Bulldog Weekly Report (Dec. 11)

By Jacob Knabel on Dec. 11, 2018 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Deandre Chery, Wrestling

Chery, a native of Miami Gardens, Fla., earned a runner-up finish in the 174-pound bracket of last week’s Doane Open in Crete, Neb. Chery’s dominant run to the championship match included three-straight pins. At 20-4 overall, Chery shares the team lead for most victories.

Female: Philly Lammers, Basketball

Lammers, who hails from Omaha, Neb., starred in two blowout wins last week for the Bulldogs. She totaled a combined 46 points, 12 rebounds, six blocked shots and five steals while going 20-for-28 from the floor. The returning first team All-American is averaging 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.42 steals per game.

Previous Athletes of the Week
Dec. 4 – Tanner Shuck (basketball) / Taylor Grove (track & field)
NOVEMBER Athletes of the month: Alberto Garcia (wrestling) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 27 – Alberto Garcia (wrestling) / Taylor Grove (cross country) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 13 – Zac Walter (football) / Grace Barry (basketball)
Nov. 6 – Jack Bennett (soccer) / Tori Cera (soccer)
OCTOBER Athletes of the Month: Carlos Ferrer (soccer) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
Oct. 30 – Carlos Ferrer (soccer) / Taylor Cockerill (basketball)
Oct. 23 – Josiah McAllister (cross country) / Jenna Habegger (volleyball)
Oct. 16 – Carlos Ferrer (soccer) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
Oct. 9 – Kordell Glause (football) / Brynn Suddeth (soccer)
Oct. 2 – Zac Walter (football) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
SEPTEMBER Athletes of the Month: Ryan Durdon (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)
Sept. 25 – Roger de la Villa (soccer) / Erin Lokke (shooting sports)
Sept. 18 – Lane Napier (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)
Sept. 11 – Ryan Durdon (football) / Marissa Hoerman (volleyball)
Sept. 4 – JP Verissimo (soccer) / Lauren Martin (soccer)
Aug. 28 – Garrett Perry (soccer) / Jenna Habegger (volleyball)

News and notes:

Garcia, Wragge voted November athletes of the month: As voted upon at the Dec. 4 Bulldog Athletic Association Member luncheon, Alberto Garcia of the wrestling program and Quinn Wragge of the women’s basketball program were named Concordia’s November Athletes of the Month. All Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week during the month are entered into voting for athlete of the month. For more on Garcia and Wragge, click HERE.

Concordia named 17th best NAIA institution for student-athletes: One of the NAIA’s leaders in combined athletic and academic performance, the Concordia University athletic department recently garnered recognition from Next College Student Athlete (NCSA). According to the organization’s formula, Concordia ranks as the 17th best NAIA institution for student-athletes. The NAIA is made up of more than 250 colleges. For additional details, click HERE.

Bulldog soccer programs rake in awards from United Soccer Coaches: Three women’s soccer representatives and two men’s soccer players were named to NAIA All-Plains Region Teams last week by the United Soccer Coaches. For head coach Greg Henson’s women’s soccer program, Tori Cera and Maria Deeter took first team accolades and Lauren Martin was placed on the second team. Head coach Jason Weides’ program garnered two second team choices in Jack Bennett and Roger de la Villa. In addition, Lindsey Carley, Deeter, Ashley Martin and Lauren Martin were named NAIA Scholar All-West Region Team selections. Also, Deeter and Lauren Martin were chosen as NAIA Scholar All-America Team picks by United Soccer Coaches.

Sloup eating up life in hometown: Now in his third season as a Bulldog, junior Brevin Sloup has taken on a starring role as the team’s point guard. The Seward High School grad is averaging 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 2018-19. His journey may not have covered a lot of ground, in terms of mileage, but Sloup has not seen his ‘faith walk’ as any less rewarding. Says Sloup, I don’t have any regrets. It’s all worked out so far. A lot of people know I like Seward a lot. I like the small-town atmosphere and getting to know the community. They have your back and support you through everything.” For more on Sloup’s journey, click HERE.

