Warriors’ Postseason Run Ends with Loss at No. 11 Concordia

SEWARD, Neb. – Midland University traveled to Seward to take on Concordia University in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament. This marked the Warriors' first postseason appearance since the 2016-17 season. Despite a hard-fought battle, Midland fell to Concordia 101-81, bringing its season to an end.

"It was a tough game for us tonight. [Tristan] Smith is a really good player and can score a lot of different ways," commented head coach Tyler Erwin. "Credit to Concordia for throwing him the ball for the entire 40 minutes." Smith paced the Bulldogs with 48 points in the victory.

Jeff Rozelle III opened the game with a layup as both teams exchanged baskets. The Bulldogs then went on a 6-0 run to take a 10-7 lead, prompting Midland to call a timeout. After the short break, Concordia maintained its momentum, adding a layup and a free throw. Ryan Larsen and Alec Noonan combined for a 4-0 run to snap the Warriors' scoring drought, but the Bulldogs answered with a 9-0 surge to widen the gap.

Jake Orr and Rece Kissinger reignited Midland's offense with an 8-2 run, cutting the deficit to 24-19. However, Concordia quickly pushed its lead back to double digits with another 8-2 run, leading to a Midland timeout at 32-21 with just under six minutes remaining in the half. After the break, both teams traded baskets until Midland called another timeout. Jake Cooper and Orr closed the half on a 4-2 run, sending the Warriors into the locker room trailing 40-31.

After intermission, Concordia's offense stayed hot, opening with a 9-0 run. Orr ended Midland's scoring drought with a jumper, sparking a back-and-forth exchange. The Bulldogs then went on a quick 4-0 run to maintain their lead. Larsen and Orr answered with a 5-0 burst as both teams continued trading baskets. Nick Dolezal jump-started a 6-0 run, capped by an Orr dunk to reenergize the Warriors. Concordia countered with a layup before calling a timeout at the 10-minute mark.

"I'm extremely proud of our team and the growth we had through the entire season," said Erwin. "Making the conference tournament is a big step for our program. Since July, we have had five surgeries that caused a lot of moving parts. It was and always is a 'next man up' mentality. We battled until the end. We played better in the second half and scored 50 points. We were able to open the floor up and finally started making shots. We just couldn't get stops when we needed to."

Following the break, Orr continued to battle for Midland, igniting an 8-2 run. The Bulldogs quickly responded with a 7-2 spurt, leading to another Midland timeout. After the break, Concordia kept the pressure on with a dunk, as both teams exchanged points. The Bulldogs' energy surged with a three-pointer, followed by back-to-back dunks for a 9-2 run. Orr tried to shift the momentum in Midland's favor, sparking a 7-2 run before another timeout was called with under three minutes remaining.

After the short break, Isaiah Smith drained a three-pointer, but Concordia answered with two free throws and a dunk for a 4-2 run, forcing another Midland timeout. The Bulldogs closed out the game with the final points, sealing a 101-81 victory.

Jake Orr led the Warriors with 20 points, followed by Ryan Larsen with 12. Mason Strong and Nick Dolezal each added 10. Dolezal led the team with eight rebounds while Jeff Rozelle III and Orr each had six. Rece Kissinger and Strong had five assists to lead the team.

Midland shot 36-of-68 (52.9%), while Concordia finished 43-of-73 (58.9%).

"I can't say enough about our five seniors… They have laid the foundation for years to come," Erwin added.

The Warriors' season comes to an end with a 12-17 overall record. They earned the seventh seed in the GPAC Tournament this year, going 7-13 in conference play.