Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University took court inside the Wikert Event Center on Wednesday night in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup against Doane University. For the game, coaches paired up their suits with sneakers and wore ribbons to partake in the annual Coaches vs. Cancer week, which is sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society. Playing in front of a loud and boisterous student section, the Warriors tamed the Tigers with a surge in the first half to earn the 84-59 victory.
Jake Orr ignited the game with a strong start, leading a 7-3 run while contributing to five of the points, supported by Ryan Larsen with two. The Tigers clawed back with an 8-2 run, claiming an 11-9 lead just past the four-minute mark.
Jeffrey Rozelle III and Colton Uhing scored back-to-back baskets, allowing the Warriors to regain the lead and despite Doane applying pressure and tying the game at 13-13, the Warriors went on an impressive 18-2 run, extending the lead to 31-15 with 7:31 remaining in the half.
In an attempt to narrow the gap, Doane initiated an 11-4 run, reducing the lead to nine points. Derek Merwick broke the scoreless drought with a layup just before the halftime buzzer, sending Midland into the locker room with a 37-28 lead.
After the break, Larsen sparked the momentum into the second half as the Warriors began with a 25-5 run. Doane responded with determination, connecting on four consecutive three-pointers as the Warriors matched the Tigers’ efforts with baskets of their own
Dominic Humm came off the bench and had a strong game. In the second, he stepped up with three consecutive baskets, including a three-pointer, as Midland’s lead continued to grow up until the end. As the final buzzer sounded, Midland had secured the victory with a score of 84-59 over Doane. The win caps off a season sweep for the Warriors, their first since the 2019-20 season.
Jake Orr and Jake Rueschhoff led the team with 18 points each. They were followed by Ryan Larsen with 16 and Dominic Humm with 11. It as a complete team effort on the glass as four of the five starters secured five or more rebounds. Larsen led the team with 7 while Merwick added 6. Jeffrey Rozelle III and Orr each had 5 rebounds in the game.
For the game, Midland shot 38-of-62 (61.3%) while Doane was 21-of-61 (34.4%). The Warriors outrebounded their rivals 37 to 31 and held a dominant 42 to 26 edge in points in the paint.
“We had a complete 40-minute game tonight. It’s something we’ve been striving for,” commented head coach Tyler Erwin. “We did some good things defensively and that’s where it starts for us. It was a good home win for us and it felt like we controlled most of the game. Which is great!”
“We wanted to make sure we’re in the fight for the conference tournament and it was a good step for us tonight,” added Coach Erwin. “Every night in this league, as you know, you’ve got to be at your best. We’re looking forward to playing on Sunday up in the Corn Palace. We’ll put together a good game plan.”
Midland (9-11, 4-8 GPAC) will travel up to Mitchell, South Dakota to face Dakota Wesleyan (10-10, 5-7 GPAC) this weekend. Tipoff of the important conference game is slated for 3:45 p.m. inside the World’s Only Corn Palace on Sunday, January 28.