Chase Berry chooses Concordia, ‘other side of fear’: Chase Berry, the son of pole vault coach Jason Berry, officially announced his decision to further his athletic and academic career at Concordia on Dec. 6. The current Seward High School senior won a state pole vault title as a sophomore. His brother Dalton is currently a sophomore pole vaulter for the Bulldogs. Said Chase of his decision, “I always had it in the back of my head the whole time that I was going to go to Concordia. I like the atmosphere and the size and the Christ-centered aspect is huge for me.” For more on Chase’s story, click HERE.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its fourth year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2018-19 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Tyler Cavalli serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his fourth season calling Concordia volleyball.

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting http://www.cune.edu/csn at game time. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Women’s Basketball

  • It was a week of complete dominance for the top-ranked Bulldogs, who blew out Doane in Crete, 93-53, on Dec. 5 and then routed Mount Marty at home, 99-68, on Dec. 8. It was an impressive response following the season’s lone loss. Thirteenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad has moved to 11-1 overall and to 7-1 in conference play. In the league standings, Concordia is one game back of Dakota Wesleyan (8-0 GPAC) atop the GPAC. For more information on Bulldog women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Concordia has made it a habit of overwhelming inferior foes under Olson’s direction. Doane and Mount Marty were inept in regards to handling the Bulldog press. Concordia devastated both opponents, forcing 38 turnovers at Doane and then 43 versus Mount Marty. The team’s 35 thefts of the Lancers marked a season high. The Bulldogs are far and away the NAIA Division II leader in steals per game with an average of 22.4. Next closest is Antelope Valley (Calif.) at 17.2.
  • Though she is only 12 games into her Concordia career, point guard Grace Barry has become the team’s catalyst on both ends of the floor. The Lincoln East High School product would rather make the extra pass than shoot it herself. She dropped a career high 13 assists versus Mount Marty. She also swiped seven steals as part of the smothering defensive performance. Impressively, Barry leads all NAIA Division II players in both assists (6.67) and steals (4.17) per game. She ranks fourth on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg).
  • It’s exceedingly difficult to beat the Bulldogs when All-American Philly Lammers performs in the manner that she did last week. Over the two victories, Lammers totaled 46 points, 12 rebounds, six blocked shots and five steals while going 20-for-28 from the floor. She accomplished all of that while playing a combined 36 minutes. Because of the number of blowout wins Concordia has accrued during Lammers’ career as a Bulldog, she has sometimes not gotten proper consideration for postseason awards. Her averages of 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.42 steals per game jump off the page when considering she plays 19.1 minutes per contest.
  • Concordia entered last week having done plenty of offensive damage despite not shooting the ball well from 3-point range. That aspect of the Bulldogs’ game went in the right direction last week. From beyond the arc, Concordia went 10-for-29 (.345) at Doane and 10-for-23 (.435) versus Mount Marty. Off the bench, freshman Delani Fahey was nearly perfect. She canned 6-of-7 attempts from 3-point range. Her 14 points at Doane were a career high. As a team, the Bulldogs are now shooting 29.7 percent from long range this season.
  • The GPAC individual leaderboard for steals per game is something to behold. Five of the top six are Concordia representatives – Barry (4.17), Riley Sibbel (2.58), Quinn Wragge (2.50), Taylor Cockerill (2.42) and Lammers (2.42). Sibbel made a big jump on the list by pilfering a career high eight steals in the ransacking of Mount Marty. That peskiness has led foes to average 35.1 turnovers per game through the first 12 contests. Each opponent has committed at least 21 turnovers.
  • A 40-game home win streak ended with the loss to Morningside on Nov. 28. However, the Bulldogs do own an active win streak of eight in true road contests. That run includes six road victories to begin this season. The lone road blemish during the entire 2017-18 campaign came at Midland and halted what had been an unbeaten season for Concordia (24-0). The best of those road victories was the 70-66 win at Dakota Wesleyan on Nov. 18, 2017.
  • With five more rebounds, Wragge will become just the fifth player in program history to record at least 1,500 points and 700 rebounds in a career. She would join Lynda Beck, Sarah Harrison, Stephanie Schilke and Shelly Poppe. Wragge just moved into seventh place all-time on the program’s rebound list with 695 boards. In school history, she also ranks 10th in scoring (1,528) and 15th in steals (212).
  • Just one game makes up this week’s slate – and it’s a big one. In a rematch of this past March’s NAIA Division II national championship game, the Bulldogs will take on second-ranked Dakota Wesleyan (12-0, 8-0 GPAC) inside the Corn Palace at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday. Concordia won each of last season’s three meetings prior to the national title game. The Tigers have recently been playing without head coach Jason Christensen, who has tended to personal health matters.

