CRETE, Neb. – Midland University took to the dark-hued court inside the Haddix Center on Saturday as they faced Doane University for the second time this season. Tied with less than 20 seconds on the clock, the Warriors moved in front with a pair of free throws. With seven seconds, the Tigers drove the sideline and hit a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer to steal the win at home, 70-69. Midland’s record dips to 9-14 overall and 3-12 in the conference while Doane’s progresses to 9-13 overall and 6-8 in the GPAC.
At the 11:46 mark in the second half, both teams had amassed 44 points apiece. The Tigers responded with an 8-0 run off a layup and two three-pointers from behind the arc. After trading a couple more baskets, Emanuel Bryson and Ryan Larsen sparked an 11-5 run to bring the Warriors within one of Doane.
Trailing by three, 63-60, Colton Uhing drained an assisted three-point bucket from Larsen. Jake Rueschhoff kissed a layup off the glass on the next possession to give MU the lead with under two minutes to go.
The Tigers responded with a jumper of their own. The Warriors looked to feed the hot hand of Bryson, who started the half with a pair of buckets. The veteran guard drove into the lane like a laser, adding two more points to his bucket list with 43 seconds on the game clock.
Doane got a jumper on their next trip, retying the game at 67. Bryson earned two more free throws, going 2-for-2, giving the Warriors the advantage once again. With seven seconds left after the second free throw, the Tigers drove down and hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
Bryson controlled the lane, scoring a team-high 19 points on the night. Orr warranted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rueschhoff pushed his way into double figures earning 10 points as he moves closer to joining the 1,000-point club.
“It’s tough winning on the road,” said head coach Tyler Erwin. “We didn’t play our best but had a chance to beat a really good team. I thought we defended it well (last play). [Brady] Timm made a tough contested shot to beat us. I liked our fight. We battled back a few different times and made some really good plays down the stretch. We just needed one more stop.”
Midland (9-13, 6-8 GPAC) will come home as they seek to avenge a loss to Concordia (13-9, 8-7 GPAC) back in November. The Warriors and Bulldogs will tip off at 7:45 p.m. on February 1 inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont.
