Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University was back to its regular scheduled games on Wednesday as Mount Marty University came to town for a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) game. The Warriors outlasted the Lancers for a 60-54 win, their second in conference play and second-straight at home.
In the opening quarter, the teams swapped baskets with three lead changes in the first three minutes of play. After falling behind 13-8, back-to-back field goals by Aryannah Harrison pulled Midland back within a point as the quarter ended.
Less than four minutes into the second, the Warriors pulled even at 16-16. The teams matched scores twice more before a four-point run by Midland put them up 24-20 at halftime. At the break, Beauperthuy led the way with 10 points while Sarah Shepard had 8.
Following the break in play, Mount Marty attempted to climb back into the game. They regained the lead at 28-27 with 6:15 on the clock, prompting a timeout from the Warriors’ bench. They pushed the lead out with a pair of free throws but Jenna Weber knotted things up with a three-pointer at 30-30. Midland regained the advantage and led 39-37 at the end of the quarter.
In the final period, things remained tight throughout. Mount Marty tied the game twice in the early going but was unable to break out in front. Weber’s second triple of the game gave Midland a 44-41 lead with 8:38 to go in the game.
On two occasions, the Lancers pulled within a point but each time the Warriors responded on the offensive end. Leading 54-53, Midland closed out the game with a 6-1 run to secure the important conference win at home.
For the game, Midland shot 22-of-45 (48.9%) from the field while holding Mount Marty to 19-of-55 (34.5%). The Lancers had an edge in three-pointers made, 7-5, but took 20 more attempts from behind the arc (30-10). The Warriors controlled the inside with 24 points in the paint but were outrebounded 33 to 29.
Gabby Beauperthuy finished with 17 points to lead all scorers while Aryannah Harrison added 15 points on the bench. Beauperthuy’s five rebounds and three assists were also the best among the Warriors.
“Outside of the Jamestown game, we’ve been really solid at home. Especially on the defensive end,” commented head coach Shawn Gilbert in the postgame. “Today was a grind. When you struggle offensively, but are solid on the other end, you’re going to have games like this. I’ll give the kids credit tonight. We struggled from the free throw line early but made them when we had to. We also had a few key jumpers. We battled and fought today to get the win.”
Midland (5-12, 2-9 GPAC) will look to keep things rolling at home this weekend when they host Morningside (9-7, 6-5 GPAC). The Warriors and Mustang will tip off at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 20 in Fremont. Several former players will be back in town for Alumni Day inside the Wikert Event Center.
