutte and Gage Smith are the three players who have started all 26 games this season.
· At least one win this week would clinch an above .500 conference mark for the fourth season in a row. Since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, Concordia has gone a combined 51-27 in GPAC regular season play. Now in year 10 of his head coaching tenure with the Bulldogs, Limback owns a record of 98-96 in GPAC regular season games. Major highlights during that time have come in the form of GPAC tournament championships in 2020 and 2022 and a conference regular season crown in 2021-22. The program’s history includes four GPAC tournament titles, including two that came under Grant Schmidt (2003 and 2005). The GPAC’s first season of basketball was 2000-01.
The opponent
Briar Cliff brings back all of its starters from last year’s team that shared the GPAC regular season title with Concordia. This season hasn’t gone as expected with the Chargers still fighting to ensure a spot in the GPAC tournament – they are currently tied for seventh with Doane. However, Briar Cliff remains dangerous and has the ability to light it up from 3-point range. Jaden Kleinhesselink shoots 47.5 percent from 3-point range for a team that makes 10.4 treys per game. Notably, the Chargers own a nonconference win over seventh-ranked William Penn University (Iowa) and played competitively this past weekend with No. 9 Jamestown (76-69 loss). Briar Cliff is averaging 76.6 points per game and shooting 47.8 percent from the floor while allowing its opponents 73.8 points and a shooting percentage of 48.6. The Bulldogs won this season’s meeting in Sioux City, 78-58, and took last year’s matchup in Seward, 74-73, thanks to Tristan Smith’s alley-oop layup on a full-court pass from Carter Kent at the buzzer.
Dakota Wesleyan has had an up-and-down ride but does own a win at Jamestown and is 5-3 at home this season. The Tigers are positioned to be on the road for the GPAC quarterfinals, sitting sixth in the current conference standings. Before welcoming Concordia to town on Saturday, Head Coach Matt Wilber’s squad will host No. 25 Morningside on Wednesday. The team’s brightest star is fifth-year forward Koln Oppold, a returning First Team All-GPAC honoree who is averaging 14.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The Tigers are averaging 72.5 points per game and shooting 43.2 percent from the floor. Their opponents average 73.9 points and shoot 47.4 percent from the field. Only one team in the nation (Jamestown) has hoisted more 3-point tries than the 795 DWU has fired this season. It has made 33.7 percent of them.
Probable starters
Concordia (16-10, 10-8 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (295-281, 19th season overall; 180-123, 10th season at CUNE)
Briar Cliff (13-12, 7-11 GPAC)
Head Coach: Mark Svagera (6th season)
Dakota Wesleyan (12-14, 8-10 GPAC)
Head Coach: Matt Wilber (10th season)
Next week
The GPAC tournament will get started with the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The semifinals will be held on Feb. 25 with the championship game to follow on Feb. 28. Conference tourney pairings will be announced on Saturday after all league games are completed.
Scintillating second half carries Dawgs in regular season's final home game Feb. 15, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Visiting Briar Cliff recovered in the first half after surrendering a 17-0 run, but it had no shot of digging out from a 35-3 surge in the second half. While playing what might have been its final home game of the 2022-23 season (barring conference tournament upsets), Concordia University Men’s Basketball made 13 of its first 17 second half shots in the process of running away from the Chargers, 85-56, on Wednesday (Feb. 15). Almost a year to the date that the Bulldogs celebrated an epic win at the buzzer over the Chargers, no drama was necessary.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad has won six of its last seven outings while moving to 17-10 overall (11-9 GPAC). Concordia has guaranteed that it will finish above .500 in GPAC play for the fourth season in a row.
“Second half, we really challenged the guys to allow our defense to play into our offense,” Limback said. “I thought Gage Smith was incredible defensively. He’s so active and makes so many plays for us that I don’t think people see all the time. Then our offense started to get going. I’m so proud of our team for that big run in the second half. Defense is our identity, and it certainly was that way in the second half.”
Another tense GPAC tussle appeared to be transpiring when Nick Hoyt’s 3-point field goal put Briar Cliff within two (37-35) early in the second half. The aforementioned 35-3 run then unfolded while initiated by a three-point play from Smith. Perhaps more remarkable than the Bulldogs’ shooting during that stretch was its defensive play. After Hoyt’s trey at the 17:46 mark, they did not score another basket until there was 6:17 remaining in the game. By that point, Concordia’s lead had ballooned to greater than 30 points.
If this was the final home game for Gage, it was a nice way to go out. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocked shots. During the first half, he moved up a rung to No. 2 on the program’s all-time rebounding list (currently at 874 rebounds).
“There was a lot of motivation – last home game, so much history we’ve accomplished the past five years,” Smith said. “I just wanted to end on a good one, always finish strong.”
Plenty of others had a hand in lighting it up during a 55-point second half. Late in that run, Brad Bennett canned back-to-back treys as part of his 16-point outing on 7-for-11 shooting from the floor. Meanwhile, Noah Schutte was his usual productive self with 16 points and seven rebounds. Garrett Seagren also reached double figures with 10 points to go along with four assists and Jaxon Weyand chipped in with six points, four rebounds and three assists.
Seniors like Seagren knew this could be the final home game of the season, but it wasn’t a talking point. Said Limback, “We didn’t talk about it a lot. Wild things can happen. Potentially Briar Cliff could be an 8 seed, which is crazy. You never know, but you want to cherish these moments. What a special group. I can’t say enough about these young men.”
The Chargers (13-13, 7-12 GPAC) may need to win at Doane on Saturday in order to qualify for the GPAC tournament (currently tied for eighth place). On Wednesday, Briar Cliff got a team high 12 points from Matthew Stilwill. The Chargers managed to make 9-of-29 (.310) shots from 3-point range but surrendered 54.5 percent shooting to Concordia. The Bulldogs made 22-of-33 (.667) field goal attempts in the second half while also going 10-for-17 from 3-point distance. Concordia also owned a 37-26 advantage on the boards.
On Saturday it’ll be off to the Corn Palace, a place where the Bulldogs celebrated a GPAC tournament title in 2020 and clinched the conference regular season title in 2022. Game time in the matchup with Dakota Wesleyan (12-15, 8-11 GPAC) is slated for 3:45 p.m. CT in Mitchell, S.D. Concordia won the first meeting, 78-69, in Seward. No matter the result, the Bulldogs are locked into the No. 5 spot for the upcoming GPAC tournament.
Schutte pours in career high 36 in regular season closing defeat Feb. 19, 2023
MITCHELL, S.D. – About this same time a year ago, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program traveled to the Corn Palace and celebrated a share of the GPAC regular season title. This time around, the Bulldogs had an opportunity to improve their at-large national tournament prospects. Unfortunately, the regular season finale went to host Dakota Wesleyan, 75-72, in a contest Concordia failed to secure down the stretch in Mitchell, S.D., on Saturday (Feb. 18). Noah Schutte went wild for a career high 36 points in the defeat.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad closed the regular season at 17-11 overall (11-9 GPAC). This contest wasn’t going to affect their conference tournament seeding, but the Bulldogs still needed this one.
“We got on a run because we started to make shots, get some easy buckets and some threes,” Limback said. “Once they got the momentum, I feel like the game changed with free throws and how it was called. We just didn’t adjust to it very well. Down the stretch we had chances. I thought Jaxon Weyand had a great game other than a few plays. Obviously Noah did what he needed to do today – tremendous effort there. We just didn’t rebound well enough on the road.”
This one hurt in that Concordia held the lead for the majority of the contest and pushed the advantage to 13 points with the help of Schutte’s layup at the 14:21 mark of the second half. But Kallan Herman and the Tigers found their footing. A 10-1 run edged DWU in front, 63-62, at the 3:21 mark in what became a nail-biter. In a career high effort himself, Weyand canned a trey to make it a 67-65 Bulldog lead in the closing few minutes. The Tigers made 7-of-8 from the foul line in the final 1:39 of game time to pull it out.
