Courtesy of Midland Athletics
BELLEVUE, Neb. — Midland University was back in action Friday afternoon, taking on Dickinson State in the Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown Classic in Bellevue, Nebraska. The Warriors came up just short, falling to the Blue Hawks 60-56.
After trading baskets early, layups by Ellie Bovaird and Jenna Weber sparked a 7-0 run that gave Midland a five-point advantage. The Warriors carried their strong offensive start over to the defensive end, forcing seven first-quarter turnovers. Two free throws by Dickinson State’s Brae Eneboe tied the game at 16-all heading into the first intermission.
The teams continued to trade baskets to open the second quarter. A layup by Aiyana Krolltied the game at 20 with just over eight minutes remaining. From there, the Blue Hawks went on a 16-0 run over the next seven minutes, forcing five turnovers and building a 36-22 lead heading into halftime.
After the break, Dickinson State extended its lead to 42-28 with a pair of layups and jumpers. A 3-pointer from Tyra Berry and a layup by Weber helped spark a 12-2 Midland run over six and a half minutes. Free throws helped the Warriors trim the deficit to five before a jumper by Carla Cencerrero at the buzzer made it 44-40 heading into the final period.
The Blue Hawks scored four quick points to open the fourth quarter on jumpers from Allie Kohn and J’ell Garfield. Back-to-back layups stretched the lead to 10 with 5:49 remaining. Midland clawed back with free throws, and a 3-pointer by Skylar Indra cut the deficit to four with 1:30 left. Despite the late surge, Dickinson State sealed the win at the line.
“We had a good start and hit a hard wall in the second quarter,” commented head coach Chris Burks. “We really battled back in the second half, but learned the importance of 40 minutes this afternoon. We’re climbing and working on becoming self-aware when we have to collect ourselves and push through adversity and challenges mentally.”
“At halftime, we poured belief in them. The team knows what to do, and we were there to encourage and support our style of play, our culture, and who we are striving to become,” added Coach Burks. “The biggest lesson the team learned today was that they can’t doubt themselves even for a second. When we believe and play with confidence, we are proving to be a team that can compete.”
Weber led Midland with 15 points, while Bovaird added 10. Keyra Kruse led the Warriors on the boards with nine rebounds.
Midland shot 19-of-60 (31.7%) from the field, while Dickinson State finished 23-of-55 (41.8%). The Blue Hawks held a 44-32 edge on the glass, though Midland forced 23 turnovers and owned a 20-5 advantage in points off turnovers.
Midland (0-3) continues play in the Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown Classic on Saturday, Nov. 8, taking on Bellevue (1-1) at 5 p.m.
