Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Midland University took the court one final time this season as they traveled to Sioux City, Iowa for a game at Morningside University. In their season finale, the Warriors took a tough loss against the Mustangs, 75-50. With the results, Midland finishes their season 2-20 in the Great Athletic Conference (GPAC) and 4-23 overall. Morningside wraps up its regular season with a 17-11 overall and 12-10 mark in the conference.
The Warriors struggled in the opening with four quick turnovers in the first three minutes. That, combined with long-range shooting, allowed Morningside to go on a 14-0 run. Sam Shepard broke the scoreless drought with a three-pointer, followed by a jumper, hoping to get the momentum rolling. It did just that as they used an 11-0 run to bring the game to a tie at 16-10. Back-to-back buckets by the home team allowed them to move in front, 21-16, after ten minutes of play.
The Mustangs continued their run into the second with the first four points of the quarter, giving them a 9-0 run spanning the quarter break. They turned on the pressure defensively in the quarter, forcing seven turnovers by the Warriors. They limited their guests to just one field goal, a three-pointer by Rubie Klausen, in the quarter as they built up their lead. Prusa was able to convert on three foul shots at the charity stripe but Morningside outscored Midland 20-6, to take the 41-22 advantage to the locker rooms.
After the intermission, the Mustangs matched their 13-0 to end the half with a 13-0 run to start the third. Emma Shepard and Frankie Klausen broke the scoring drought of 9:21 with a combined three free throws. The Warriors’ field drought lasted even longer with Frankie Klausen hitting a three-pointer with 2:47 on the third-quarter clock, ending a stretch of over 14 minutes. Morningside coasted to a 61-33 lead heading into the final quarter.
In the final 10 minutes of play, the Warriors had their best quarter of the game. Unfortunately, the long droughts in the second and third put them in too deep of a hole to climb out of. The Warriors outscored the Mustangs 17-14 but took the loss for their final game of the year, 75-50.
For the game, Midland shot 15-for-48 (31.3%), while Morningside shot 29-for-72 (40.3%). The Mustangs scored 29 points off of Midlands’ 21 turnovers (14 in the first half).
Leading the Warriors in scoring were Sam Shepard, Erin Prusa, and Frankie Klausen, with eight points each. Sam and Erin both had six rebounds to lead the way while Erin and Lexi Kraft were the team leaders with three assists each.
Midland will look to improve upon its uncharacteristic sub-par season during the offseason. With three senior starters (Kraft, S. Shepard, and Prusa) to replace, the Warriors will have a new look in the fall. Head coach Shawn Gilbert and his staff will look to develop the young talent they have returning as well as bolster their program with freshmen and transfers during the offseason.