The circumstances spoiled what was another sensational outing from Schutte. He made 13-of-25 shots from the floor and grabbed 13 rebounds. He’s not just one of the best players in the GPAC, he’s become one of the NAIA’s top players. Schutte’s 36 points are the most scored by a Bulldog in a single game since Chandler Folkerts tallied 37 at Dakota Wesleyan on Feb. 12, 2017.
Said Limback, “Every team knows what he’s going to try to do. They know we’re going to go to him. For him to still score 36 is impressive. He’s a tremendously gifted player. He’s a leader for sure. That’s something we needed. This is the game that makes you better if you approach it the right way as we get into the conference tournament. We have a lot of young guys and they need to learn what these environments are like.”
Weyand supplied 16 points (6-for-13 from the floor) and was the only other Bulldog to reach double figures. Gage Smith totaled eight points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots and Garrett Seagren contributed six points, eight rebounds and four assists. Concordia was held to 39.4 percent (26-for-66) shooting overall.
Dakota Wesleyan (13-15, 9-11 GPAC) will be the No. 6 seed in the GPAC tournament. The Tigers got a team high 23 points from Herman and 16 from Blaze Lubbers. DWU managed to outrebound the Bulldogs, 41-38, a category Concordia typically wins. The two sides settled for a regular season split.
As the No. 5 seed in the GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs will be headed to play fourth-seeded Northwestern (20-8, 13-7 GPAC) in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT in Orange City, Iowa. The home team won both regular season meetings. The full tournament pairings can be found HERE .
2023 GPAC MBB Quarterfinal Preview: Concordia at Northwestern Feb. 20, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – After hosting all three rounds of the GPAC tournament last season, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program will have to get it done on the road this time. As the No. 5 seed, the Bulldogs will be headed to Orange City, Iowa, to play fourth-seeded Northwestern in the GPAC quarterfinals on Wednesday night. During the final week of the regular season, Concordia blew out Briar Cliff at home, 85-56, before surrendering a double-digit lead in a 75-72 loss at Dakota Wesleyan. Those results leave Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad at 17-11 overall (11-9 GPAC) heading into the postseason.
This Week
GPAC Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Northwestern (20-8, 13-7 GPAC), 6 p.m. Webcast | Live Stats | 104.9 Max Country | Location: Bultman Center (Orange City, Iowa)
GPAC Semifinals – Saturday, Feb. 25 (if Concordia wins on Wednesday)
By the numbers
· The Bulldogs finished the regular season two games behind Northwestern for a possible chance to host a GPAC tournament quarterfinal game. The top four in the standings are Jamestown (15-5), Morningside (15-5), Dordt (14-6) and Northwestern (13-7). The Jimmies have earned one of the league’s two automatic berths to nationals by way of grabbing the No. 1 seed. The other auto bid will go to the GPAC tournament champion (or the No. 2 team in the regular season if Jamestown wins the tournament title). Unless Concordia can win the GPAC tournament, it will likely be sweating out the NAIA selection show on March 2. The Bulldogs are considered a bubble team in terms of the national tournament. They own an RPI of 55 and a strength of schedule rank of 51st.
· It was a game of runs against Briar Cliff in what was likely the final home game of the 2022-23 season. In the first half, the Bulldogs mounted a 19-0 run that was then followed by a 21-2 spurt for the Chargers. The two sides were deadlocked at the half, 30-30, but that’s when Concordia got hot. Its 35-3 run left Briar Cliff in the dust. The Bulldogs shot 54.5 percent (36-for-66) overall and drained 12 treys. Gage Smith was the star of the show in amassing 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Meanwhile, Noah Schutte added 16 points and seven rebounds and two other Concordia players reached double figures: Brad Bennett (16) and Garrett Seagren (10). The Bulldogs earned a regular season sweep of the Chargers (14-13, 8-12 GPAC).
· The loss at Dakota Wesleyan hurts Concordia’s at-large chances and felt like on that got away. The Bulldogs had led by 13 (51-38) when Schutte made a layup at the 14:21 mark of the second half. A 10-1 Tiger run that came soon after that made it a nail-biter down the stretch. DWU canned 7-of-8 free throw tries in the final 1:39 and kept Concordia from making the big shot. The Tigers were able to overcome a career high 36 points from Schutte, who went 13-for-25 from the floor and grabbed 13 rebounds. Jaxon Weyand turned in a career high of his own with 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting. There wasn’t much other offense for the Bulldogs, who shot 39.4 percent for the game. Kallan Herman led DWU (13-15, 9-11 GPAC) with 23 points.
· Schutte’s 36 points surpassed his previous career high of 32 in the 81-74 win at Texas Wesleyan University on Dec. 28. The 36 points were also the most in a single game for any Concordia player since Chandler Folkerts totaled 37 in a win at Dakota Wesleyan on Feb. 12, 2017. Among GPAC players, Schutte ranks seventh in scoring (19.3), ninth in rebounding (6.7), ninth in field goal percentage (.547), ninth in free throw percentage (.779) and 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (.420). Without a doubt the team’s No. 1 scoring option, Schutte has piled up 539 total points this season, up from the 485 he recorded in 2021-22.
· In the win over Briar Cliff, Gage Smith leapt Chandler Folkerts and moved to No. 2 on the program’s all-time rebound list. Smith’s rebound total now rests at 880, ranking him behind only Matt List (928). Folkerts grabbed 868 boards in his career. Gage also owns current program all-time rankings of 14th in assists (269) and 18th in scoring (1,327). The Elizabeth, Colo., native has played in 132 games since arriving with the start of the fall semester of 2018. Gage has played on two separate teams that won GPAC championships – the 2019-20 and 2021-22 editions.
· Concordia enters the bracket as the defending GPAC tournament champion and winner of two of the past three GPAC postseason titles. Last year’s run through the GPAC tourney included victories over Morningside, 83-70, in the quarterfinals, Doane, 67-65, in the semifinals, and Jamestown, 77-70, in the championship game. Two years earlier, just before the COVID-19 shutdown, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs upset No. 11 Dakota Wesleyan, 68-66, in the 2020 GPAC tournament final. As a program, Concordia has won four GPAC tournament titles since the conference’s first season in 2000-01. Former head coach Grant Schmidt guided the Bulldogs to GPAC postseason crowns in 2003 and 2005.
The opponent
For the 17th time in Kris Korver’s 23 seasons as head coach, Northwestern has hit at least the 20-win mark. The Red Raiders appear to be in strong position to earn another national tournament bid with the help of a 4-1 record during the month of February. The Red Raiders were forced to recalibrate a bit early in the season when All-American big man Alex Van Kalsbeek went down with an injury. In helping fill the void from a scoring perspective, Dillon Carlson has become a star in his first season at Northwestern after transferring from NCAA Division II Drury University. He ranks third among GPAC players at 20.1 points per game. On the interior, Craig Sterk has contributed 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. The Red Raiders are always tough at home, where they are 11-1 this season. During the regular season, both Concordia-Northwestern matchups were lopsided as the Bulldogs won, 81-55, in Seward and the Red Raiders won, 79-65, in Orange City.
Probable starters
Concordia (17-11, 11-9 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (296-282, 19th season overall; 181-124, 10th season at CUNE)
Northwestern (20-8, 13-7 GPAC)
Head Coach: Kris Korver (23rd season)
2023 GPAC Men’s Basketball Tournament
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Feb. 21
Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Feb. 22
Semifinals – Saturday, Feb. 25
Championship – Tuesday, Feb. 28
Bennett, Smiths named to CSC All-District Teams Feb. 21, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – A trio of Bulldogs from the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program have been honored by College Sports Communicators (CSC). As announced by the organization on Tuesday (Feb. 21), Bradley Bennett, Gage Smith and Tristan Smith have been recognized as 2022-23 Academic All-District® Team award winners. Each of the honorees have earned this distinction for the first time in their careers.
