MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE GA M E DAY - D E C E M B E R 1 6, 2 0 2 0
MUSTANG BASKETBALL though. Peppers has grabbed just over six rebounds, dished out better than three-and-a-half assists, picked off nearly two-anda-half steals, and blocked one opponent shot per outing. Due to that roll, she’s among the conference’s first five in scoring (18.22 points per outing – No. 2) and field goal percentage (48.3 – 3rd) through nine contests. Senior guard Sierra Mitchell, who’s also been on a scoring bonanza of late with six consecutive double-figure totals of which four have been for 20-or-more, is first points-wise (18.67 per outing), and sophomore guard McKenna Sims is second in assists (4.44 per game).
Tonight marks the final pre-Christmas doubleheader on Morningside College’s 2020-21 schedule. Following the clash with the Tigers of Dakota Wesleyan University in Great Plains Athletic Conference action, head coach Jamie Sale’s women’s team and head coach Jim Sykes’ men’s squad are scheduled to travel to Hastings College Sunday, Dec. 20. After the weekend matinees, the Mustangs’ women’s program is back home for a New Year’s Eve make-up game against Northwestern College. At the same time, the men don’t step on the court until Saturday, Jan. 9, when they’re part of a pair of home match-ups against Hastings, which begin the second half of the league schedule.
THE MATCH- UP Dating back to the beginning of 2016-17, the women’s series has been back-and-forth. DWU holds a slim,m 6-3 margin with the two sides winning on their home floors last year. Among the more even head-to-head men’s series in Morningside history, Dakota Wesleyan enters the evening leading the Maroon 15-14 all-time. Mside’s won three of the last four. Junior forward Sophia Peppers’ run of five straight 20-pointplus contributions is part of an impressive statistical line in the span. She’s amassing 23 points per game due to hitting better than 52 percent from the field. The highlights don’t end there,
The trio’s play against Concordia University on Dec. 12 added to their merits. Peppers, guiding three Mustangs in double figures, 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 Mitchell, who hit five three-pointers en route to 21 points and a 10-point afternoon from freshman post player Chloe Lofstrom, 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 with an 86-67 decision, though. Junior forward Taylor Rodenburgh added a balanced seven-point, seven-rebound, four-assist contest; Sims finished with six points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals; and senior guard Grace Meyer ended with six points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, too.
MORNINGSIDE MUSTANG WOMEN NO.
NAME
YR.
POS.
2 4 10 11 12 13 14 15 23 24 25 30 32 33 40 44
Olivia Boudreau Sierra Mitchell Grace Meyer Madison Clayton McKenna Sims Tayte Hansen Abbe Morten Lauren Hedlund Taylor Rodenburgh Faith Meyer Sophia Peppers Alexis Spier Amanda Ward Blaire Steenhoek Sadie Roth Chloe Lofstrom Tenly Hansen
Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr Fr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. So. So. Fr. Jr.
G G G G G G G G G G F G F G/F F PF G
HT. 5-9 5-6 5-8 5-8 5-8 5-7 5-8 5-6 5-9 5-7 5-10 5-7 5-9 5-9 6-0 6-0 5-11
HOMETOWN/ PREVIOUS SCHOOL Papillion, Neb./Papillion-LaVista Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Southeast Polk Pomeroy, Iowa/Pocahontas Area Sioux City, Iowa/West South Sioux City, Neb./Illinois State Uni. York, Neb./York Hartington, Neb./Hartington-Newcastle Albion, Neb./Boone Central Hawarden, Iowa/West Sioux Pomeroy, Iowa/Pocahontas Area Exira, Iowa/Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton Gretna, Neb./Gretna Longmont, Colo./Holy Family Chariton, Iowa/Southeast Warren Sioux Falls, S.D./Harrisburg Armstrong, Iowa/North Union York, Neb./York
Head coach: Jamie Sale Assistant coaches: Jill Bodammer, Denny Lokken, Jordyn Wollenburg, Bryan Alfredson
DAKOTA WESLEYAN WOMEN NO.
NAME
POS.
YR.
HT.
HOMETOWN/ PREVIOUS SCHOOL
2 4 10 12 14 20 22 24 30 32 34 40 42 44 50 52
Kaylee Kirk Aspen Hansen Rynn Osthus Grace Imbery Mya Wilson Haidyn Pitsch Korynn Clason Haylee Mork Isabel Ihnen Sydnaya Dunn Matti Reiner Britney Lovre Anna Campbell Jada Campbell Natalie Gottlob Abbigail Magnuson
G G G G G G G G G F F G F C F F
Jr. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr.
5-5 5-10 5-9 5-10 5-3 5-5 5-10 5-6 5-7 6-2 5-10 5-6 5-11 6-4 6-0 6-1
Balaton, Minn./Tracy Area Dell Rapids, S.D./Dell Rapids De Smet, S.D./De Smet Aberdeen, S.D./Roncalli Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake Cambridge, Neb./Cambridge Aberdeen, S.D./Central Lennox, S.D./Lennox Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln Tripp, S.D./Tripp-Delmont Clear Lake, S.D./Deuel Lead, S.D./Lead-Deadwood Alexandria, S.D./Hanson Salem, S.D./McCook Central-Montrose Buxton, N.D./Central Valley
Head Coach: Jason Christensen Assistant Coaches: Celeste Beck, Taylor Vasa
#MsideProud
#RollSide
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MORNINGSIDE MUSTANG MEN NO.
