Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SEWARD, Neb. — Midland University returned to action Wednesday evening, facing No. 10-ranked Concordia University in a midweek Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup. The Bulldogs’ efficient shooting and strong defensive effort proved too much for the Warriors, who fell 76-24.
Concordia opened the game on a 5-0 run, prompting an early Midland timeout. Out of the break, both offenses briefly stalled before the Bulldogs extended their lead to eight on a 3-pointer. Midland got on the board with a free throw from Cierra Barbary, but Concordia answered with two free throws and another 3-pointer to maintain control. Free throws by Jenna Weber and Addy Offutt cut the deficit to 10, but Concordia held a 15-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs continued their efficient play in the second quarter, opening on a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 21-5 with 8:45 remaining in the half. Defense tightened, and neither team scored for more than two minutes. Weber ended the drought with two free throws, but a layup by the Bulldogs kept the margin intact. Another 6-0 run pushed Concordia’s advantage to 27-7 with 4:15 left in the quarter. A layup by Ciera Jorge snapped a Midland scoring drought of more than four minutes and cut the deficit to 18. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, but Concordia took a 33-11 lead into halftime.
Concordia opened the second half with two layups and a 3-pointer, stretching the lead to 29. A layup with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter forced a Midland timeout. Out of the stoppage, Concordia went on an 18-0 run, while Midland endured a scoring drought of more than 10 minutes, as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 61-11. Back-to-back jumpers from Ellie Bovaird cut the deficit to 48, but Concordia entered the final quarter ahead 63-15.
A free throw by Barbary and a jumper from Weber opened the fourth quarter with a 4-0 run for Midland, trimming the deficit to 45. After a brief scoring lull, Concordia regained momentum with a 3-point play and a layup with 5:55 remaining. A 3-pointer extended the lead, but Midland continued to compete, using a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 71-21 and force a Concordia timeout. The Bulldogs outscored the Warriors 5-3 the rest of the way to secure the 76-24 victory.
Weber led Midland with eight points and nine rebounds, while Bovaird added five points, six rebounds, and three steals.
Midland shot 6 of 44 from the field (13.6%), while Concordia finished 30 of 70 (42.9%). The Warriors held a 33-31 rebounding advantage, but the Bulldogs outscored Midland 17-2 in second-chance points.
Midland (3-17, 2-12 GPAC) will welcome Northwestern (9-10, 5-8 GPAC) to Fremont, Nebraska, on Saturday, Jan. 24, for another GPAC matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside the Wikert Event Center.
