Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Looking to gain ground in the conference standings, Midland University took the court inside the Wikert Event Center against No. 20 Morningside University on Saturday. In a battle of Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) rivals, a first-half scoring slump by the Warriors led to a 100-76 loss to the Mustangs.
The contest kicked off with Morningside hitting a pair of three-pointers for a quick 6-2 lead. Jake Rueschhoff responded with a 7-2 run, giving the Warriors a 9-8 advantage. Another 6-2 run by the Mustangs put them in control once more before Jake Orr‘s consecutive baskets brought the game to a 16-16 tie. A three-pointer from Orr put the Warriors back in front, 21-20.
After a fairly even first 10 minutes to the game, Morningside embarked on a dominant, and ultimately game-deciding 37-6 run. Midland was limited to points from the free throw line as they went over nine minutes without a field goal. Jack Cooper‘s layup with just over a minute left in the period ended the drought. A Mustangs’ run of 5-2 closed out the half with them firmly in control, 60-31.
In the second half, Orr sought to build some momentum for the Warriors, initiating a 6-2 run. He had four points in the surge while Ryan Larsen added two. The teams traded points for a few minutes before the Mustangs’ offense reignited, going on an 11-2 run.
Larsen and the Warriors countered with a 14-6 run of their own. Orr continued the momentum during a 10-4 run, prompting Morningside to call a timeout. After the quick huddle, the Mustangs closed the game with a 9-2 run to secure the 100-76 victory.
Jake Orr was the lone Warrior in double-digits scoring with 25 points. Derek Merwick, Ryan Larsen, and Jake Rueschhoff all chipped in 9 points as the next-highest scorers. Rueschhoff added a team-best six rebounds while Merwick and Jeffrey Rozelle III each had a pair of assists.
For the game, Midland shot 30-of-58 (51.7%) while Morningside was 39-of-59 (66.1%). The Mustangs made 13 three-pointers on the night shooting 50% behind the arc. They also outrebounded the Warriors 31-22 and had a 44-32 advantage of points in the paint.
“Offensively, they are the number one team in the country. Their offensive efficiency is off the charts,” commented head coach Tyler Erwin. “They shoot the ball really well. They have willing passers. They are a veteran group that knows how to win. They’ve had our number as well as a lot of other teams over the past few years. That is a national tournament-type team. They are at a place where we want to get to.”
“I liked our fight better in the second half,” Coach Erwin added. “We got some good minutes from some of our bench players to develop and get them some confidence.”
Midland (8-11, 3-8 GPAC) will host their annual Coaches vs. Cancer game next week when they welcome Doane (7-12, 2-9 GPAC) into the Wikert Event Center. The Wednesday conference tilt is scheduled for a 7:45 p.m. tip on January 24 in Fremont. The coaching staff from both schools will pair their suits with sneakers to bring awareness to cancer screenings. The annual event is in conjunction with the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society.
