Courtesy of Midland Athletics
CRETE, Neb. – Midland University took a short trip to Crete, Nebraska to take on Doane University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup on Wednesday night. The Warriors controlled the game throughout, earning an 86-56 win over the Tigers.
Derek Merwick opened up the game with a layup for the Warriors. As both teams began to match points early on. Midland started to turn up the heat with back-to-back layups and a pair of free throws by Jake Orr to go on a 6-0 run. The Tigers responded with an 8-0 run to give them a two-point lead. Colton Uhing brought the game even,14-14, with a layup with 12:39 to go in the half.
The Warriors went on an 8-0 run, with six of the points coming from Merwick as they opened up the lead with an 11-5 run, 33-19, with less than five minutes to go in the half. After trading baskets, Jake Rueschhoff hit a layup and Merwick made a jump shot as Midland took a 43-28 lead at the half.
After the break, the Warriors began the second half with an 8-0 run forcing Doane to whistle for a quick timeout. Looking to battle back, the Tigers responded with a 12-6 run to lessen the gap. Rueschhoff sparked a 14-3 run by Midland to push the lead to 71-43 with under six minutes to go. The Warriors tamed the Tigers, closing out the contest with an 11-5 run, to win 86-56 on the road.
Derek Merwick led the team with 20 points. He was joined in double digits by Jake Orr with 18, Jake Rueschhoff with 13, and Colton Uhing with 10. Uhing paced the team with eight rebounds while Orr pulled down six.
For the game, Midland shot 36-of-59 (61%) while Doane was 23-of-65 (35.4%). Midland went 100% at the free throw line (12-for-12) and collected 19 points off of Doane’s 13 turnovers.
“I am really proud of our guys tonight. Great to get a road conference win,” commented head coach Tyler Erwin. “Everybody that played tonight did something that contributed to our win both offensively and defensively. It was great to have Jake Orr back on the floor changing the game and different ways. To get him back adds another element to our offense and defensive schemes.”
“I thought that was one of our more complete first halves that we really played,” added Coach Erwin. “We came out, filed the game plan, had a great preparation for the game, and played with a sense of urgency. I’m happy and proud of our guys. It’s still a work in progress, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
Midland (4-6, 2-4 GPAC) will travel to Sioux City, Iowa this weekend to take on Morningside (6-2, 4-1 GPAC) in a conference matchup on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. inside the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center.
