DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It took a stingy second half defensive performance to ensure that the 23rd-ranked Concordia University Men’s Basketball team returned home with a victory during its stay at the Daytona Beach Shootout. The Bulldogs held NAIA nonconference foe Rochester University (Mich.) to 25.8 percent second-half shooting and pulled out a 71-64 win in The Sunshine State on Tuesday (Dec. 21) afternoon. The Warriors of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference had led by five at halftime.
Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad (12-3 overall) bounced back from the 70-62 loss to No. 8 William Jessup University (Calif.) it endured two days earlier at the same location, the ICI Center, home to Embry-Riddle University Aeronautical in Daytona Beach.
“I felt like the second half we had more urgency,” Limback said. “I think they came out and were a little hungrier in that first half. They made some tough shots and they’re a good team. Second half, we took care of the ball, got to the free throw line and played much better defensively. We got five guys in double figures and made some key free throws the last few minutes.
“It’s great to come back with a win and some great lessons against good teams. It was a pretty special experience for our guys.”
The key stretch on Tuesday came in the middle of the second half when Rochester went more than seven minutes without scoring a single point. That drought allowed Concordia to turn a two-point deficit into an eight-point lead (64-56) as part of a methodical 10-0 run. During which, the Warriors missed 11-straight field goal attempts. They weren’t quite done yet though. They climbed back within two (66-64) with just under four-and-a-half minutes before the well again ran dry.
Over the final four minutes, the Bulldogs went 5-for-6 from the foul line on a day when they mustered enough offense to get the job done. Noah Schutte (15 points and 10 rebounds) recorded a second double-double in a row while returning to form after hobbling off the court in the second half of Sunday’s game. Each of the other four starters also cracked double figures in scoring: Carter Kent (13), Justin Wiersema (11), Gage Smith (10) and AJ Watson (10). Off the bench, Klay Uher chipped in with eight points.
Rochester (9-6) was unable to capitalize on a sometimes sloppy Concordia effort (17 turnovers). The Warriors were limited to 21 points in the second half after shooting 48.6 percent from the floor in the first half. Attacking guard Andrew Kline poured in a game high 23 points (15 in the first half) in leading a Rochester squad that knocked off then seventh-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University earlier this season. The Bulldogs helped make up for the giveaways with a 41-31 rebounding advantage.
In backing Schutte on the boards, Smith (seven), Kent (six) and Wiersema (six) each pulled down a half-dozen rebounds or more. In addition, Kent plucked three steals and Schutte and Smith notched a pair of thefts apiece. Concordia wound up shooting 45.1 percent (23-for-51) from the floor while enjoying a significant edge from the foul line – 21-for-28 (.750) compared to 4-for-6 (.667) for the Warriors.
With no game on Monday, the Bulldogs had a full day to experience the sights and cuisine of Daytona Beach. The team will fly back to Nebraska early on Wednesday morning.
Said Limback, “Some of our guys got to try some seafood and we’ve had beautiful weather. There was some body surfing going on and guys got to do things they’ve never done before. Coach (Ryan) Tegtmeier and Brev (Sloup) got out there (in the ocean). I just got my suntan by the pool. It should also be noted that we had great parent support down here.”
The Bulldogs have one more game before the calendar flips to 2022. Concordia will be at Ottawa University (Kan.) (10-5) for a 6 p.m. CT matchup in Ottawa on Wednesday, Dec. 29. It will be a rematch of the 2020 national tournament game won by the Braves, 87-84, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Ottawa fell, 83-80, at Briar Cliff in its most recent outing.