NAME
YR.
POS.
HT.
HOMETOWN/ PREVIOUS SCHOOL
2 3 5 12 14 20 21 22 23 24 30 32 33 34 50
Jack Dotzler Trey Powers Tyler Vavrina Zach Imig Will Pottebaum Conner Hill Joey Skoff Aidan Vanderloo Mick Williams Collin Hill Zach Martinek Trey Brown Ely Doble TJ Schnurr Jacob Fierst
Fr. So. So. Sr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. So. So.
PG SF G G G PG G G PG F G C PF/C F F/C
5-10 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-6
Omaha, Neb./Roncalli Omaha, Neb./Gross Abie, Neb./Aquinas Catholic Gretna, Neb./Gretna LeMars, Iowa/LeMars Jewell, Iowa/South Hamilton Bellevue, Neb./East Sioux City, Iowa/Uni. of Iowa Omaha, Neb./Elkhorn South Jewell, Iowa/Truman State Uni. Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork Gretna, Neb./Gretna Gretna, Neb./Gretna Algona, Iowa/Bishop Garrigan West Allis, Wis./West Allis Central
Head coach: Jim Sykes Assistant coaches: Trent Miller, Tim Van Peursem, Trystan Cummins, John Vanderloo, Jackson Lazzo, Derek Degner
DAKOTA WESLEYAN MEN NO.
NAME
POS.
YR.
HT.
HOMETOWN/ PREVIOUS SCHOOL
1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 15 20 21 23 33 34 40 44
Koln Oppold Teegan Evers Nick Harden Bradley Dean Tait Nelson Kellen Erpenbach Tyus Arends Jared Jaros Jeffrey Schuch Mason Larson Gary White III Sawyer Schultz Ace Zorr Drew Cole Kyler Meyer Nick Wittler Kyle Menning
F F G G G G G G F F G G F F G G F
Jr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. So. So. Fr. Jr.
6-4 6-5 5-10 6-0 5-9 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-5 6-7 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-7 6-1 6-2 6-7
Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian Huron, S.D./Huron Chicago, Ill./Rich East Pierre, S.D./T.F. Riggs St. Anthony, Minn./St. Anthony Village Norwood Young America, Minn./Central Sioux Center, Iowa/Sioux Center Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln Dell Rapids, S.D./Dell Rapids Langford, S.D./Langford Area North Platte, Neb./St. Patrick’s Emery, S.D./Bridgewater-Emery Harrisburg, S.D./Harrisburg Brookings, S.D./Brookings Britton, S.D./Britton-Hecla Onida, S.D./Sully Buttes Corsica, S.D./Corsica-Stickney
Head coach: Matt Wilber Assistant coaches: Tyler Vaughn, Bobby Beach-Pattinson
C
A stifling defensive effort coupled with a red-hot field goal shooting afternoon inside Allee Gymnasium and the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center Dec. 12, equaled an eighth straight men’s victory. Continuing to pressure lone GPAC unbeaten DWU, the Maroon 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 program to reach double-digit victories for a 20th successive season. That wasn’t the only piece of program history etched. Senior center Trey Brown, registering his 14th straight double-figure scoring contest, became the 35th member of the Mustangs’ 1000-point club. It was part of another skillful 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. Three other home team members finished the game in double-digit scoring. Senior guard Zach Imig finished with 11 points and dished out seven assists, highlighting a production that moved him within five to become the 15th player in program history to reach the 1,300-point mark. Sophomore guard Will Pottebaum finished with 10 points, and freshman guard Aidan Vanderloo 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. Brown’s meteoric start to 2020-21 has caught the conference’s statistical eye. He’s within the top five of four categories. The powerhouse post is third in scoring (17.55 points per appearance), second in field goal percentage (63.3 percent), third on the boards (9.46 per game), and tied for fourth in blocked shots (one per outing). Imig, a fellow Class of 2021 member, is also in the same territory, leading the GPAC in steals (2.09 per contest). Sophomore guard Will Pottebaum continues a streak of consecutive double-digit efforts that all Mustangs fans can appreciate. He’s done so in seven straight games, averaging 14.14 points per contest over the stretch.
TIGER TALES Balance has been the key for head coach Matt Wilber’s squad to stand 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the GPAC. Senior guard Nick Harden is one of three DWU players to post 12 points or more per game, coming in at 16.8. Junior forwards Koln Oppold and Mason Larson have made things difficult in the paint, averaging 13.6 and 12.9, respectively, while accounting for more than 15 rebounds and blocking 23 shots between them. Dakota Wesleyan’s women’s team, coached by Jason Christensen, is led by freshman guard Hayden Pitsch and sophomore forward Matti Reiner. Pitsch contributes 15.8 points per game due mainly to hitting 15 three-pointers, and Reiner brings in a solid 11.7 points and seven rebounds per contest for the Tigers.