Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University hosted Dakota State University in a non-conference matchup on a Wednesday night inside the Wikert Event Center. A balanced act by the Warriors led them to a 90-84 victory over the Trojans.
Jake Rueschhoff ignited the Warriors’ first-half surge with a jump shot to kickstart the momentum. Midland went on an 8-4 run, putting pressure on its guests early and forcing a Dakota State timeout. The Trojans quickly orchestrated an 11-2 run to take the lead at 15-12. A combination of a layup and a successful free throw by Rece Kissinger leveled the score at 15-15. Jeffrey Rozelle III‘s layup swung the lead back in favor of the Warriors. A fiercely contested exchange started as both teams began to match each other’s scores before the Warriors seized control with a 7-2 run.
Despite the Trojans narrowing the gap with back-to-back three-pointers, Jake Orr secured a crucial free throw to keep the Warriors in front. After Dakota State pulled even at 31-31 with five minutes left in the half, Orr connected on a pair of free throws. Rueschhoff followed with a three-pointer to propel the Warriors on a 5-0 run. The Trojans responded with a three-pointer and dunk, knotting the score at 36-36 heading into the final three minutes. Midland surged ahead with a 12-0 run, with Derek Merwick accounting for eight points in the run. At the halftime break, the Warriors led 48-36.
After the intermission, the Trojans opened up the second half with determination, launching a 14-1 run to seize the lead. Rozelle and Rueschhoff broke the Warriors’ scoreless streak with a free throw and three-pointer but Dakota State was relentless. An 8-2 put them back in front, 58-56, with 13:17 to play.
The teams began to trade baskets, keeping the game’s outcome in balance. A quick 5-0 by the Warriors put them in front 66-63, leading to a timeout by the Trojans. Midland sought to widen the gap and succeeded with a 13-6 run. As they pushed the lead into double-digits, the Trojans’ season-scoring leader was sent to the bench after committing his fifth foul. Despite one of its weapons sidelined with just over four minutes to go, Dakota State went on a late-game push with back-to-back three-pointers. Free throw shooting and ball control secured the victory for the Warriors as they earned the 90-84 home win.
It was a balanced attack offensively as the Warriors had four players in double figures. Rece Kissinger led the team with 19 points, followed by Jake Orr with 17, Jake Rueschhoff with 16, and Derek Merwick with 15.
Midland shot 32-of-55 (58.2%) for the game while Dakota State was 29-of-67 (43.3%). The Warriors collected 20 points from the Trojans’ 16 turnovers and shot 50 % behind the three-point arc. They also finished a season-high 21 assists on 34 made baskets.
“For the most part, I was pretty pleased. I thought we did a really good job of handling things we don’t normally see,” commented head coach Tyler Erwin. “Our bench tonight really stood out to me. Reese scoring 19 off of the bench was huge. Colton made some big plays defensively down the stretch. Jeffrey was good and Jack did a lot of things for us too.”
When asked about the production the Warriors got from Kissinger tonight, Coach Erwin added, “He’s worked at it. The last two games, he’s gotten good shots, they just haven’t fallen for him. When one shot goes, that gets some confidence going. Our guys set him up for some good, open shots. He’s a good cutter and does some good things around the rim for his size.”
Midland (5-7) will head to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to partake in the 2023 Cruzin Classic next week. The Warriors will take on (RV) St. Thomas University (8-2) on December 17 followed by a tilt with Florida National (3-7) the following day. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (CT) on Sunday and for 7:00 p.m. (CT) on Monday.