The 2022-23 Academic All-District® Men’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
A sophomore from Elkhorn, Neb., Bennett has stepped into a major role this winter and has responded by averaging 10.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while making 55-of-113 (.414) attempts from 3-point range. He has started 17 of 28 games this season and netted a career high 25 points in a win at Waldorf University. Bennett is studying Biology at Concordia.
A fifth-year member of the program and a native of Elizabeth, Colo., Gage Smith has filled up the stat sheet in 2022-23. The two-time all-conference honoree is averaging 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor. He’s started all 28 games. A three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete with a near spotless undergraduate GPA, Smith earned his degree in Business Administration and is working towards his MBA. He owns all-time program rankings of second in rebounds (880), 14th in assists (269) and 18th in scoring (1,327).
A sophomore from Elizabeth, Colo., Tristan Smith showed he was on his way to stardom before suffering an injury just before New Year’s. While starting this season’s first 15 games, Tristan averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 block per game. He also shot 51.3 percent from the floor. Like his brother Gage, Tristan studies Business Administration.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in mid-March.
Bulldogs Schutte down Red Raiders, advance to GPAC semis Feb. 22, 2023
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team picked an opportune time to play one of its most complete games of the 2022-23 season. A 13-0 run early in the game and then a 15-2 spurt in the second half made for a surprisingly dominant GPAC quarterfinal outing on the road for the fifth-seeded Bulldogs. The visitors nailed 20-of-37 shots from 3-point range and vanquished fourth-seeded Northwestern, 90-77, inside the Bultman Center on Wednesday (Feb. 22). Noah Schutte continued his destruction of opposing defenses with a career high 38 points.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad played with urgency knowing it resides on the national tournament bubble. As a program, Concordia (18-11) has won nine postseason games since the start of the 2019-20 season.
“Coach (Kris) Korver and I were talking before the game about how valuable it is to simply make shots,” Limback said. “If a team shoots like we did in the first half, it’s hard to overcome that. Noah Schutte kept it going in the second half, and I think our team fed off that. We came out ready to play and kept the momentum going. Second half, Garrett (Seagren) hits a big three. When we started to lose a little momentum, Noah answered the bell. He was big-time tonight.”
It’s not hyperbolic to call this one of the most impressive statistical games ever for a Bulldog Men’s Basketball player. Schutte poured in a school record nine 3-point field goals (on 11 attempts) while grabbing a personal best 18 rebounds in addition to five assists. It has been more than 15 years since the program had a player put up 40, something Schutte nearly accomplished. Every time Northwestern found some glimmer of hope, Schutte was there to squash it with a trey. He filled it up with 16 points in the first half and then 22 in the second half.
Schutte and Gage Smith were like a two-man wrecking crew. Gage played like he didn’t want his career to end in tallying 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots. It was that duo that paved the way for Concordia to build a 53-35 halftime advantage and then grow the lead to as large as 26 points (71-45) during the second half. Just when the Red Raiders closed to within 80-66 with six-and-a-half minutes to play, Schutte buried a triple to quiet the home crowd and settle his side back in.
Said Limback, “Everybody was excited for Noah. He’s just got that humble smile that lights up the room. When we told him he had nine threes, everyone was shocked. It wasn’t like he was hoisting them tonight. He was efficient. We were kidding him that he was worse from two than he was from three. These are the moments where you’re fighting for your season and big-time players step up.”
Schutte and Smith combined to go 12-for-17 from beyond the arc, but they also had help. From downtown, Garrett Seagren canned 3-of-5 shots, Zac Kulus went 3-for-7 and Jaxon Weyand and Logan Wilson were both 1-for-1. Kulus and Seagren finished with nine points apiece. There are five Bulldog players on record to have sank eight 3-point field goals in a game, but Schutte is the first to ever drop in nine.
Northwestern (20-9) had been 11-1 at home this season prior to Wednesday’s loss. Just about a month prior, the Red Raiders had beaten the Bulldogs soundly, 79-65, in Orange City. Not even a 29-point outing from Craig Sterk could save the Red Raiders, who now await the national tournament selection announcement. It also wasn’t star guard Dillon Carlson’s night. He went 3-for-13 from the floor and netted 10 points. To compound Northwestern’s struggles on the defensive end, the Bulldogs owned the boards, 47-28.
“Our guys set a goal to win this tournament,” Limback said. “This team is going to give it everything we got. I love the leadership right now. We have guys that are going to keep fighting. We’ll build on it and carry that momentum to Jamestown.”
That’s right, the road now leads up to North Dakota for the GPAC semifinals. Saturday’s matchup at 11th-ranked Jamestown (24-5) is set to tip off at 3 p.m. CT from Newman Arena. The Jimmies took care of eighth-seeded Hastings, 76-61, in the quarterfinals. Jamestown twice defeated Concordia during the regular season, winning by scores of 90-59 in Seward and 69-64 in North Dakota.
2023 GPAC MBB Semifinal Preview: Concordia at Jamestown Feb. 23, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – A monster outing from Noah Schutte in the GPAC quarterfinals has the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team riding high into the conference semifinal round. The Bulldogs torched the nets with 20 treys in Wednesday’s 90-77 win at Northwestern. Concordia has now won four GPAC tournament games in a row dating back to last year’s conference postseason championship run. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (18-11 overall) is gearing up for a rematch with 11th-ranked Jamestown, which knocked off Hastings in its quarterfinal game. Saturday’s semifinal tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT from Newman Arena in North Dakota.
This Week
GPAC Quarterfinals – def. Northwestern, 90-77 Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Bultman Center (Orange City, Iowa)
GPAC Semifinals – Saturday, Feb. 25 at No. 11 Jamestown (24-5), 3 p.m. Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Newman Arena (Jamestown, N.D.)
By the numbers
· Other than Concordia winning as a No. 5 seed, it was all chalk in the GPAC quarterfinals. Top seed Jamestown defeated eighth-seeded Hastings, 76-62, second-seeded Morningside got past intra-city rival and seventh-seeded Briar Cliff, 101-95, and third-seeded Dordt pulverized sixth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan, 93-66. Hopes of the Bulldogs repeating as GPAC tournament champions remain alive. Meanwhile, the Jimmies and Mustangs (shared the regular season title) aspire to do what Concordia did last season – sweep GPAC regular season and tournament titles. The results in the quarterfinals have ensured that the Bulldogs will be on the road for the remainder of their stay in the conference tournament.
· Noah Schutte put together a performance on Wednesday night that ranks among the greatest individual games in program history. His final stat line included 38 points, 18 rebounds and five assists. He also went 9-for-11 from 3-point range while breaking a program record for most 3-point field goals in a single game. According to available records, there had been five previous Concordia players to sink eight 3-pointers in a game, including current Bulldog Brad Bennett. The others are Josh Dahlke, John Puelz, Ryan Shrum and Bret Walter. As part of Schutte’s GPAC quarterfinal explosion, he scored 16 points in the first half and then 22 in the second half. His 38 points and 18 rebounds reset the career highs he had posted in the previous contest – 36 points and 13 rebounds at Dakota Wesleyan. For those wondering, the school record for points in a single game remains 47 by Jon Ziegler (2007) and the standard for rebounds in one game is 30 by Gordon Bredow (1962-63 season).
· It was also a fine night for Gage Smith at Northwestern as he totaled 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots. While Schutte went 9-for-11 from 3-point range himself, the Bulldogs were an incredible 20-for-37 from beyond the arc as a team. The hot shooting helped Concordia build a 53-35 halftime lead and then push the advantage to as many as 26 points (71-45) in the second half. Schutte and Smith combined to go 12-for-17 from beyond the arc, but they also had help. From downtown, Garrett Seagren canned 3-of-5 shots, Zac Kulus went 3-for-7 and Jaxon Weyand and Logan Wilson were both 1-for-1. Kulus and Seagren finished with nine points apiece. The Bulldogs managed to defeat a Northwestern (20-9) squad that went 11-1 at home during the regular season.
