CRETE, Neb – Midland University went on the road to take on Doane University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup on a Saturday afternoon. After a closely contested first half, the Tigers handed a tough loss to the Warriors, 69-41. With the results, Midland drops to 3-18 overall and 1-14 in the conference. Doane improves their record to 13-9 overall and 7-9 in the GPAC.
The Tigers took an early advantage, opening up the game with a 7-0 run. Sarah Shepard broke the scoreless start for the Warriors with a free throw nearly three minutes into the game. That point got them going as they rallied by to take the lead, 11-10, after a layup by Emma Shepard with 1:38 on the first quarter clock. Midland would take a 13-12 in the quarter break.
Doane opened up the second with a three-pointer to put them back on top. After Lexi Kraft fired back with a layup to tie the score, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run and never looked back. They limited the Warriors to just five points in the quarter as they took a 27-18 lead into halftime.
After the intermission, Kraft attempted to get the Warriors going but the Tigers matched every score as the teams traded baskets early on in the third. As Midland’s shots began to miss, Doane rallied with a 9-0 run which expanded their lead to double digits, 39-24. Rubie Klausen broke the Warriors’ five-plus scoreless minutes with a layup. Both teams struggled to find points in the final two minutes as the Tigers took a 43-29 lead into the final quarter.
Their lead continued to grow as the Warriors’ shot attempts remained off-target. The margin reached 20 at the midway point and Doane cruised their way to the 69-41 home win.
Sarah Shepard was the lone player in double figures for Midland. She finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and added a team-high 7 rebounds in 27 minutes. Emma Shepard was the next-highest scorer with nine points off the bench.
As a team, Midland shot 12-for-55 (27.3%) from the field while Doane was 28-for-75 (37.3%). Behind the arc, the Warriors connected on just one three-pointer in 16 attempts (6.3%). Doane was 8-for-34 (23.5%) from distance and forced 14 turnovers that translated to 15 points.
Midland (3-18, 1-14 GPAC) will return home to host Concordia (14-7, 11-5 GPAC) inside Wikert Event Center on Wednesday night. The matchup is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. on February 1 in Fremont.
