Men’s Basketball Took the NACC Crown
By CUW Student Assistant MaryGrace Cleinmark
MEQUON, Wis. – The CUW men's basketball had a tough schedule to start the season, but those challenges helped the Falcons earn a piece of the NACC crown in 2022.
The Falcons picked up their first victory of the year against Carroll with a score of 72-69. Senior Jordan Johnson (Cedarburg, Wis.) led the flock in points with 22 points. Senior Brandon Keller (Plymouth, Wis.) had the most rebounds at 11 for the Falcons. Junior Jared Jurss (Sheboygan, Wis.) led the team in assists with seven.
In December of 2021, the Falcons had a strong winning streak of four games. With only one of those having home court advantage. The four-game streak ended with a thrilling victory against Illinois Tech. The beginning of the first half was a back-and-forth game until the Flacons broke the game open. IIT took the lead at the 12-minute mark. The Blue and White never gave in and finished the game with a final score of 76-68. Jordan Johnson lead the Blue and White for points with fourteen, Brandon Keller led rebounds with 18, and Jared Jurss secured the lead in assists for the Falcons with 11.
In the second half of the season, the Falcons finished up a strong run. With the cancellation of the Concordia Invitational Tournament due to COVID-19, the Falcons did not show any fear. The Falcons went on to finish the regular season play as NACC champions. Their overall conference record was a winning season of 11-6 (.647).
During the game against Benedictine on Feb. 5, Jordan Johnson scored his 2,000-career point. Johnson managed this feat in 114 total games.
Jordan Johnson was named Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 6, 2022.
On Feb. 8, Jordan Johnson was recognized on Tuesday morning on d3Hoops.com by naming Johnson to the D3Hoops Team of the Week.
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced Jordan Johnson for Academic All-District Men's Basketball Team for the second-straight year.
The Falcons ended their season in the NACC Tournament Finals against Marian. The Blue and White finished their year at 14-11 with a 77-71 loss to the Sabres. The first half closed with a low-scoring game of 37-25 Sabres. The Falcons fought back in the second half with a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to two points at 52-50. The falcons ended up coming up too short and ended their season on their home court. Jordan Johnson led the flock with 22 points. Johnson finished his career as the program leader in points with 2098 points. Senior Joey Zietlow (Oak Creek, Wis.) led the Falcons in rebounds at seven and Jared Jurss led the flock with five assists.
The CUW men ended their season with a total of twenty-five games and averaging a total of 80.9 points per game. Looking more into the stats the Falcons had 48.2 percent in field goals 35.1 percentage in three-pointers and 65.2 percent in free throws. The flock averaged 39.5 rebounds per game and a total of 18.7 assists per game.
The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) named Jordan Johnson the Most Valuable Player of the year. Johnson also was named to the All-NACC First Team. Johnson was also joined by teammate Brandon Keller on the All-NACC Second Team.
The Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia, named Jordan Johnson a finalist for the Jostens Trophy.
Jordan Johnson was announced as an Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and D3hoops.com also honored Johnson as an All-Region selection.
The Concordia University Wisconsin Athletic Department announced Jordan Johnson of the men's basketball program as the 2021-22 Male Career Achievement Award recipient.
The Falcons will return in November for their quest to the NACC Championship and beyond.