· In the win over Briar Cliff during the final week of the regular season, Gage Smith leapt Chandler Folkerts and moved to No. 2 on the program’s all-time rebound list. Smith’s rebound total now rests at 891, ranking him behind only Matt List (928). Folkerts grabbed 868 boards in his career. Gage also owns current program all-time rankings of 12th in assists (276) and 15th in scoring (1,348). The Elizabeth, Colo., native has played in 133 games since arriving with the start of the fall semester of 2018. Gage has played on two separate teams that won GPAC championships – the 2019-20 and 2021-22 editions.
· Schutte’s season scoring average has jumped to 19.9 after back-to-back games with more than 35 points. The surge has pushed the Laurel, Neb., native up the conference lists. Among GPAC players, he ranks fourth in scoring average, fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.465), eighth in rebounding (7.1) and ninth in field goal percentage (.544). For his career, Schutte has amassed 1,111 points and 445 rebounds while making 401-of-731 (.549) shots from the floor and 76-of-171 (.444) attempts from 3-point range. Schutte is a very likely First Team All-GPAC honoree and should draw strong consideration for All-America recognition.
· Concordia entered the bracket as the defending GPAC tournament champion and winner of two of the past three GPAC postseason titles. Last year’s run through the GPAC tourney included victories over Morningside, 83-70, in the quarterfinals, Doane, 67-65, in the semifinals, and Jamestown, 77-70, in the championship game. Two years earlier, just before the COVID-19 shutdown, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs upset No. 11 Dakota Wesleyan, 68-66, in the 2020 GPAC tournament final. As a program, Concordia has won four GPAC tournament titles since the conference’s first season in 2000-01. Former head coach Grant Schmidt guided the Bulldogs to GPAC postseason crowns in 2003 and 2005.
The opponent
Jamestown has already secured its bid to the national tournament after earning the GPAC’s No. 1 seed. The Jimmies have enjoyed success on the national stage having reached the national quarterfinals in 2021 and then the national round of 16 in 2022. Head Coach Danny Neville’s squad runs through big man Mason Walters, who is averaging 26.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Jamestown surrounds Walters with plenty of strong perimeter shooters with the help of a backcourt made up of Will Cordes, Marc Kjos and Cole Woodford. Ranked 11th in this week’s NAIA coaches’ poll, the Jimmies sport a home record of 11-3 with the losses coming against Dakota Wesleyan, Doane and Dordt. Jamestown will be attempting to defeat Concordia for the third time this season. The Jimmies won the two regular season meetings, triumphing by scores of 90-59 in Seward and 69-64 in North Dakota. This will be a rematch of the 2022 GPAC tournament title game won by the Bulldogs, 77-70, in Seward.
Probable starters
Concordia (18-11, 11-9 GPAC)
Head Coach: Ben Limback (297-282, 19th season overall; 182-124, 10th season at CUNE)
Jamestown (24-5, 15-5 GPAC)
Head Coach: Danny Neville (8th season)
2023 GPAC Men’s Basketball Tournament
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Feb. 21 / Wednesday, Feb. 22
Semifinals – Saturday, Feb. 25
Championship – Tuesday, Feb. 28
Bid to defend GPAC title ends with blowout semifinal loss Feb. 25, 2023
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – A short-handed Concordia University Men’s Basketball team got outclassed by a focused Jamestown squad in the GPAC tournament semifinals on Saturday (Feb. 25) afternoon. The 11th-ranked Jimmies built a double-digit lead within the first seven minutes and rolled to a 95-77 victory while shooting 53 percent on their home court. Both Brad Bennett and Gage Smith were sidelined while feeling under the weather since taking part in the GPAC quarterfinal win at Northwestern.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (18-12) will have to wait until Thursday (March 2) to see if it earns one of the final at-large bids into the national tournament. If not, the Bulldogs will be headed into the offseason.
“If they have their ‘A’ game, there’s not many teams in the country that are beating them,” Limback said of Jamestown. “They’re just really talented and they’re more than just (Mason) Walters. We didn’t handle their pressure at the beginning of the game very well. They did a good job of speeding us up – we turned it over 13 times in the first half. I felt like we were rattled and some of our youth showed up. At the same time, I was proud of our guys for fighting in the second half. We finally just played hard and settled into the game.”
With Bennett and Smith out of the lineup, freshman Zac Kulus and senior Kelly Vyhnalek both made their first career collegiate starts. This was a tough environment to do it in. The first half was a perfect storm that saw everything go in Jamestown’s favor. Over the first 20 minutes, the Jimmies shot 54.5 percent compared to 29.2 percent shooting by Concordia. By halftime, Jamestown had built an insurmountable 53-26 lead.
To the credit of the Bulldogs, they did manage an 8-0 run in the middle of the second half (with the help of two Logan Wilson treys) and eventually cut what had been a 31-point deficit down to a final margin of 18. On the heels of 36- and 38-point outbursts, Noah Schutte led Concordia with 23 points while making all 10 attempts from the foul line. Schutte and Garrett Seagren were the only two players available who were starters when the season began.
It was clear that the Bulldogs missed Gage Smith, who’s made himself into one of the top players in program history. Who knows what would have happened – Jamestown is the GPAC’s No. 1 seed for a reason – but Concordia would hate to end the season under these circumstances.
Said Limback, “I’m disappointed for our seniors and I really hope this isn’t their last game. Gage and Skyler (Woita) didn’t get to suit up. You never want that to be the case. You want to go out on full strength … We felt like winning the conference tournament was realistic. That’s what our mindset was. We hope that the win over Northwestern was good enough to put us on the right side of that bubble. I told our seniors that if this was our last game, ‘I’m sorry.’ I think we faced a ton of adversity this year, and I feel like this team’s deserving of a shot at the national tournament.”
Logan Wilson took advantage of 25 minutes of playing time off the bench and tallied a career high 12 points while going 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Seagren added nine points, Vyhnalek chipped in with eight and Joel Baker and Payson Gillespie added seven apiece.
On the other side, Jamestown (25-5) will attempt to sweep GPAC regular season and tournament titles. Walters piled up 33 points on 13-for-15 shooting on Saturday. Cole Woodford added 17 points as the Jimmies went 3-0 this season against Concordia. Jamestown will host Dordt in the GPAC championship game on Tuesday.
The national tournament selection show is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 2. The Bulldogs reached the national stage in 2020 and 2022. The program has made 11 all-time national tournament appearances.
Schutte headlines group of four Bulldog All-GPAC honorees Mar. 1, 2023
First Team : Noah SchutteSecond Team : Gage SmithHonorable Mention : Brad Bennett; Tristan Smith
SEWARD, Neb. – A group of four Bulldogs from the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program garnered 2022-23 all-conference distinction, as announced by the GPAC on Wednesday (March 1). Leading the way, Noah Schutte was voted to the league’s first team while Gage Smith landed on the second team. Meanwhile, honorable mention accolades went to Brad Bennett and Tristan Smith. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad stands at 18-12 while awaiting a potential national tournament at-large bid.
Schutte was an easy choice for the first team. The Laurel, Neb., native has raised his game again in 2022-23. He’s averaging 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game after an impressive flurry in the regular season finale and in two GPAC postseason contests. Schutte produced career highs of 38 points, 18 rebounds and nine 3-point field goals (school record) in the GPAC quarterfinal win at Northwestern. Among GPAC players this season, Schutte ranks fourth in scoring average (20.0), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.452), eighth in rebounding (7.0), ninth in free throw percentage (.794) and 10th in field goal percentage (.540). In his career as a Bulldog, Schutte has totaled 1,134 points and 450 rebounds in 82 games. Last season, Schutte was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC and then garnered NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship All-Tournament selection.
