Mustang
BASKETBALL SATURDAY, DEC. 4
The pre-Christmas home portion of Morningside University’s 2021-22 men’s and women’s basketball seasons wraps up this evening, with Mount Marty University being a guest of the Mustangs. Mside’s week started with a Great Plains Athletic Conference sweep of Concordia on Dec. 1. MMU split a road twin-bill at Midland University, with their women snapping a seven-game skid to highlight the outcomes.
THE MATCH-UP Head coach Jamie Sale’s program has won 16 of the last 18 versus the Lancers as part of a 45-11-2 all-time advantage. Head coach Trent Miller’s men’s program has claimed 21 of the previous 22 to highlight a 30-5 historical lead. However, the Lancers did pick up a 76-73 victory in the most recent outing, knocking the Mustangs out of the 2021 GPAC postseason tournament.
THE MATCH-UP Morningside’s women have three team statistical categories ranked among the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ top 10. They have the secondhighest assist-per-game mark (21.6), rank sixth in made three-pointers per contest (10.1), and stand eighth in free throw percentage (79.3). Individually, senior forward Taylor Rodenburgh continues to be part of the first 50 from outside the arc (25 of 44 – No. 29/56.8 percent – No. 18). Fellow forward and Class of 2022 teammate Sophia Peppers has a similar residence regarding free throw accuracy (88.9 percent – No. 34). On the men’s side of the ledger, Miller’s crew is among the first 30 nationally in field goals made per outing (32.1 – No. 27) and three-point field goal accuracy (38.5 – No. 22). Individually, senior center Trey Brown’s ten boards per game average ranks 20th. The men’s and women’s 2021-22 teams earned top 20 spots on the second national top 25s, released on Dec. 1. The men climbed four spots to No. 18 with 259 poll points. With a two-slot move, the women’s squad returned to the first ten at No. 10. The Mustangs picked up 399 poll points. Morningside tallied 10 of the final 13 points on Dec. 1 to pick up a critical earlyseason GPAC decision. Battling second-place Concordia University, the lone league unbeaten managed to turn back a 34-16 second-half spree by the Bulldogs that enabled the visitors to edge out to as large as a five-point advantage (74-69) in the closing moments on the Allee Gymnasium floor of the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center. Sophomore guard Joey Skoff scored six points, featuring a clutch four-for-four outing at the charity stripe. At the same time, Brown hit two buckets, including the eventual game-winner with two and a half seconds left, to guide the comeback that led to a 79-77 victory. Brown’s late-game resume was part of a stout 20-point, eight-rebound, two-assist, two-steal night. Skoff added his name to the double-figure register with 10. Junior guard Will Pottebaum and senior
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