Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Midland University traveled to Sioux City, Iowa to take on (RV) Briar Cliff University on Wednesday evening. In the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup, the Warriors’ comeback attempt came up just short, as they take a tough loss on the road 85-75 to the Chargers. The loss sinks Midland’s record to 0-9 in true road games this season.
Briar Cliff seized control in the opening quarter with an impressive 11-2 run, including a trio of three-pointers. Emma Shepard interrupted the Warriors’ quiet spell with a three-pointer, only for the Chargers to counter with a 6-0 run. As the two teams engaged in a back-and-forth exchange of points, Kennedy Darner converted a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to one possession as the first quarter concluded. Briar Cliff led 26-24 after ten minutes of play.
In their quest to widen the margin, the Chargers started the second quarter with an impressive 7-0 run. Emma Shepard, sparked a surge for the Warriors, helping them to a 10-2 run that narrowed the gap to just one point. The momentum continued as Sarah Shepard propelled Midland into the lead with a score of 36-35 with 2:21 remaining on the clock. The lead was brief as Briar Cliff went on a 10-2 run. As the halftime buzzer sounded, the Chargers took a 45-38 into the locker rooms.
The teams engaged in a closely contested game following the intermission, mirroring each other’s scoring efforts. Consecutive baskets from Gabby Beauperthuy and Jenna Weber brought the Warriors back with a basket, 51-48. Briar Cliff responded with a 14-3 run that quickly pushed its lead back to double digits, 59-48, and closed the quarter with a 65-53 advantage.
Rubie Klausen and Beauperthuy started the fourth quarter with a pair of three-pointers. The teams engaged in a fierce battle, exchanging baskets as the Warriors sought to stage a comeback. Trailing by three points with 5:35 left on the clock, the game started to slip away from Midland. BCU persistently applied pressure as it extended its lead to double digits once more with a commanding 14-4 run. The Warriors’ comeback efforts ultimately fell short, resulting in a final score of 85-75 in favor of the Chargers.
Gabby Beauperthuy led the team with a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Jenna Weber and Emma Shepard followed with 12 points each.
For the game, Midland shot 28-of-56 (50%) while Briar Cliff was 28-of-64 (43.8%). The Warriors shot well from distance, going 10-of-19 (52.6%) behind the three-point arc. The telling stats of the game were the 24 turnovers by Midland that led to 27 points for BCU.
Midland (5-16, 2-13 GPAC) will return to its home court on Saturday to take on No. 1-ranked Dordt (18-1,13-0 GPAC). Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on February 2 inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont, Nebraska.
