Both Bulldog basketball teams won the first round Concordia Invitational Tournament games on Friday night, and head to tonight’s finals in Seward
CUNE WBB light up scoreboard in CIT blowout over CUW
VIDEO: Postgame reaction from Head Coach Drew Olson and Taylor Farrell
SEWARD, Neb. – It looked vintage Concordia University Nebraska Women’s Basketball on day one of the 70th Concordia Invitational Tournament. The harassing full-court pressure and 3-point marksmanship of the Bulldogs made for a rout from the opening tip. While hosting CIT for the first time since 2017, CUNE cruised to a 100-49 win over Concordia University Wisconsin on Friday (Jan. 27). Friedrich Arena saw its most frenzied atmosphere yet this season.
Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad moved to 14-7 overall in the process of extending a program winning streak of 15 games at CIT.
“The biggest thing was the crowd and how awesome that was,” Olson said. “The environment was incredible. It’s just really cool for our players to experience that. My hope is they just keep coming out now. They see it’s a fun atmosphere and it’s fun to go crazy and cheer. It’s a good team to cheer for. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.”
After a two-year absence from CIT, the Bulldogs are back to winning at the event in a leave-no-doubt fashion. Kendal Brigham notched the final four points of a 15-1 run to open the game – and the lead only grew from there. The only real drama late the contest centered upon whether CUNE would crack the century mark for the first time this season. That feat came to fruition in the closing minutes when Destiny Shepherd fired in a trey, much to the crowd’s delight.
Most critically, the Bulldogs are winning because they are playing with their hair on fire defensively. CUW (9-9) went nearly seven minutes before finally scoring its first bucket. The Falcons struggled to the tune of 25.9 percent shooting (14-for-54) overall. Matters were made worse by CUNE’s crater-sized 53-33 advantage on the boards. It was clear – the Bulldogs fed on the crowd. They shot impressively from 3-point range (15-for-38) and from the foul line (15-for-16).
Taylor Farrell got going with eight points (two treys) in the first half and was one of 13 Bulldogs with at least five points on the evening. Said Farrell, “This year hasn’t been the most ideal for me, but my teammates have been extremely supportive … I’m really proud of this team. It’s been really special to go out there and do that (play in CIT).”
Taysha Rushton drained three triples in the fourth quarter and wound up leading all scorers with 15 points (to go with a pair of steals). Kristin Vieselmeyer (11 points and seven rebounds) also reached double figures off the bench. Reece Snodgrass hustled her way to six points and eight rebounds and Brigham posted seven points, six assists and six rebounds. Also noteworthy, Mackenzie Koepke splashed home two long range jumpers and became the sixth player in program history to reach 200 career 3-point field goals.
Said Olson, “It was good to have everybody get a little more confidence. Everybody was in on the action. That always makes it more fun … It’s so cool to see Willy out there. She’s going to continue to give us some quality minutes throughout the season. She’s one of the two that has been a part of CIT. The CIT she got to be a part of – she got injured. For her to experience this and have that kind of success is awesome.”
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 Chicago (9-9). The Cougars topped Concordia University Ann Arbor, 71-65, in the opening game of the tournament. Winner of 30 all-time CIT titles, CUNE will be aiming to run its active string to eight in a row.
Kulus shoots Bulldogs into CIT title game
VIDEO: Postgame reaction from Head Coach Ben Limback and Zac Kulus
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.
