Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. — Midland University hosted Mount Marty University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup Wednesday night, where the Lancers handed the Warriors a 75-52 defeat at the Wikert Event Center.
Mount Marty opened the game on an 11-2 run, prompting an early Midland timeout. After the break, Trey McCain and Butch Loreus combined for a 4-0 spurt before the Lancers answered with back-to-back baskets. Amari Rahaman hit a three-pointer as both teams traded free throws. Mount Marty closed the quarter with a 7-4 run to take a 23-15 lead, forcing another Midland timeout.
Following the break, the teams traded baskets before Mount Marty used a 5-0 run to extend its lead to 35-20 with five minutes left in the half. After another Midland timeout, Loreus knocked down a free throw, but the Lancers responded with two free throws and a three-pointer. Rahaman added the final point of the half at the line as Midland went into the locker room trailing 40-22.
Jake Orr opened the second half with a personal 5-2 run, but the Lancers immediately countered with a 12-2 surge to push their lead to 54-29, leading to another Midland timeout. Rahaman hit a free throw out of the break before Mount Marty added a 6-0 run. Midland responded with a 6-2 stretch, including three points at the line, before taking another timeout.
Out of the huddle, Anthony Simon scored on a layup, but Mount Marty answered with a 7-0 run to make it 69-37. McCain and Jeff Rozelle III buried back-to-back threes to highlight a 6-2 run as Midland used its final timeout. The Lancers added two free throws and a layup from Luke Friedrichsen to complete a 4-0 push. The teams traded baskets the rest of the way as Midland fell 75-52.
Rahaman led the Warriors with 11 points, while McCain and Orr added seven apiece.
Midland shot 18-for-52 (34.6%) from the field, while Mount Marty finished 29-for-64 (45.3%). The Lancers held a slight 39-33 edge on the boards and forced 20 Midland turnovers, converting them into 23 points.
“We are a much better team than what we showed tonight,” head coach Tyler Erwin said. “Give Mount Marty credit — they are a good team, and they were better in all phases tonight. They were the tougher team.”
“Within the league, we have to put together a couple of great practices to win Saturday. The way we ended tonight leaves a bad taste in our mouths,” added Coach Erwin. “The best thing we took from it was the group was already talking about what needs to change — it wasn’t a silent locker room. There were guys in those conversations. It was just one of those nights where a lot of things didn’t go our way.”
Midland (3-4, 1-1 GPAC) will travel to Mitchell, South Dakota, to face Dakota Wesleyan (4-3, 1-1) in a GPAC matchup on Saturday, Nov. 22. Tipoff is set for 3:45 p.m. inside the Corn Palace.
