Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University hosted Mount Marty University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) game on Wednesday night. In a back-and-forth contest featuring eight lead changes, the Lancers erupted offensively in the second half, handing Midland its first conference loss of the season, 81-71.
Mount Marty struck first, opening the game with a 5-2 run to set the early tone. A jumper by Ryan Larsen and two free throws from Luke Gdowski helped the Warriors regain the lead at 6-5. From there, the teams exchanged baskets, with the Lancers going on a 9-2 run. Trey McCain drained a three-pointer, and Jeff Rozelle III followed with a layup to put Midland back on top, 17-16, prompting a timeout from Mount Marty. The teams continued to trade points, tying the game at 22-22. Late in the half, Mount Marty surged with an 11-5 run in the final two minutes, sending the Warriors into halftime trailing 40-35.
In the second half, Jake Orr opened the scoring with a layup as the back-and-forth battle resumed. A 7-0 run fueled by Gdowski and Rozelle III pulled the Warriors within three points, but the Lancers answered with a 13-4 run, extending their lead into double digits and forcing a Midland timeout. Despite a late push by the Warriors, Mount Marty secured the win at the free-throw line, closing out the game 81-71.
“We struggled to secure loose balls off rebounds or get a stop when we needed it. We never seemed to make that timely play, and for much of the game, we were playing from behind,” said Midland head coach Tyler Erwin. “We need to be better around the rim and more solid defensively. We have been in those areas this season, but tonight we weren’t.”
Midland shot 26-of-60 (43.3%) from the field, while Mount Marty hit 28-of-54 (51.9%). The Lancers shot 35.3% from beyond the arc compared to Midland’s 24%. Mount Marty also outrebounded the Warriors, 38-26.
Orr led the Warriors in scoring with 22 points, followed by Rozelle III with 14, McCain with 13, and Gdowski with 11.
“We had several good looks from three-point range, but they just didn’t fall,” Erwin said. “When the shots aren’t going in, you have to lock down on defense. It wasn’t just one thing tonight; it was a handful of issues. Credit to Mount Marty—they’ve got some good players and a good coach.”
Midland (5-2, 1-1 GPAC) will travel to Orange City, Iowa, on Saturday to face Northwestern (6-0, 2-0 GPAC). Tipoff is set for 6:45 p.m. at the Bultman Center.
