Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University took court inside the Wikert Event Center on Saturday afternoon as it faced Dordt University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup. The game, which was marked by 18 ties and 16 lead changes, kept the fans on the edge of their seats throughout. After playing to an 89-89 tie in regulation, the Warriors ultimately fell to the Defenders, who surged ahead in overtime, by a final score of 108-102.
Jeffrey Rozelle III opened the game with a layup, prompting a quick response from Dordt with a layup of its own. After a quick timeout called by the Warriors, Jake Rueschhoff reignited the offense, setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. Ryan Larsen‘s impressive 5-0 run broke an early tie, pushing Midland to an 11-6 lead. However, Dordt swiftly regrouped, with an 8-0 run of its own.
As the teams engaged in a back-and-forth exchange, Rueschhoff hit a crucial three-pointer to narrow the contest to a one-point difference, 38-37, with just over three minutes in the opening half. Minutes later, the game evened up at 41-41 following a 5-0 swing by Midland. The Defenders countered with back-to-back three-pointers. A jumper by Merwick ended the opening period with Dordt holding a narrow 47-43 lead.
After the intermission, the teams continued the seesaw battle. After falling behind, Larsen ignited an 11-2 run for the Warriors to put them back on top, 59-58 with 13:13 remaining. As time dwindled, both teams continued to trade points, leaving the fans in attendance and watching online on the edge of their seats.
As the end of regulation drew near, Larsen delivered a clutch three-pointer, giving the Warriors a two-point lead with 10 seconds remaining. In a nail-biting finish, Dordt managed to make a long jump shot with three seconds left, tying the game at 89-89, forcing the thrilling contest into overtime.
The overtime period began with an impressive 9-1 run by Dordt. As the teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle at the free-throw line, Midland was unable to get the stops it needed to narrow the gap. Behind a 19-14 overtime period, the Defenders managed to come away with the 108-102 win.
Derek Merwick finished the game with a triple-double, scoring 32 points, dishing out 13 assists, and grabbing 16 rebounds. Jake Orr was the second-highest scorer with 23 points while Ryan Larsen and Jake Rueschhoff both finished with 15 points each.
For the game, Midland shot 41-of-80 (51.2%), while Dordt was 37-of-68 (54.4%). The Defenders had an edge at the foul line, going 26-of-30 (86.7%), and controlled the paint with a 50 to 36 advantage inside.
“It was a high-level game for 45 minutes,” commented head coach Tyler Erwin. “We are all exhausted. I am proud of them. It was a great ball game, Dordt has a good team. We matched their intensity and did so many good things. My discussion in the locker room was… we brought everyone into the circle and we just wanted to emphasize how proud we are of everyone. We should be disappointed that it didn’t go our way, but we can’t let it define our season. I just keep telling them that at some point it is going to turn and go our way.”
“I don’t care what anyone says, but Derek Merwick is the best player on the floor,” added Coach Erwin. “He makes us go and he has changed our season. He has changed our dynamics and our offensive strategies. He makes guys better.”
“We told our guys last week that our playoff has started about three weeks early. We talk about the postseason openly because that’s been our goal to get into the tournament. We have been knocking on that door, and just a few things haven’t gone our way,” concluded Coach Erwin in his postgame comments.
Midland (9-14, 4-11 GPAC) will host Hastings (15-7, 10-4 GPAC) next week. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7 in Fremont. Earlier this season, the Broncos edged the Warriors, 85-76, on their home floor.
