Courtesy of Midland Athletics
LAMONI, Iowa — Midland University was back in action Tuesday afternoon, facing Graceland in Lamoni, Iowa, in a nonconference matchup. A balanced offensive performance across all four quarters propelled the Warriors past the Yellowjackets for their second victory of the season, 67-56.
Graceland opened the game with a quick 4-0 run before Jenna Weber put Midland on the board with a jumper. A steal by Weber followed by a 3-pointer gave the Warriors their first lead, and two free throws from Ciera Jorge extended the advantage. During the run, Midland held Graceland scoreless for more than a minute and a half.
The Yellowjackets snapped the drought with a layup by Olivia Tinoco and briefly regained the lead on another basket by Angelique Taylor. Midland responded as the teams traded baskets before a layup by Jorge and two free throws by Weber helped the Warriors take a 15-12 lead with six minutes remaining in the first quarter.
After Taylor cut the lead to one, Ellie Bovaird answered with a layup, prompting a Graceland timeout. Bovaird added another basket out of the break, and a 3-pointer by Jorge pushed Midland’s lead to 22-16 with two minutes left in the quarter. Graceland closed the period on a 4-0 run, but Midland held a 22-20 advantage entering the second quarter.
The second quarter opened as a defensive battle, with both teams scoreless for more than four minutes. A layup by Cierra Barbary and two free throws from Zoey Sims stretched Midland’s lead to six midway through the period. The Warriors continued to build momentum, extending the lead to double digits on back-to-back layups by Bovaird and Jorge, forcing another Graceland timeout.
A jumper by Bryanna Griffiths ended the Yellowjackets’ scoring drought, but Jorge answered with a 3-pointer. Midland carried a 37-26 lead into halftime.
Sims opened the second half with two free throws before both offenses stalled briefly. Midland regained its rhythm as a layup by Armanii Brazile and a 3-pointer from Weber extended the lead to 44-26 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Warriors held Graceland scoreless for the first 4 minutes, 20 seconds of the period.
The quarter remained defensive for both teams before Midland closed on a 4-0 run to take a 54-35 lead into the fourth quarter.
Weber opened the final period with a basket to extend the lead to 57-35. Graceland responded and later went on a 13-3 run to cut the deficit to 64-53 with 2:30 remaining. The Yellowjackets continued to battle, but a layup and free throw from Weber sealed the win for Midland.
“The team played well and executed the scout,” head coach Chris Burks said. “Defensively, we wanted to limit the shots No. 23 and No. 11 took, and I thought our communication and rotations were strong. Offensively, we wanted to shoot more free throws than 3s and attack downhill. We took the shots we wanted, not the ones the defense gave us.”
Weber led the Warriors with 30 points, five steals, one assist and two rebounds. Jorge added 14 points, while Bovaird finished with 10.
Midland shot 23-of-48 (47.9%) from the field, while Graceland finished 24-of-51 (47.1%). The Yellowjackets held a narrow 24-23 rebounding edge, but the Warriors outscored Graceland 34-26 in the paint.
Midland (2-11) will close the 2025 calendar year at York (4-9) on Dec. 31 in York, Nebraska. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
