Men’s basketball struggles defensively on senior night, loses to Mount Marty 83-72

The Bulldogs play defense against Mount Marty.

Photo credit: Kai Olbrich

By Kai Olbrich

Sports Editor

Senior day turned sour for the Concordia men’s basketball team as the Bulldogs were defeated by the Mount Marty Lancers 83-72 on Wednesday.

It was a game where some rushed offense and shaky defense took its toll on the Bulldogs, especially in the first half, where Concordia was outscored 47-40. Coach Ben Limback believes that his team let the Lancers get too comfortable early on.

“I thought we forced it a little bit offensively. Defense was our biggest issue,” Limback said. “I felt like we let them get too comfortable in the first half, and then, you know, they just are playing really confident right now, and we didn’t do much in the first half, especially to shake them.”

On offense, the Bulldogs were led by sophomore Dane Jacobsen, who scored 15 points, 5-9 from the field and 5-5 from free throws, and delivered two assists. Senior Zac Kulus put up a solid senior day performance with 13 points. Junior Jaxon Stueve added 12 points and a team-high four assists.

The final addition to the Bulldog double-digit scorers was junior Brooks Kissinger, who, according to his usual high standards, had a very quiet night. Kissinger is third in the Great Plains Athletic Conference for points-per-game with 22, but only managed 10 against the Lancers, shooting 3-7 from the field and 4-7 from the charity stripe. Kissinger also gave up six of the Bulldogs’ 12 turnovers.

Due to the struggles of some of the usual starters, Limback looked to the bench for energy and effort, as well as free-flowing, confident play.

“That’s what we’re searching for right now, guys that are ready to compete,” Limback said. “Those two guys [Junior Garrett Grandgenett and freshman Peyton Brown], I mean, they were ready to play. They weren’t second-guessing. They were just out there competing, and they performed, right? And I think if we can just get out of our own heads, I mean, you just start playing, then your habits take over. If you start second-guessing and overthinking, you’re slow, and you’re not reacting.”

Senior Logan Wilson agreed with the sentiment that confidence is very important to Concordia’s success going forward.

“This team has all the potential in the world. I mean, we started off [the season] great. I think it’s all just about confidence, to be honest, and I think when the team gets hot, it gets confident, you know, it’s really sky’s the limit for anybody,” Wilson said.

For Limback, the senior day loss hurts more because of the personal attributes of the senior players and their families.

“Well, some of those guys are four-year guys, two of them are banged up, and I wish they could have played, but no, they mean a lot,” Limback said. “I think they’re high character, quality guys that understand, you know, just how important these types of nights are, and their families are incredible, bringing food and stuff. So that’s why it hurts, they’re just great family kids, it’s more than basketball.”

Despite the rocky patches the Bulldogs have faced this season, Wilson is proud of how the team has grown together and become more of a family.

“Well, the last four years, we’ve gone through a lot, like we’ve changed people, changed leaders in and out, and I think this team, specifically, like, we’ve grown together quite a bit,” Wilson said. “And, you know, we all love each other, and we all have a great bond on this team, and it’s not really just about winning and losing basketball games. It’s more about us being together and just like one big family.”

The Bulldogs are tied for fourth in the Great Plains Athletic Conference with a 10-9 record. Concordia has had some big wins and tough losses throughout the year, but Limback believes that his team can hang with the very best in the conference.

“Well, we’ve shown this whole season, we can lose to the worst teams, or we can beat the best teams. And I think it all stems from, do we have the desire, first and foremost? I think there’s greatness in there. But then do we have the confidence to go out there and take the game, not just hope it hands to us, but take the game. And so I think the team right now, maybe doubts some of that, but I think we’ll get them on the right mindset and go for it,” Limback said.

The Bulldogs are back in action on Feb. 21 when they will travel to play Hastings College. Despite a 7-12 record, the Broncos have found their form recently, going 3-1 in February with wins over Midland, Waldorf and Doane. The Broncos got the better of Concordia in their last meeting on Jan. 14. Concordia will look to close out the GPAC regular season on a strong note with tip-off scheduled for 3:45 p.m.