Courtesy of Midland Athletics
YORK, Neb. – Midland University opened its 2023-2024 season at York University on Tuesday night. A balanced attack by the Warriors led them to a Spooktacular 86-61 win to kick off the season on Halloween.
Jake Rueschhoff got the Warriors started, scoring the first two points of the game. After trading points, the Warriors went on a 9-4 run, with Jake Orr having seven straight points during the stretch. Dominic Humm‘s jumper put Midland up 15-10 through the first seven minutes.
The Panthers responded with a 7-0 run to regain the lead, but it was short-lived as the Warriors turned on the heat, going on a 19-8 run to lead 36-25 with under five minutes to go in the half. York applied pressure, cutting the lead down to 4, but Midland quickly bounced back with two minutes left to take a double-digit lead into halftime, 44-34.
After the intermission, Brayden Thompson got the ball rolling with a jump shot as the teams began to match each other’s baskets. Midland broke away with a 14-5 run to lead 75-55 heading into the final five minutes. The Warriors continued to assert their dominance as they were able to put 12 more points on the board as they cruised to the 86-61 win.
The points were spread across the team as four players had double figures. Derek Merwick led the Warriors with 17 followed by Dominic Humm with 16, Jake Orr with 15, and Jeffrey Rozelle III with 10.
Merwick had 10 rebounds, for his first double-double as a Warrior, while adding five assists to add to his stat line. Orr was close behind with nine rebounds and three assists.
For the game, Midland shot 33-of-66 (50%) and was 15-of-19 (78.9%) at the free-throw line. The Warriors held an advantage in rebounds 47-37 and had 15 points off turnovers 15.
“We shared the ball really well tonight and played extremely unselfishly in a tough road environment. I am really proud of the guys and for handling the adversity,” commented head coach Tyler Erwin. “Derek made a lot of solid basketball plays tonight, but most importantly, made really good decisions with the ball in his hands. There were four guys who had double figures and huge minutes from our bench with Brayden in foul trouble. As a team, we rebounded the ball well. This is a fun group, a new season, and a new journey.”
Midland (1-0) will have an extended break before heading back on the road to take on Langston (0-0) on Saturday, November 11. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. in C.F. Gayles Field House in Langston, Oklahoma.
