Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – With the season winding down, Midland University hosted No. 16-ranked Briar Cliff University on Saturday as part of Senior Day. The Warriors put forth a valiant effort but ultimately fell to the Chargers, 78-54. Prior to the game, Leah Redding, Ciera Jorge, and Danielle Bruce were honored alongside their family and friends.
The opening quarter went back and forth as Briar Cliff’s early lead was chipped away by Midland. After trading baskets to a 12-12 tie, Allie Hakimzadeh knocked down a 3-pointer with just under three minutes remaining to give the Warriors the lead. Both teams struggled to score down the stretch, and Midland took a 15-12 advantage into the second quarter.
Briar Cliff, which shot just 22% in the opening period, used its defense to get things going in the second. Switching to a 1-3-1 zone in the half-court and applying full-court pressure, the Chargers forced eight turnovers with six steals, leading to easy scoring opportunities and jump-starting a 20-0 run.
Mya Lempp ended the scoring drought with a layup, cutting the deficit to 34-22 with just under two minutes left in the half. The teams traded baskets the rest of the way, and Briar Cliff carried a 40-26 lead into the intermission.
Midland settled down in the second half, committing just five turnovers over the final 20 minutes. That allowed the Warriors to play even with the Chargers in the third quarter, keeping the deficit at 14 points, 59-45.
In the fourth, Midland ran out of gas as Briar Cliff controlled the tempo and cruised to a 78-54 victory.
Ellie Bovaird, who scored 10 points in the third quarter, finished with a team-high 15 points. Jenna Weber added 14 points and a team-leading six rebounds. Hakimzadeh came off the bench to score nine points, narrowly missing double figures.
As a team, Midland shot 32.8% from the field (20-for-61) and connected on eight 3-pointers. Briar Cliff shot 44.1% (30-for-68) and held advantages in rebounds (48-40) and points in the paint (48-24).
Midland (3-21, 2-16 GPAC) will look to bounce back next week with a road contest at Mount Marty (12-12, 7-11 GPAC). The Warriors travel to Yankton, S.D., to take on the Lancers on Feb. 11. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. inside Cimpl Arena.