Back for a fifth year inside the program in 2022-23, Gage Smith has earned all-conference honors for the third-straight season. The Elizabeth, Colo., native was named to the second team in 2020-21 and to the first team in 2021-22. While starting 29 games this season, Smith is averaging 13.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He’s shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 29.7 percent from 3-point range and 71.9 percent from the foul line. On the program’s all-time lists, Smith ranks second in rebounds (891), 12th in assists (276) and 15th in scoring (1,348). He’s played in 133 career games as a Bulldog.
Bennett moved into an increased role as a sophomore, playing in 29 games while making 18 starts. Bennett has averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The Elkhorn, Neb., native is shooting 46.8 percent from the floor, 40.4 percent from beyond the arc and 72.1 percent from the foul line. Bennett poured in a career high 25 points in the win at Waldorf University (Iowa).
Tristan Smith’s inclusion as an honorable mention choice is a testament to his growth prior to the injury he suffered just before New Year’s. Tristan started the first 15 games of the season and averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 70.8 percent from the foul line. The Elizabeth, Colo., native recorded a career high 23 points in the season opening win over Tabor College (Kan.).
Concordia will learn of its national tournament fate on Thursday. The NAIA men’s basketball selection show is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. CT via the organization's YouTube channel .
Bulldogs earn one of final at-large bids to NAIA national tournament Mar. 2, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Never before has the Concordia University Men’s Basketball program sweated out a selection show quite like the 2022-23 team did on Thursday (March 2). When the dust settled, the Bulldogs had been rewarded with one of the very last at-large bids into the 2023 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournament. As a No. 15 seed in the 64-team bracket, Concordia will get a rematch with an opponent it faced in the regular season, second-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan University, in Park City, Kan., on March 7.
Knowing it could have gone either way, Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad is elated to end up on the right side of the bubble. Said Limback after his squad fell at Jamestown in the GPAC semifinals, “We hope that the win over Northwestern was good enough to put us on the right side of that bubble. I told our seniors that if this was our last game, ‘I’m sorry.’ I think we faced a ton of adversity this year, and I feel like this team’s deserving of a shot at the national tournament.”
Park City Pod
Tuesday, March 7
Wednesday, March 8
Concordia’s tournament résumé included a final NAIA RPI rating of No. 59 and a strength of schedule that ranked as the 43rd most difficult in the nation. Based on the RPI, the Bulldogs also earned a road win over a top 10 team in No. 10 Dordt and twice defeated No. 34 Northwestern. Concordia also played a wire-to-wire game against RPI No. 6 Oklahoma Wesleyan University in what amounted to a 79-74 loss at Pinnacle Bank Arena. It appears the 90-77 GPAC quarterfinal win at Northwestern was just enough to put the Bulldogs into the field of 64.
The announcement extends the career of fifth-year player Gage Smith and fourth-year seniors such as Garrett Seagren, Kelly Vyhnalek and Skyler Woita. It also gives First Team All-GPAC star Noah Schutte a chance to return to the national tournament. He was named to last season’s NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship All-Tournament Team and will enter this year’s madness with a scoring average of 20.0 points per game. Other all-conference honorees for the Bulldogs were Gage Smith (second team), Brad Bennett (honorable mention) and Tristan Smith (honorable mention).
This will be the 12th national tournament appearance in program history and third under Limback’s direction. Concordia was an automatic qualifier in 2020 and 2022 and is coming off an appearance in the ’22 national quarterfinals.
Season Summary
The starting five the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team trotted out at the beginning of the season has been reshaped over the course of 2022-23. Despite the adversity the Bulldogs faced, they persevered and wound up placing fifth in the GPAC regular season standings while reaching the semifinals of the conference tournament. The 90-77 win at Northwestern in the GPAC quarterfinals may have been what pushed Concordia onto the right side of the national tournament bubble. The Bulldogs have earned an at-large national tournament bid for the second time in program history (all other national qualifications came via the auto bid).
Limback’s squad has been led all season by First Team All-GPAC honoree Noah Schutte, who should land himself All-America honors in the postseason. Schutte showed no fear in 2022 when he appeared at the national tournament for the first time in his career (all-tournament selection). The Laurel, Neb., native has ascended to even greater heights in his third college season. Schutte enters the tournament averaging 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Among GPAC players this season, Schutte ranks fourth in scoring average (20.0), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.452), eighth in rebounding (7.0), ninth in free throw percentage (.794) and 10th in field goal percentage (.540). In his career as a Bulldog, Schutte has totaled 1,134 points and 450 rebounds in 82 games.
Down the stretch, Schutte was joined in the starting five by fellow star frontcourt star Gage Smith, as well as guards Brad Bennett, Garrett Seagren and Jaxon Weyand. Concordia had to recalibrate in the middle of the season without two starters. In late December/early January, the Bulldogs endured a stretch in which they lost five out of six games. They responded by going 6-1 after the next seven. During that time, CUNE dominated the Concordia Invitational Tournament at home and defeated in-state rivals Doane, Hastings and Midland. In perhaps the team’s best performance of the season, the Bulldogs drained 20 treys in the conference quarterfinal win at Northwestern.
The national tournament berth extends the career of Gage Smith, who sports current program all-time rankings of second in rebounds (891), 12th in assists (276) and 15th in scoring (1,348). The Elizabeth, Colo., native has played in 133 games since arriving with the start of the fall semester of 2018. Gage has played on two separate teams that won GPAC championships – the 2019-20 and 2021-22 editions. Gage’s younger brother Tristan may even be available next week. Tristan averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game before suffering an injury on Dec. 30 that has kept him out ever since.
Limback owns an overall record of 182-125 in his 10 seasons at the helm of his alma mater. He needs three more victories to reach 300 for his entire 19-year collegiate head coaching career.
National Tournament Facts
· The 2023 trip to nationals will mark the 12th all-time appearance on the national stage for the program. Head Coach Ben Limback has now led the Bulldogs to three national tournament appearances, including the national tourney trips in 2020 and 2022. In the first nine appearances, all presided over by former head coach Grant Schmidt, the Bulldogs went a combined 11-9. Limback played for the national qualifying teams of 1996, 1997 and 1998.
· Concordia has won its first-round game at the national tournament six times. Two teams in program history have reached at least the semifinals: the 1991-92 squad and the 2004-05 team (national runner up). The 1994-95, 2002-03 and 2021-22 squads advanced to the national quarterfinals. The 2021-22 team enjoyed a dream season while led by NAIA Second Team All-American Carter Kent. The Bulldogs dominated in the first two rounds held in Omaha, where they won by scores of 96-78 over Indiana University Northwest and 90-67 over Marian University (Ind.). Concordia then advanced to the round of 16 in Kansas City, Mo., where it knocked off Indiana University Kokomo, 75-65, before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Talladega College (Ala.), 77-69.
· During the ’22 run at the national tournament, Noah Schutte burst onto the scene and was named to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship All-Tournament Team. During the four games, Schutte averaged 20.0 points and 9.8 rebounds while shooting 63.4 percent from the field. Of the 15 players on the postseason roster, seven have appeared in at least one national tournament game: Joel Baker, Schutte, Garrett Seagren, Gage Smith, Tristan Smith, Kelly Vyhnalek and Skyler Woita.
· The 2004-05 team set a still-intact school record with 32 wins that season. On the way to reaching the national title game, the ’04-5 group defeated Trinity Christian (Ill.), Flagler (Fla.), Cornerstone (Mich.) and Cedarville (Ohio) in Point Lookout, Mo. The Bulldogs then fell at the hands of Walsh (Ohio) in the program’s lone national title game appearance.
· Concordia’s Marcus Wernke was the NAIA Division II national tournament record holder for most blocked shots in a game (nine) and most blocked shots in a single tournament (23). Both of those feats were accomplished in 2005. Jason Jisa was also honored with the Hustle Award at the ’05 tourney. NAIA Division II came to an end with a fusion of the two divisions following the 2019-20 season.
