FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University men’s basketball team was back inside Wikert Event Center on Wednesday night as they competed in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup versus Concordia University. The Warriors were defeated in yet another tight contest, falling 92-87 to the Bulldogs.
The loss brings Midland’s record to 14-12 on the season, 5-11 in the conference, and extends their losing streak to eight games. The losing has not been for a lack of effort as the Warriors have lost four of the eight games by two possessions or less.
Wednesday saw a familiar script as the Warriors clawed back into the game late. After falling behind by 18 points midway through the second half, Midland rallied to within five points with 31 seconds left to play. A 10-0 run that featured four different Warriors scoring made for intense action down the stretch.
As the gap narrowed to 92-87 with under a minute left, the Warriors needed a defensive stop to keep their hopes of tying or winning the game alive. Their full-court press was executed perfectly and they forced the Bulldogs’ veteran guard Kent Carter into a crucial turnover with 31 seconds left.
With momentum on their side, the Warriors inbounded the ball and tried to find the best open look, but were unsuccessful. Laurence Merritt had to attempt a contested jump shot that didn’t fall and a Bulldogs rebound, and ensuing foul sent them to the free-throw line. However, the Bulldogs came up empty on both free throw attempts. The Warriors raced down the court to attempt to cut the lead to one possession but a Ryan Larsen three-point attempt was just off target, sealing the Bulldogs’ 92-87 victory.
Five Warriors scored in the double-digits, led by Bo Sandquist who scored 20 points and connected on three triples. Jack Cooper dropped a career-high 14 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting night. Rounding out the quartet were Larsen (13), Merritt (11), and Emanuel Bryson (11).
Next up for Midland (14-12, 5-11 GPAC) is a trip to face (RV) Jamestown (20-6, 10-6 GPAC) on Saturday, February 5. Tip-off is set for 3:45 p.m. at Harold Newman Arena in Jamestown, North Dakota.
FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University women’s basketball team hosted No. 23 Concordia University on Wednesday night to complete the regular-season series between the two schools. The Warriors failed to earn the season split as they lost to the Bulldogs inside Wikert Event Center, 101-57. Midland drops to 8-16 overall and 4-13 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), while the Bulldogs improve to 13-10 overall and 10-7 in the conference.
The Warriors opened their offense in the first quarter with a pair of three-pointers by Erin Prusa and Lexi Kraft to bring the score 7-6 in the early stages of the game. They finished the period 5-of-9 from behind the arc with the starters sharing shots behind the line. Concordia’ Taysha Rushton matched her season average in the opening period with 17 points, propelling the Bulldogs to a 29-19 lead after 10 minutes.
The Bulldogs went on a 14-1 run early in the second quarter which gave them their largest lead of the half (25) with 4:13 on the second-quarter clock. Peyton Wingert did her best to narrow the gap as she scored seven straight points for the Warriors over the last four minutes of the quarter, which brought the halftime score to 51-31.
Concordia opened the third with a 25-5 run to begin the third quarter, putting the Warriors in a deep hole, 76-36, with 2:26 left in the period. Turnovers and points off the bench sparked another Bulldogs’ run in the fourth quarter, leading to the final score of 101-57.
Wingert and Prusa led the way for the Warriors with 14 points each while Emma Shepard tallied 10 points to join them in double figures. Wingert completed her night with 10 rebounds, giving her another double-double for the year.
Midland (8-16, 4-13 GPAC) will make the trip north to take on Jamestown (16-9, 9-8 GPAC) this Saturday. The Warriors will tip-off against the Jimmies on February 5 at 2:00 p.m. at Harold Newman Arena in Jamestown, North Dakota. Midland will look to sweep the series as they defeated Jamestown earlier this season.
