Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. — Midland University hosted Briar Cliff University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference game Saturday night, honoring its three seniors before tipoff. The Warriors earned a hard-fought win over the Chargers.
Briar Cliff opened the game at the free-throw line with two made shots before Nick Dolezalresponded with a layup to get the Warriors on the board. The Chargers quickly hit a 3-pointer, but Butch Lordeus answered with one of his own as the back-and-forth battle began early.
Midland called a timeout trailing by one. After the break, Lordeus and Petersen each made two free throws to push Midland in front 13-10. The Chargers responded with a layup and two free throws to retake the lead at 14-13 before Petersen answered with a layup. Anthony Simon and Jake Orr then combined for a 4-0 run to give Midland a 21-18 lead, prompting another timeout.
Following the break, the Chargers hit a 3-pointer, and Orr answered with one as well. After a Briar Cliff layup, the Warriors went on a 6-0 run, including a layup and two free throws by Dolezal and a jumper by Orr, to push the lead to 30-23.
Two consecutive 3-pointers by the Chargers cut the lead to one before Dolezal scored on a layup to make it 32-29. Midland took a timeout.
After the break, Briar Cliff made two free throws, and Petersen answered with a basket as the back-and-forth action continued. Midland took another timeout heading into the final minute of the half trailing 38-36.
A 3-pointer in the final four seconds by Dylan Simons sent the Warriors into the locker room with a 39-38 lead.
During intermission, Midland recognized Clarence Brei on his 100th birthday. Brei began his career at Midland in 1956 and served as superintendent of maintenance.
Briar Cliff opened the second half with a basket to take a 40-39 lead before Lordeus tied the game at the free-throw line. Back-to-back baskets by Dolezal and Orr gave Midland a 44-40 advantage as both teams began trading baskets. Midland later took a timeout.
After the break, Lordeus and Dolezal sparked a 4-0 run before the Chargers answered with a 4-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to one. Lordeus then kickstarted a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 58-51.
Briar Cliff responded with a 4-0 run, prompting another Midland timeout. After the break, Simon and Simons combined for a 5-0 run to make it 63-56, leading Briar Cliff to call a timeout.
The Chargers answered with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 65-65. Midland responded as Dolezal scored on a layup to start a 5-1 run, pushing the Warriors ahead 70-66.
Both teams traded free throws down the stretch before Briar Cliff hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to two. Lordeus made one free throw and McCain added two to extend the lead to 77-72.
The Chargers hit another 3-pointer with six seconds remaining, and Midland took a timeout. The Warriors sealed the game at the free-throw line as McCain made both attempts to secure the hard-fought Senior Day victory.
Midland shot 27-of-56 (48.2%), while Briar Cliff finished 26-of-55 (47.3%). The Warriors also held a 39-28 rebounding advantage.
Nick Dolezal led Midland with 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Jake Orr followed with 17 points, Butch Lordeus added 16, and Anthony Simon finished with 10.
“Obviously for the seniors — myself, Jake and Isaiah — this game meant a little more than most,” Dolezal said. “You saw the way the team came together. That’s a testament to who we are, the brotherhood we have and the love we have for each other. This has been such an amazing journey, and we’re blessed to have such a huge family and support system.”
“Just striving for that consistency, and that was kind of part of my message after Hastings. We just played so well at Morningside and did not play well at Hastings. It’s that consistency we’ve been looking for. First half we did some good things, second half we did some good things, everyone contributed, and that’s the consistency we go back to.
Isaiah Smith doesn’t get enough credit. He’s had some limited minutes, but Isaiah runs our scout team and runs our gray team, and he’s been kind of sick like the majority of our team, but he’s a quality teammate, and he’s been tremendous in the locker room and in the classroom, and he brings a level of toughness in practice that no one sees.
Nick had a career day. He is bought in all ways, shape, and form, and you know Nick had half the town of North Bend here, and he just is never a dull moment. Nick’s progress has been just so different. He’s bought into JV, his role, and I don’t think he’s shot a three-point shot his whole college career, and he’s bought into that. He’s played to his strengths, and he plays with an extremely high IQ, and he got the hard hat for all the blue-collar work during tonight’s game.
Everyone knows Jake. I go anywhere within a 200-mile radius and everyone knows him and asks if we still have him. He has been our workhorse, for four years, and he’s logged a lot of minutes and scored a lot of points and a lot of rebounds, and he’s not done. He brings a level of toughness and is fun to watch — a competitor — and the other night I played him 40 minutes and 36 tonight, and he’s looking at me sideways like, ‘Hey coach, I am ready.’ Getting a little emotional, they have meant so much, and we are not done, but they have meant so much. Great to see all the family and friends here tonight.”
Midland (11-14, 7-10 GPAC) will travel to Yankton, South Dakota to face Mount Marty (11-11, 10-7 GPAC) in a Great Plains Athletic Conference game on Wednesday, February 11th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.
