PREVIEW: UMHB men’s and women’s basketball to open ASC play at Concordia

Previewing the ASC openers for UMHB men’s and women’s basketball presented by The Best of Belton

Follow the action

Date/Time: December 3, 1:00 pm (Women), 3:00 pm (Men)

Place: Concordia Fieldhouse, Austin, Texas

Watch: https://athletics.concordia.edu/watch/?Live=1229&type=Live

Men’s Matchup

Women’s Matchup

Series history

Since 2000, the UMHB men are 39-10 against Concordia, and have lost to the Tornadoes only once in Carroll’s tenure in Belton. The Cru won three times against CTX a season ago, taking down the Tornadoes both at home and on the road, as well as in the first round of the ASC Tournament in Belton. The women are 29-10 since 2003 against CTX, and are seeking their 10th straight victory over the Tornadoes. The last time CTX won in this series, the game was played in Austin during the latter part of the 2017-18 season, with the Tornadoes winning 61-55. UMHB is 12-6 on the road against CTX. 

In the polls

The UMHB women jumped two spots in the Week 1 D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 poll, going from 15th to 13th. In the Week 2 WBCA poll, the Crusaders are ranked No. 11. On the men’s side, a season-opening loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps impacted the Cru’s ranking by D3hoops.com, though UMHB remains in the Top 10, at No. 9. 

Last time out

You would have to go back to Nov. 11 to find the last official game played by the Crusader men, who took down Pomona Pitzer, then No. 12 in the country, 84-71. In that game, UMHB shot 51.8 percent from the field, connecting on 29-of-56 shots. Josiah Johnson and Ty Prince each tallied 20 points or more. 

Mark Morefield’s team on the women’s side played just three days ago, traveling to Schreiner for a non-conference test. The Cru needed a late basket from Catherine Kaiser to break a 61-61 tie with less than a second left, and Kaiser made the ensuing free throw as she was fouled on the play. Arieona Rosborough had a team-best 17 points as UMHB won 64-61. 

Intensity does not lack

The Concordia men play with a high-pressure, fast-paced style that has the potential to wear opponents down, due to the intensity at which the Tornadoes play. When asked about combatting Concordia’s style, Carroll mentioned that he often tries to get his team accustomed to the style well before game day. 

“It’s always a tough battle. When you go in there, it’s always a test. As a team, I know how we’re going to handle Concordia’s pressure, but sometimes I worry about how the officials are going to handle it. So we try to create some adversity in practice, similar to what we’re going to find at Concordia. We’ve done our best to try to simulate what we’re going to see.” 

Starting strong

Conference games, whether they be played in December or February, end up having an effect on the ASC standings in just the same way.  So getting off to a good start in the ASC opener is key for Morefield’s squad, who is looking to follow up on last year’s regular season conference title. 

“We need to start off conference play on the right foot,” Morefield said after the Schreiner win.  “Concordia presses a little bit, and [tonight] is a great tool for us to prepare for Saturday, see where we need to be more focused. I think it’s crucial how you come out of the gates and the message you send the rest of the conference.”