
Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University returned to action on Wednesday, welcoming the College of Saint Mary (CSM) to the Wikert Event Center for a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) contest. The Warriors earned their first win of the new year, starting hot and never slowing down, exploding for a 91-57 victory. Freshman Grace Holm led the way with a career-high 27 points, tying the school record with nine three-pointers made in the lopsided win over the Flames.
“Our team is very competitive. We come into every game thinking we’re going to win,” said head coach Chris Burks. “That’s kind of the name of Midland going around right now. If you aren’t on your game and ready to go, we’re going to come in there and take it.”
The Warriors opened the game with a 12-0 run, capped off by Holm’s first three of the night. The Flames fought to get on the board with a three-pointer and four free throws, but Holm answered with two more threes, and Ellie Bovaird added five points to extend the lead to 27-7 at the end of the first quarter.
CSM tried to battle back with five straight points to start the second quarter, but Erin Foxhallresponded with two field goals to keep Midland in control at 31-12 midway through the period. The Warriors continued to extend their lead before halftime with four points from Leah Redding, five points from Jenna Weber, and two more made threes from Holm. They went into the locker room with a 51-23 advantage.
Midland didn’t cool off after the break, opening the third quarter with a 16-2 run. During the stretch, Sarah Shepard scored four points, while Holm knocked down three straight triples, bringing her total to eight makes on 11 attempts.
“She is the best shooter I’ve ever seen,” Burks said of Holm. “Anybody can come in here from anywhere in the country, and I think Grace will be the better shooter. Nine threes speaks for itself.”
CSM managed two layups late in the third, but Midland’s offense kept its foot on the gas, closing the quarter with four points each from Sarah Shepard and KD-Anna Petersen to take a 73-30 lead into the final frame.
The Warriors opened the fourth with five straight points to push the lead to 48, and Holm tied the school record with her ninth three-pointer of the night. The Flames fought back in the final minutes, outscoring Midland 23-14 in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was too great to overcome. The Warriors ended their 12-game losing streak with a dominant 91-57 victory.
Midland shot 34-for-74 (45.9%) from the field and 12-for-29 (41.4%) from beyond the arc. CSM shot 19-for-58 (32.8%) overall and 6-for-22 (16%) from three-point range. The Warriors controlled the glass, outrebounding the Flames 53-28, and forced 15 turnovers while committing 12. Those turnovers led to 23 points for Midland, while CSM managed just four points off the Warriors’ miscues.
Holm led all scorers with 27 points, fueled by her nine made threes, and now leads the NAIA in three-pointers made. Jenna Weber finished with 12 points, one rebound, and four assists, while Bovaird added 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Shepard grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, marking her eighth double-digit rebounding effort of the season.
“We just had a lot of people contributing,” Burks said. “We’re going to build on what we did tonight, especially with Grace shooting the ball. Sarah did a great job of getting to two feet tonight, and Jenna was able to get to the rim and get a lot of and-ones.”
Midland (2-16, 2-10 GPAC) will look to keep its momentum going on Saturday when it hosts No. 1-ranked Dordt (18-0, 12-0 GPAC). Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont.