SIOUX CITY, IOWA – A stifling defensive effort coupled with a red-hot field goal shooting afternoon inside Allee Gymnasium and the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center Saturday, Dec. 12, equaled an eighth straight Morningside College victory.
Head coach Jim Sykes Mustangs, continuing to pressure lone Great Plains Athletic Conference unbeaten Dakota Wesleyan University, improved to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the league, upending Concordia University 86-64. The 10th straight win in the series enabled the Maroon to reach double-digit victories for a 20th successive season.
That wasnt the only piece of program history etched. Senior center Trey Brown (SR/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.), registering his 14th straight double-figure scoring contest, became the 35th member of the Mustangs 1000-point club. It was part of another workmanlike afternoon for the post standout, as he tallied 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, picked up two steals, blocked a CU shot attempt, and dished out an assist.
“Trey Brown is the epitome of Morningside,” said Sykes. “Its about the team, he doesnt care how it gets done. Weve got one goal that we want Morningside to be successful, and hes all in on that.”
Three other home team members finished the game in double-digit scoring. Senior guard Zach Imig (SR/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.) finished with 11 points and also dished out seven assists in the victory, highlighting a production that moved him within five of becoming the 15th player in program history to reach the 1,300-point mark. Sophomore guard Will Pottebaum (SO/LeMars, IA) (LeMars, Iowa) finished with 10 points, and freshman guard Aidan Vanderloo (FR/Sioux City, IA) (Sioux City, Iowa) led a well-rounded bench brigade with 10 points as well, part of 32 compiled from the reserves.
Defensively, Sykes crew held the high-flying Bulldogs 21 points below their season average. They also limited them to nine made three-point baskets and a cool 32.1 percent from outside the arc well off their 46.5 percent average.
Morningside matches up with DWU in a pivotal early-season conference battle Wednesday, Dec. 16. Game time is 8 p.m. at Allee Gymnasium inside the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center.
SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Rebounding is a good thing in-game and at the end of a game.
Head coach Jamie Sales Morningside College Mustangs had both occurrences come their way in a key Great Plains Athletic Conference battle Saturday, Dec. 12. Due to the trio of junior forwards Sophia Peppers (JR/Exira, Iowa) (Exira, Iowa) and Taylor Rodenburgh (JR/Hawarden, Iowa) (Hawarden, Iowa) and sophomore guard McKenna Sims (SO/South Sioux City, Neb.) (South Sioux City, Neb.), they out-glassed the visiting Concordia University Bulldogs 36-27. With that stat in tow, the Maroon managed to rebound from a tough last-second loss to crosstown league rival Briar Cliff University on Dec. 9 by rolling past the four-time defending league victors 86-67 in front of a happy home crowd at Allee Gymnasium and the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center.
Statistically, the beat continued for Peppers.
Msides standout inside-out player put up her fifth straight 20-point-plus game. Guiding three Mustangs in double figures, the reigning conference Player of the Week went nine-of-13 from the field (69.2 percent clip, was a perfect five-for-five at the free-throw line, and canned one of two three-point attempts for a 24-point outing. That effort coupled with senior guard Sierra Mitchell (SR/Pleasant Hill, Iowa) (Pleasant Hill, Iowa), who hit five three-pointers en route to 21 points and a 10-point afternoon from freshman post player Chloe Lofstrom (FR/Armstrong, Iowa) (Armstrong, Iowa), helped lift the home team. Their play was just part of the story that led Morningside to improve their record to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference, though. Rodenburgh added a balanced seven-point, seven-rebound, four-assist contest; Sims added six points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals; and senior guard Grace Meyer (SR/Pomeroy, Iowa) (Pomeroy, Iowa) ended with six points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, too.
The Mustangs conclude their pre-Christmas home slate Wednesday, Dec. 16. Tip-off against Dakota Wesleyan University is 6 p.m.