· Schmidt led the Bulldogs to their first-ever national tournament appearance in 1991. At that time, the NAIA was still just one division for basketball. Four members of the 1990-91 squad have been inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame: Matt List, John Puelz, Devin Smith and Mike Works. The latter three were also members of the 1991-92 squad that broke through with the program’s first-ever national tournament win.
· On March 12, 2020, the Bulldogs played in the final NAIA Division II men’s basketball game ever. The remainder of the tournament following Concordia’s 87-84 loss to Ottawa (Kan.) was shut down due to COVID-19. Just one Bulldog on the current roster saw action in that national tournament game: Gage Smith. The contest took place at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
2023 First/Second Round Preview: Upset-minded Dawgs set for rematch Mar. 4, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs are happy to have a seat at the table after sweating out selection Thursday in the NAIA. The Concordia University Men’s Basketball team was rewarded with one of the very last at-large berths into the field of 64 and was seeded 15th. In first round action, the Bulldogs will go up against an opponent they saw during the regular season, second-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan University, who boasts the KCAC Player of the Year in big man Jaden Lietzke. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad will enter the national tournament at 18-12 overall. The program will appear on the national stage for the 12th time in school history.
First/Second Round Info (March 7-8) https://www.kcacsports.com/tickets https://www.kcacnetwork.com/ Presto Stats
Game Schedule
2023 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Bracket (PDF)
Tuesday, March 7: (2) Oklahoma Wesleyan (24-6) vs. (15) Concordia (18-12), 12 p.m. CT
Tuesday, March 7: (7) Ottawa-AZ (21-9) vs. (10) Baker (22-8), 2 p.m. CT
Wednesday, March 8: First round winners, 3 p.m. CT
By the numbers
· The 2023 trip to nationals will mark the 12th all-time appearance on the national stage for the program. Head Coach Ben Limback has now led the Bulldogs to three national tournament appearances, including the national tourney trips in 2020 and 2022. In the first nine appearances, all presided over by former head coach Grant Schmidt, the Bulldogs went a combined 11-9. Limback played for the national qualifying teams of 1996, 1997 and 1998. This is just the second time in program history that Concordia has earned an at-large bid (1996 was the other instance). The 2020 and 2022 appearances both came on the heels of GPAC tournament titles.
· Concordia has won its first-round game at the national tournament six times. Two teams in program history have reached at least the semifinals: the 1991-92 squad and the 2004-05 team (national runner up). The 1994-95, 2002-03 and 2021-22 squads advanced to the national quarterfinals. The 2021-22 team enjoyed a dream season while led by NAIA Second Team All-American Carter Kent. The Bulldogs dominated in the first two rounds held in Omaha, where they won by scores of 96-78 over Indiana University Northwest and 90-67 over Marian University (Ind.). Concordia then advanced to the round of 16 in Kansas City, Mo., where it knocked off Indiana University Kokomo, 75-65, before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Talladega College (Ala.), 77-69.
· The at-large bid gives fifth-year player Gage Smith, as well as the class of seniors, another opportunity to take the court as Bulldogs. The senior group includes Garrett Seagren, Kelly Vyhnalek and Skyler Woita. This will be Smith’s third trip to the national tournament. While starting 29 games this season, Smith is averaging 13.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. He’s shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 29.7 percent from 3-point range and 71.9 percent from the foul line. On the program’s all-time lists, Smith ranks second in rebounds (891), 12th in assists (276) and 15th in scoring (1,348). He’s played in 133 career games as a Bulldog. The Elizabeth, Colo., native has been named all-conference three times. Gage sat out the GPAC semifinal loss at Jamestown due to being under the weather.
· First Team All-GPAC honoree Noah Schutte made a name for himself on the national scene a year ago when he was recognized as an NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team selection. Schutte raised his game to new heights in his third collegiate season. He’s averaging 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game after an impressive flurry in the regular season finale and in two GPAC postseason contests. Schutte produced career highs of 38 points, 18 rebounds and nine 3-point field goals (school record) in the GPAC quarterfinal win at Northwestern. Among GPAC players this season, Schutte ranks fourth in scoring average (20.0), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (.452), eighth in rebounding (7.0), ninth in free throw percentage (.794) and 10th in field goal percentage (.540). In his career as a Bulldog, Schutte has totaled 1,134 points and 450 rebounds in 82 games.
· Throughout the 2022-23 season, Concordia has stood out as one of the GPAC’s top defensive teams. Among GPAC squads, the Bulldogs rank first in scoring defense (69.6), first in defensive efficiency (0.966) and second in field goal percentage defense (.429). Gage Smith’s defense in the post has played a big role in that success. Offensively, Concordia has averaged 78.0 points per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from 3-point range and 72.4 percent from the foul line. The Bulldogs might get a boost on both ends of the floor if Tristan Smith is able to give it a go at the national tournament. He suited up for both GPAC tournament games but did not see action. Tristan has been sidelined since suffering an injury just before New Year’s.
· While Schutte was named to the GPAC’s first team and Gage Smith landed on the second team, both Brad Bennett and Tristan Smith were recognized as honorable mention all-conference recipients. Bennett has averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The Elkhorn, Neb., native is shooting 46.8 percent from the floor, 40.4 percent from beyond the arc and 72.1 percent from the foul line. Tristan started the first 15 games of the season and averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 70.8 percent from the foul line. The Elizabeth, Colo., native recorded a career high 23 points in the season opening win over Tabor College (Kan.).
Park City site breakdown
(2) Oklahoma Wesleyan University Overall Record: 26-4Location: Bartlesville, OklahomaConference: Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceHead Coach: Donnie BostwickRPI: 6thSOS: 114thO-PPG: 78.0D-PPG: 64.0All-Conference: Jaden Lietzke (Player of the Year; first team); Kaleb Stokes (second team); Derrick Talton Jr. (third team); Brandon Bird (honorable mention); Dylan Phillip (honorable mention).
(7) Ottawa University Overall Record: 21-9Location: Surprise, ArizonaConference: Golden State Athletic ConferenceHead Coach: Matt KeeleyRPI: 19thSOS: 19thO-PPG: 82.9D-PPG: 74.8All-Conference: Keshawn Bruner; Josiah De laCerda.
(10) Baker University Overall Record: 22-8Location: Baldwin City, KansasConference: Heart of America Athletic ConferenceHead Coach: Sean DooleyRPI: 40thSOS: 135thO-PPG: 85.3D-PPG: 77.7All-Conference: Jalen Patterson (first team); Quentin Harvey (first team); Noah Rigatuso (second team); Braden Wiggs (honorable mention).
(15) Concordia University Overall Record: 18-12Location: Seward, NebraskaConference: Great Plains Athletic ConferenceHead Coach: Ben LimbackRPI: 59thSOS: 43rdO-PPG: 78.0D-PPG: 69.6All-Conference: Noah Schutte (first team); Gage Smith (second team); Brad Bennett (honorable mention); Tristan Smith (honorable mention).
Final site
The hopeful destination for the Bulldogs is a return to Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The final 16 teams left standing will advance to that location for action from March 13-18. NAIA men’s basketball has a long history in Kansas City with the first national tournament having taken place there in 1937. Additional information about the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship can be found via the NAIA website HERE .
Upset bid comes up one basket short in NAIA first round Mar. 7, 2023
PARK CITY, Kan. – It came down to one final possession in a game that was much more evenly-matched than the seeds would indicate. In the end, No. 2 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan University held off the 15th-seeded Concordia University Men’s Basketball team, 72-70, in the first round of the 2023 NAIA National Championship tournament. The Eagles were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Jaxon Weyand’s open look at a three rimmed out in the closing seconds of the contest that took place inside Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan., on Tuesday (March 7).
One of the very last at-large teams selected into the field of 64, Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad endeavored to make a Cinderella run back to the final site in Kansas City. Instead, the campaign ended with an 18-13 overall mark.
