#7 Concordia to clash with #2 Briar Cliff on Wednesday evening

For the second straight game, Concordia will square off with one of the NAIA’s best, as #2 Briar Cliff comes to Seward on Wednesday evening.  Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Walz Human Performance Complex. 

Concordia suffered its first loss of the season this past Saturday.  The Bulldogs, who moved up to 7th in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll, rallied late but dropped a tough 69-66 contest to then #13 Morningside College over the weekend.  Despite the loss, Concordia still sits in a tie for second in the current GPAC standings.  Briar Cliff is the only remaining unbeaten team in conference play at 4-0. 

The Bulldogs continue to be ranked at or near the top of the NAIA in several statistics including; first in turnover margin, second in steals per game, third in offensive rebounds per game, fourth in 3-pointers made per game, fourth in scoring margin, fourth in total steals, seventh in scoring defense, eighth in scoring offense and 10th in total 3-pointers made.  Concordia averages 77.4 points per game while allowing just 54.6 on the year. 

Briar Cliff, which brings a 9-1 overall record (4-0 GPAC) into Seward, will provide a big test for the Bulldogs.  The Chargers also rank at or near the top of the NAIA in several categories including; first in assists per game, first in field goal percentage, third in scoring offense, third in total steals, fifth in scoring margin, sixth in turnover margin, sixth in total assists and 11th in total blocks.  The Chargers average 82.6 points per game while allowing just 60.  Briar Cliff’s only loss of the season was in the second game of the year (67-58 to Grand View).  The Chargers have conference wins over Northwestern (76-69), Dakota Wesleyan (96-70), Doane (90-69) and Nebraska Wesleyan (59-46). 

Fans unable to attend Wednesday’s matchup can catch a live webcast on the Concordia Sports Network.  Lucas Mohrman will call the action from the Walz Complex.