SEWARD, Neb. – Confidence is growing for a Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball team that carries a four-game win streak into the week of Thanksgiving. The Bulldogs are coming off a road win over third-ranked Northwestern in a contest the visitors led by as many as 18 points. Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad also put a scare into NCAA Division I University of Nebraska Omaha in what amounted to a 96-80 loss on Nov. 19 (an exhibition for Concordia). Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad stands at 5-2 overall (2-0 GPAC). In this week’s lone outing, the Bulldogs will be headed to Yankton, S.D.
This Week
Tuesday, Nov. 25 at Mount Marty (3-5, 2-1 GPAC), 7:45 p.m.
--104.9 Max Country | Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Cimpl Arena (Yankton, S.D.)
By the numbers
· Concordia showed growth on the road last week as it pushed Omaha for 40 minutes (96-80 exhibition loss) and then won at No. 3 Northwestern, 78-73. In the clash with the Mavericks, three Bulldogs reached double figures in scoring: Brooks Kissinger (26), Tate Odvody (18) and Dane Jacobsen (15). While getting out in transition, Concordia enjoyed a lead for nearly 14 minutes of game time against an Omaha program that reached the NCAA Division I National Championship tournament last season. Three days later, the Bulldogs came out firing in Orange City and led 11-2 right out of the gate. Jacobsen made his first five shots from the floor (including four from 3-point range). Back-to-back layups by Kissinger moved the spread to 18 (69-51) with fewer than seven minutes remaining. The third-ranked Red Raiders climbed back within four (74-70) before Concordia finally iced the game at the foul line. Both Jacobsen and Kissinger poured in 21 points. The three other starters each scored at least eight points: Logan Wilson (10), Jaxon Stueve (nine) and Tate Odvody (eight). Wilson just missed a double-double while snagging nine rebounds.
· The victory at No. 3 Northwestern marked the program’s first road win over a top 10 team since the 2016-17 team, led by All-American Chandler Folkerts, edged No. 7 Dakota Wesleyan in overtime, 109-106, in Mitchell, S.D., on Feb. 12, 2017. All three of the ranked wins the Bulldogs earned last season came at home (against No. 11 Dordt, 99-72 and No. 3/13 Northwestern). During Limback’s tenure (which began with the 2013-14 season), the highest ranked win for the program has been over two Northwestern teams situated at No. 3. Concordia has beaten a No. 1 ranked team in its history. Going back to the 1997-98 season, when Limback was junior guard on the team, the Bulldogs defeated NCAA Division III No. 1 Nebraska Wesleyan (23-0 at the time), 73-68, in Lincoln.
· A 6-foot-3 junior guard, Kissinger has become a breakout star. In six games this season, he’s averaging 18.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 61.4 percent from the floor. Those numbers don’t factor in the 26 points he scored at Omaha (due to the game being an exhibition for Concordia). Among GPAC players, Kissinger ranks third in rebounding, fifth in scoring and sixth in field goal percentage. Kissinger has stepped into the spotlight this season after he averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
· The Bulldogs have effectively shifted to more of a guard-oriented squad this season after graduating the likes of Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. The transition has worked thanks to the breakthrough performances of Jacobsen and Kissinger in particular. An Ashland-Greenwood High School alum like Kissinger, Jacobsen went from playing 9.6 minutes per game last season as a freshman to averaging 30.7 minutes so far as a sophomore. The results have been impressive with Jacobsen averaging 13.7 points, 5.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. The rest of the starters also possess guard-like abilities with Tate Odvody, Jaxon Stueve and Logan Wilson all capable of knocking down perimeter shots. Stueve is the program’s lone returning GPAC All-Conference player from last year. He often draws the opponent’s top offensive option. Reinforcements are on the way as Zac Kulus and Hayden Frank make their way back from injury.
· A transfer from NCAA Division II Colorado Christian University, Odvody has provide a steadying presence as an immediate starter. The Omaha Westside High School alum appeared in 51 games over two seasons at Colorado Christian and compiled 270 points and 110 rebounds. So far this season, Odvody is averaging 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field. Tate’s younger brother Tyson (a 6-foot-8 center) is a freshman at Morningside, where he is averaging 10.4 points and 3.1 rebounds through eight games. The brothers will go head-to-head on Jan. 7 and Feb. 7.
· The madness has already begun within the GPAC. After only a week-and-a-half of conference action, Concordia and Briar Cliff are the only GPAC teams with unblemished league records (both are 2-0). Just behind them in the early standings are three squads at 2-1: Dakota Wesleyan, Morningside and Mount Marty. Based on preseason expectations, the biggest surprise thus far was Doane’s upset of No. 3 Northwestern. The Red Raiders slipped to 1-2 in league play with their loss to the Bulldogs.
Concordia Projected Starting Five
G – Dane Jacobsen, 6-3 (13.7)
G – Brooks Kissinger, 6-3 (18.7)
G – Jaxon Stueve, 6-4 (10.9)
F – Tate Odvody, 6-4 (10.4)
F – Logan Wilson, 6-7 (8.4)
The opponent
Mount Marty has started 2-1 in league play after having said goodbye to star Tash Lunday (now playing for NCAA Division II University of Texas Permian Basin), who piled up 1,335 points in three seasons with the Lancers. In his absence, junior wing Sutton Arend has stepped up his game and is averaging a team high 16.0 points per game. Head Coach Collin Authier is in his fifth season leading the program. Mount Marty jumped from two league wins in 2023-24 to seven GPAC victories in 2024-25. Conference wins so far this season have come over Dordt (home) and Midland (away). The most recent outing resulted in an 86-63 loss at Morningside. As a team, the Lancers have averaged 77.5 points per game with shooting percentages of 47.5 from the field, 35.2 from 3-point range and 69.9 from the foul line. Their opponents are averaging 74.1 points on 48.9 percent shooting. Mount Marty was pegged eighth in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll.
Mount Marty Projected Starting Five
G – Sutton Arend, 6-4 (16.0)
G – Damon Opdahl, 6-1 (10.9)
G – Deegan Williams, 6-2 (11.6)
F – Jake Jensen, 6-5 (10.9)
F – Tyler Sandoval, 6-9 (6.4)
Next week
Following Thanksgiving, the Bulldogs will look forward to hosting Doane (Dec. 3) and Dakota Wesleyan (Dec. 6). Those will be the final two home outings of the calendar year 2025.