Wrestling

  • Following a break in the schedule, the Bulldogs returned to action this past week by making their home debut and by taking part in the Doane Open. In a dual on Dec. 7, Concordia lost just won match as part of a 51-6 victory over Benedictine College (Kan.). The next day, 14 Bulldogs competed at Doane and combined for 23 victories. First-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad is 3-0 in duals (2-0 GPAC). For more on Concordia wrestling, click HERE.
  • Over this season’s first three duals, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a combined total of 130-23 and have won 24 of the 30 individual matches. In the latest head-to-head clash, Concordia did not have to sweat it out. Benedictine forfeited six weights. The Bulldogs won three of the four contested matches, including two by pin. The pins were delivered by Chucky Hedrick (165) and Tyler Jorgensen (197). At 184, Darrin Miller also earned a win in sudden victory by securing a takedown in overtime. It was the season debut for Hedrick.
  • It’s still very early in the race for the conference dual title. Hastings and Morningside entered the week still having yet to wrestle a dual in 2018-19. Concordia and Northwestern are 2-0 in GPAC action while Midland sits just behind at 3-1. Defending GPAC dual champion Briar Cliff is 1-1. Dakota Wesleyan, Doane and Jamestown are each 0-2 in conference duals. In the most recent national rankings, only No. 11 Midland and No. 19 Northwestern appeared inside the top 20 of the coaches’ poll.
  • Due to the rash of Raven forfeits last week, junior Deandre Chery had to wait until the Doane Open to get back on the mat. Winner of the 174-pound bracket at the Dan Harris Open, Chery made another bid for a tournament title over the weekend. He blazed to the title match with four-straight wins, including three via pin. The only of those victories that did not result in a pin was ended after Chery’s opponent suffered an injury. The native of Miami Gardens, Fla., settled for a runner-up claim. He has now placed at each of this season’s four tournaments and sports an overall record of 20-4.
  • Also at the Doane Open, Walker Fisher (174), Josh Nelsen (184) and Michael Stann (285) each advanced to their quarterfinals of their respective brackets. They combined for nine victories on the day. It marked the first action for Fisher since he pulled out of the season opening Dan Harris Open. Fisher went 3-2 with one of his wins ending with a pin. Nelsen came away with a 2-2 record with both victories by decision.
  • Stann continues to keep pace with Chery for the team high in wins. Stann moved to 20-5 after a 4-2 day at the Doane Open. His only losses came against foes from the University of Nebraska. A native of Temecula, Calif., Stann has solidified the heavyweight spot in the lineup. He added two more pins over the weekend and tops all Bulldogs with 11 for the season. Having red-shirted in 2017-18, Stann still has four years of eligibility remaining.
  • One of the more surprising results of the week was a loss suffered by Alberto Garcia in the dual versus Benedictine. While wrestling up a weight at 141, Garcia was pinned by Alex Gomez just before the first period buzzer. Prior to that defeat, Garcia had made a big splash in his Concordia debut by winning the 133-pound title of the elite division at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Open on Nov. 17. As a result, he was named the GPAC Wrestler of the Week. Garcia is ranked ninth in the NAIA at 133 pounds.
  • In additional action at the Doane Open, Kyle Carey (141) won three matches and two victories apiece were earned by Chris James (285), Nelsen (184) and Mario Ybarra (125). In the dual versus Benedictine, forfeit victories were claimed by Bulldogs Dakota Brace (125), Ybarra (133), Cameron Devers (149), Jason Watkins (157), Chery (174) and Stann (285).
  • After closing out finals week on campus, Concordia will head out to Chandler, Ariz., for Sunday’s GPAC/Cascade Collegiate Conference Duals. The Bulldogs will go head-to-head with Eastern Oregon University (12 p.m. MST / 1 p.m. CST), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (1:30 p.m. MST / 2:30 p.m. CST), Life Pacific College (3 p.m. MST / 4 p.m. CST) and University of Providence (4:30 p.m. MST / 5:30 p.m. CST). It will be the final outing prior to Christmas.