“I’m proud of our effort,” Limback said. “I can’t say enough about this group and its ability to handle adversity. Throughout this game we weren’t sharp – we turned it over 20 times. When you’re a 15 seed going against a 2 seed and have a shot to win it, that’s a pretty special group. It started with our toughness defensively. Brad (Bennett) started to get hot and Noah (Schutte) started to get hot. Everyone was feeding off it – Zac Kulus. Our leaders showed that toughness out there.”
The Bulldogs had hoped to avenge the 79-74 defeat they endured at the hands of Oklahoma Wesleyan at Pinnacle Bank Arena back on Dec. 20. The rematch was disjointed at times and saw Concordia trail for the entirety of the second half. A 10-2 surge to close the first half gave the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish, but it would get hairy down the stretch.
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference champion OKWU left the door open by going 1-for-4 from the foul line (two missed front ends of one-and-ones). Bennett drained his third trey of the game with just under a minute to go to get the Bulldogs within three (71-68). After a missed Eagle foul shot, Gage Smith put back his own miss and cut the deficit to one. Another missed free throw gave Concordia a chance to steal it at the buzzer, but it was not to be.
The perimeter shooting of the Bulldogs (11-for-33) was a factor keeping them within striking distance all second half. So too was the steady play of Noah Schutte, who continues to tear it up at the national tournament. The Laurel, Neb., native led all scorers with 23 points (8-for-12 shooting) to go with seven rebounds. In addition, Bennett racked up 18 points and Kulus knocked down three second half triples that Concordia had to have.
In his first action since late December (due to injury), the rising star Tristan Smith contributed eight points and three rebounds in 18 minutes. Said Limback of Tristan, “He was a big lift for us, even in practice. He’s not there yet athletically, but he’s such a competitor. You could see it on the jump ball. He showed a lot of toughness.”
This marked the final outing for Tristan’s older brother Gage Smith, a fifth-year member of the program. Gage supplied seven points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals and was one of several Concordia post players tasked with banging in the paint with KCAC Player of the Year Jaden Lietzke. It was also the end of the line for seniors such as Garrett Seagren, Kelly Vyhnalek and Skyler Woita.
Added Limback, “We have guys that really laid it out there today. That’s all we ask. God gives you these abilities to use. I’m just thankful we had this run this year … all the guys who are coming back, this is a taste of it. The goal is not to be satisfied with just making it. We want to dance a little longer. I think we have a good group coming back. We hope to build on it next year.”
OKWU (27-4) reached the national quarterfinals, just like the Bulldogs, in 2022. The Eagles were paced by Lietzke’s 17 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday. Teammate Kaleb Stokes (16 points and nine rebounds) seemingly emerged with each of OKWU’s clutch baskets. The Eagles shot 44.8 percent for the game (compared to 44.6 percent by Concordia). Rebounding was nearly even (36-35 OKWU edge).
The trip to Park City marked the Bulldog Men’s Basketball program’s 12th all-time national tournament appearance. The 2022-23 season saw Concordia place fifth in the GPAC during the regular season and then advance to the conference tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs will bring back three All-GPAC players in 2023-24 in Schutte (first team), Bennett (honorable mention) and Tristan Smith (honorable mention).
Twelve Bulldogs named men's basketball NAIA Scholar-Athletes Mar. 9, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Basketball program finished two honorees off the national lead for most 2022-23 Daktronics NAIA-Scholar-Athletes. A group of 12 Bulldogs landed on the list announced by the NAIA on Thursday (March 9). Seven of the award winners are repeat NAIA Scholar-Athletes, including four-time Scholar-Athlete Gage Smith.
The 2022-23 list of men’s basketball honorees features 542 total student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
The full list of Scholar-Athletes from the men’s basketball program can be found below. In addition to Gage Smith, other multiple-time NAIA Scholar-Athletes are Joel Baker, Tice Jenkins, Trey Scheef, Garrett Seagren, Casey Stegeman and Skyler Woita. Bennett and the Smith brothers were also named Academic All-District honorees by College Sports Communicators.
Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,121 entering the 2022-23 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.
2022-23 Men’s Basketball NAIA Scholar-Athletes
· Joel Baker (Alliance, Neb.)
· Bradley Bennett (Elkhorn, Neb.)
· Riley Hoetfelker (Hooper, Neb.)
· Tice Jenkins (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Josh Puelz (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Trey Scheef (Wahoo, Neb.)
· Garrett Seagren (Oakland, Neb.)
· Gage Smith (Elizabeth, Colo.)
· Tristan Smith (Elizabeth, Colo.)
· Casey Stegeman (Arlington, S.D.)
· Braedon Thompson (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
· Skyler Woita (Wahoo, Neb.)
Gage Smith honored as Academic All-American by CSC Mar. 14, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – One of the all-time great rebounders in Concordia Men’s Basketball history, Gage Smith has proven to be a well-rounded student-athlete. On Tuesday (March 14), Smtih was recognized appropriately with placement on the NAIA’s 2022-23 Academic All-America Men’s Basketball Second Team, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Back on Feb. 21, Gage had been announced as an Academic All-District honoree along with his brother Tristan and teammate Brad Bennett.
Gage joins recent men’s basketball program standouts in Carter Kent (2016-20) and Chandler Folkerts (2013-17) as Academic All-America award winners. Folkerts was named an Academic All-American three times and was tabbed the CoSIDA NAIA Men’s Basketball Academic All-American of the Year in 2016-17.
As Head Coach Ben Limback of Gage Smith, “It has been fun to see the growth and development in Gage over the years. He went from a skinny freshman to one of the best forwards in the GPAC. His drive and dedication helped raise the level of Bulldog Basketball.”
The 2022-23 Academic All-America® Men’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
As an undergraduate, Gage Smith graduated with a 4.0 grade point average while studying Business Administration. Gage made a name for himself while improving tremendously over the course of his five years as a Bulldog. The Elizabeth, Colo., native wound up with career totals of 1,355 points, 899 rebounds, 282 assists, 138 steals and 74 blocks in 134 games. On the program’s all-time lists, Gage ranks second in rebounding, 11th in assists and 14th in scoring. Smith was twice named Second Team All-GPAC and once was named first team all-league. He played on three separate national tournament teams and helped the Bulldogs win GPAC tournament titles in 2020 and 2022 and a conference regular season championship in 2021-22.
Season-In-Review: Schutte, Smith lead Bulldogs through adversity and into nationals Mar. 16, 2023
The team that Concordia University Men’s Basketball initially put on the court was not quite the same as the one the 2022-23 Bulldogs trotted out post-New Year’s Day. Personnel fluctuations made for a sometimes turbulent season that saw Concordia race out to an 8-2 start and No. 19 NAIA national ranking. The record slipped to 11-9 as the Bulldogs were challenged with redefining themselves mid-season. Guided by 10th-year Head Coach Ben Limback, Concordia recovered impressively and ultimately made another national tournament appearance.
In other words, the ’22-23 season was thrilling in ways that were different from the unforgettable 2021-22 ride that motored into the NAIA national quarterfinals. The blueprint remained in place for how the Bulldogs can be successful.
“Although we wanted to get further and go to Kansas City and win the league – I told the guys that we faced a lot of adversity this season,” Limback said. “Some years you have it when injuries and other things surface. Some years you don’t. This year I think we faced our share of adversity. There were some great lessons for our team that we can take moving forward, not only in basketball but in life. I was so proud of how we overcame a lot of those moments and what we were challenged with and still made a nice run and got to the national tournament. Only 64 teams get that opportunity. We came up short (against Oklahoma Wesleyan in the first round of the national tournament), but I was really pleased and proud with how we handled the season.”
Of course, any team that can roll out a consistent star like Noah Schutte has a shot in any game. When all pieces to the puzzle were present, the Bulldogs boasted one of the nation’s best frontcourts, which also featured fifth-year standout Gage Smith and his younger brother Tristan. Had everything gone as planned, Concordia may very well have made a return trip to Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. There was no time to sulk when Tristan went down with an injury on Dec. 30. Schutte wouldn’t allow the team to come unglued.
The eventual national tournament at-large berth would not have been possible without the turning point that occurred during the week of the Concordia Invitational Tournament. The Bulldogs had lost five of their previous six games, including their most recent outing – a blowout defeat at Northwestern. With CIT MVP Schutte leading the way, CUNE dominated Hastings, Concordia Chicago and Concordia Wisconsin in a week that suddenly gave life to the possibility of a national tournament bid. The Bulldogs went 7-2 during a nine-game stretch (just a couple plays from going 9-0) that was just enough to put them in the field of 64.
There was no doubt about Schutte’s trajectory after he was named to the 2022 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship All-Tournament Team. The Laurel, Neb., native was even better this past season as he averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and put up eye-popping shooting percentages across the board. One of the lasting memories of 2022-23 will be the awe-inspiring 38-point, 18-rebound effort by Schutte (school record nine 3-point field goals) in the 90-77 GPAC quarterfinal win at Northwestern.
Said Limback, “He went into this year as a marked man and I don’t think people understand, when you’re the marked man that’s a really hard thing because everybody’s gameplan is geared around you to start with. He had that kind of pressure and always drew the best defender and double teams, but the team needed him to produce. He wasn’t using that as an excuse. He really came on at the end in those back-to-back games at Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern and had probably one of the best games in Concordia history. We fed off Noah’s consistency. I don’t know if people understand how hard it is to do that every night. I’m so proud of him, not just statistically but also for his leadership by example. He continues to elevate his game, and I’m thankful he’ll be back next year.”
As the Bulldogs settled into the second half of the season, the starting lineup most frequently included Schutte and Gage Smith in the frontcourt and Brad Bennett, Garrett Seagren and Jaxon Weyand in the backcourt. The backcourt had to be completely retooled after Concordia graduated multiple-year All-GPAC honorees Carter Kent and Justin Wiersema from the previous season. Collectively, the Bulldogs became the GPAC’s best defensive team from a statistical perspective as Gage Smith set the tone with his effort and energy.
Gage returned to the Bulldogs for a fifth year and appeared in his third career national tournament. His presence was an obvious boost to the 2022-23 team. Physically and emotionally matured, Gage was a grown man on the floor. He piled up career totals of 1,355 points, 899 rebounds, 282 assists and 138 steals in 134 games. One of the more special aspects of his career was the opportunity to play his final two seasons alongside brother Tristan. The younger Smith was on his way to a big-time season before suffering a gruesome injury at Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Dec. 30.
“That was a joy and a treat for them to be able to play together,” Limback said. “No one works harder than Tristan Smith. He went through a lot physically and also mentally with the daily rehab process. What he accomplished on that stage and producing some important plays – what a way to end. For Gage, the game before that he’s in the bathroom with the stomach flu at Jamestown. To get this at-large bid and be able to finish it in a better way was nice to see. That will remain as a special moment to see them out there competing one more time. I know that was a big reason why Gage wanted to come back for his fifth year. It was another family example within our team.”
The backcourt figures to be more of a strength in 2023-24 after the experience gained by the likes of Bennett and Weyand in addition to freshmen Zac Kulus and Payson Gillespie. The sharpshooting Bennett averaged 10.8 points per game while Kulus put on a memorable CIT shooting display. Along with another freshman in Logan Wilson, each one of the younger players had their moments.
Over the past few seasons, the program has turned a corner in that it truly believes it will be playing into March each season. That sentiment will carry the Bulldogs into the offseason. The motivation is there for Concordia to contend for another GPAC championship next season.
Said Limback, “Our team last year went to Kansas City. That was the returners’ feeling – we have to get back there. We want to make it even further and get to the final four. We started Jaxon and played a lot of freshmen off the bench. We also had sophomores like Brad Bennett play at nationals. It makes you hungry to elevate your game. We’re done with our season and we had a freshman wanting to get into the gym during spring break. They’re already talking about next season. That makes us coaches excited. I think the team’s excited about what we have coming back. We have a dynamite freshman class coming that will continue to push the level of the team. Any time you get a taste of the national tournament, it makes you hungry for those moments. It was a big deal for us to get that opportunity this year.”
Schutte chosen as NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Mar. 21, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – A major reason why Concordia Men’s Basketball has made back-to-back national tournaments, Noah Schutte was recognized on Tuesday (March 21) by the NAIA. Schutte was selected as a 2022-23 NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. The All-America list includes 36 individuals named to either the first, second or third teams and another 47 honorable mention award winners.
Schutte is the fourth player under Head Coach Ben Limback to earn some form of All-America recognition. The others were Carter Kent (second team in 2022), Brevin Sloup (honorable mention in 2020) and Chandler Folkerts (second team in 2017 and honorable mention in 2016).
Said Limback of Schutte, “He went into this year as a marked man and I don’t think people understand, when you’re the marked man that’s a really hard thing because everybody’s gameplan is geared around you to start with. He had that kind of pressure and always drew the best defender and double teams, but the team needed him to produce. He wasn’t using that as an excuse. He really came on at the end in those back-to-back games at Dakota Wesleyan and Northwestern and had probably one of the best games in Concordia history. We fed off Noah’s consistency. I don’t know if people understand how hard it is to do that every night. I’m so proud of him, not just statistically but also for his leadership by example. He continues to elevate his game, and I’m thankful he’ll be back next year.”
A native of Laurel, Neb., Schutte earned First Team All-GPAC accolades this past season while averaging 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. His shooting percentages were impressive across the board: 54.4 from the floor, 46.3 from 3-point range and 79.4 from the foul line. His crown jewel single game effort was his 38-point, 18-rebound output in the GPAC quarterfinal win at Northwestern. In that contest, Schutte broke the school record with nine 3-point field goals. Schutte’s average of 20.1 points per game is the highest in a season for a Concordia player since Jon Ziegler averaged 21.3 points in 2006-07. Schutte was recognized on the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team in 2022. Through 83 career collegiate games, Schutte has totaled 1,157 points and 458 rebounds.
All-Time Concordia All-Americans
Schutte selected as captain of World-Herald's All-Midlands Team Apr. 11, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – For the third season in a row, the Concordia University Men’s Basketball team has been awarded with the distinction of having the NAIA/NCAA Division III All-Midlands Team Honorary Captain, as selected by the Omaha World-Herald. On April 8, the Omaha news outlet announced Noah Schutte as the winner of the 2022-23 All-Midlands Honorary Captain award. Former teammates Carter Kent (2021-22) and Justin Wiersema (2020-21) were given he same honor the previous two seasons.
While Schutte was named the honorary captain, three Bulldogs were recognized with All-Midlands Honorable Mention status: Brad Bennett, Gage Smith and Tristan Smith. All four Concordia honorees were also named All-GPAC award winners this past season.
The Omaha World-Herald chooses its All-Midlands team out of the pool of men’s basketball student-athletes that play at NAIA or NCAA Division III Nebraska colleges and universities. The complete team can be viewed at bottom.
2022-23 Concordia All-Midlands Team Honorees
Noah Schutte – Honorary Captain
Brad Bennett – Honorable Mention
Gage Smith – Honorable Mention
Tristan Smith – Honorable Mention
2022-23 NAIA/NCAA DIII All-Midlands Men’s Basketball Team Honorable mention: Bellevue: Paulo Araujo, Vinny Belcaster. Concordia: Brad Bennett, Gage Smith, Tristan Smith . Doane: Alec Oberhauser. Hastings: Karson Ganesbom. Midland: Emanuel Bryson, Jake Orr. Nebraska Wesleyan: Carter Glenn, Walker Andrew. Peru State: Lorenzo Anderson, Man Man Baker, Troy Houghton, Sayvon Traylor, David Wingett. York: Much Biel, Brent Clark.