Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FOREST CITY, Iowa — Midland University was back in action Saturday afternoon, facing Waldorf University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup at Forest City. A balanced offensive performance across all four quarters helped Midland secure its third win of the season, a 78-54 victory.
Waldorf opened the game on a 7-0 run before a steal and layup by Ciera Jorge put Midland on the scoreboard with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter. Waldorf quickly responded with a 4-0 run, prompting a Midland timeout. After the short break, a layup from Jenna Webersparked a 3-0 run for Midland to cut the deficit to 11-6. A 3-pointer by Cloey Dmytruk helped Waldorf regain control, but Midland continued to battle back. A 7-0 run cut Midland’s deficit to one before a free throw by Weber tied the game at 14-14 with 2:15 left in the opening quarter. A layup by Armanii Brazile gave Midland its first lead of the game, and another layup by Weber stretched the lead to four with 30 seconds remaining. Midland led 18-16 at the end of the first quarter.
Midland’s defense tightened while its offense continued to gain momentum to start the second quarter. A 6-0 run stretched the lead to 24-16 with 6:45 remaining in the half, as Midland held Waldorf scoreless for more than five minutes. A 3-pointer by Sao-Martinez halted Waldorf’s scoring drought and cut the lead to five, but Midland quickly responded with a jumper from Weber. Midland outscored Waldorf 11-4 to close the second quarter and took a 35-23 advantage into halftime.
Following the intermission, Waldorf opened the third quarter with a layup by Jariah Riley, but a response from Jorge helped Midland maintain control. The teams traded baskets as Midland held a 43-33 lead with 5:30 left in the third quarter. After a Midland timeout, a 5-0 run extended the lead to 15. Waldorf continued to battle with free throws and a layup by Brooklynn Anderson to cut the deficit to 55-38 with three minutes remaining, but Midland closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 59-40 lead into the fourth quarter.
Midland continued its efficient shooting in the final quarter, opening on a 7-0 run to extend the lead to 66-40 and force a Waldorf timeout. Out of the break, a 3-pointer by Tarah Ruckdashel cut the deficit to 23 with 4:30 remaining. The teams traded baskets and free throws over the next several minutes, but two free throws and a jumper by Weber helped Midland seal the victory.
“The team followed the scout to perfection,” the coach said. “Ciera Barbary did a great job on Charlotte, forcing her left and completely cutting off her ability to make plays going right. Ellie Bovaird did a great job slowing Cloey down. We wanted to limit her touches and keep her dribbling. She’s a great shooter, so taking away open looks was huge. Offensively, we talked about consistently attacking downhill and targeting matchups. The team stayed aggressive and did a great job getting to the foul line. I was most impressed with the team’s resilience and competitiveness for all 40 minutes.”
“Jenna is an incredible talent,” the coach added. “She will be one of the best players to ever wear a Midland basketball uniform. Watching her score her 1,000th career point was special, but that’s just a small part of the story she’s creating. She’s capable of becoming a top-five all-time scorer in program history, and I’m excited to help her continue that journey.”
Weber led Midland with a career-high 39 points and eclipsed 1,000 career points in the process. Bovaird added 18 points, while Jorge chipped in 13.
Midland shot 27-of-55 (49.1%) from the field, while Waldorf finished 19-of-59 (32.2%). Midland also held a 38-25 rebounding advantage.
Midland (3-16, 2-11 GPAC) will close its two-game road trip Wednesday with a conference matchup at Concordia (15-3, 10-2 GPAC) in Seward, Nebraska. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Friedrich Arena.