Men’s Basketball

  • It was a tough week for the Bulldogs, who continue to struggle to get over the hump within conference play. Offensive woes were the biggest culprit. Concordia fell by a 65-52 score at Doane on Dec. 5 and then had its heart broken by a buzzer beater in a 70-69 home loss to Mount Marty on Dec. 8. The Bulldogs have dropped four-straight conference games since their 92-87 overtime win over Hastings on Nov. 14. Sixth-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad slipped to 7-6 overall and to 1-6 in conference play. For more information on Concordia men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • On the bright side, there’s a solid chance the Bulldogs will not have another week this season that features such cold 3-point shooting. Faced with Doane’s 3-2 zone, Concordia went just 8-for-34 (.235) from beyond the arc. It didn’t get much better at Walz over the weekend. The Bulldogs shot 7-for-27 (.259) from long distance. The shooting disparities in nonconference play compared to conference action have been drastic. Concordia is shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range against nonconference foes, but just 30.7 percent against GPAC opponents.
  • As they are built, the Bulldogs go as Tanner Shuck and Brevin Sloup go, at least from an offensive standpoint. The duo has combined to take nearly 45 percent of the team’s field goal attempts. Shuck (16.9 ppg) and Sloup (16.2 ppg) are the only two players on the team currently averaging in double figures. Shuck endured a tough week, going 5-for-16 from the floor at Doane and then 3-for-14 against Mount Marty. Those types of shooting numbers are not the norm for Shuck, a career 40.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
  • Sloup kept Concordia afloat at times offensively last week. He led the charge during a 10-0 run that cut an 18-point deficit to eight in the second half at Doane. Sloup poured in eight points during that spurt and finished with 19 for the game. He also had a big second half versus Mount Marty, notching 17 of his game high 24 points over the final 20 minutes. With Sloup leading the way, the Bulldogs erased a six-point deficit against Mount Marty and eventually took the lead before the heart break at the end.
  • A transfer from McCook Community College, junior Chuol Biel has been a welcome addition in the post. He just missed out on his first double-double at Concordia, going for nine points and 11 rebounds versus Mount Marty. The Grand Island, Neb., native has started 12 of the season’s first 13 games and is averaging 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.62 blocks per game. Biel is currently leading all GPAC players in blocks per game.
  • The 1-6 start in conference play is a departure from the past several years during which the Bulldogs have been competitive within the GPAC. After a rebuilding season in Limback’s first as head coach, Concordia quickly improved to 9-11 inside the conference in 2014-15. The league records since then have been 10-10 in 2015-16, 10-8 in 2016-17 and 8-10 in 2017-18. Since the formation of the GPAC (2000), the program is still seeking its first regular-season title. Under Grant Schmidt, the Bulldogs won GPAC tournament championships in 2003 and 2005.
  • Concordia has scored 70 or fewer points six times so far this season. The only win in those circumstances came in the season opener in what resulted in a 70-59 victory over Kansas Wesleyan University. On the flip side, the Bulldogs are 6-1 when tallying more than 70 points in a contest. Their season high was 97 points in a blowout win over Barclay College (Kan.). Among GPAC teams, Concordia ranks ninth in both scoring offense (74.8) and field goal percentage offense (.453).
  • On a positive note, the Bulldogs have kept themselves in games by playing solid defensively. On the conference leaderboard, Concordia ranks second in both scoring defense (71.0) and field goal percentage defense (.432). The defensive numbers appeared good enough to win last week. Doane shot 41.4 percent while Mount Marty shot 40.0 percent. The thing that the Bulldogs do not do defensively is turn their opponents over. Their foes average 12.8 turnovers per game.
  • With finals this week, Concordia will have to wait until Saturday for a chance of ridding itself of last week’s bad taste. The Bulldogs will be at the Corn Palace for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff at Dakota Wesleyan (9-3, 5-3 GPAC). It will be the final GPAC contest prior to New Year’s Day. Concordia last won in Mitchell, S.D., on Feb. 12 in a 109-106 overtime final.