MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE GA M E DAY - JA N UA RY 23 , 20 21
MUSTANG BASKETBALL
The final set of January home contests for Morningside College opens this afternoon. Midland University wraps up its season series against the Mustangs with a trip northeast to Allee Gymnasium in the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center. The first time the two Great Plains Athletic Conference sides met up, Mside took a sweep of the Warriors on their home floor in Fremont, Neb., winning a pair of tightly-contested battles 84-77 in the women’s clash and 77-73 in the men’s game.
THE MATCH- UP The all-time series between Midland and Morningside’s men has been back-and-forth except for the Mustangs’ current eight-game win string. Jim Sykes’ program holds a 16-11 edge due to that. Mside’s women have captured three of the last five and 19 of 24 all-time against the Warriors. A year ago, both teams won on the other’s home court. Head coach Jamie Sale’s women’s team, sporting a 16-2 overall and 14-1 conference record, harbors a 10-game win streak going into today’s outing. That run of positives has led them to a three-and-a-half game edge on Briar Cliff University and Concordia University on the GPAC standings. It’s also seen on their rankings regarding National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ statistics.
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
MIDLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN NO.
NAME
YR.
POS.
HT.
0 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 22 23 25 32 33 34 35
Tamera Alexander Makenna Sullivan Kara Jennings Peyton Wingert Hannah Madison Lexi Kraft Kennedy Darner Meagan Kinney Carissa Wilson Haley Weimer Payton Jakopovic Frankie Klausen Tamia Alexander Taylor Houska Emma Shepard Lexis Haase Sam Shepard Asia Bryant Erin Prusa Katy Gathje
Fr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Jr. Fr. So. Sr.
G G/F G G G G G G F/G G G G G G G G G F F F
5-6 5-11 5-7 5-11 5-11 5-5 5-10 5-4 5-10 5-3 5-4 5-7 5-7 5-6 5-8 5-9 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-0
HOMETOWN/ PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Breaux Bridge, La./Breaux Bridge Lincoln, Neb./Norris Omaha, Neb./Concordia Dakota Dunes, S.D/Dakota Valley Omaha, Neb./Bellevue East Omaha, Neb./Millard North Omaha, Neb./Millard West Port Mansfield, Texas/San Perlita Gretna, Neb./Gretna Granby, Colo./Middle Park Elkhorn, Neb./Elkhorn Wayne, Neb./Wayne Breaux Bridge, La./Breaux Bridge Sac City, Iowa/East Sac County Fremont, Neb./Fremont West Point, Neb./Guardian Angels Central Catholic Fremont, Neb./Fremont Omaha, Neb./Millard North Howells, Neb./Howells-Dodge Central City, Neb./Central City
Head coach: Shawn Gilbert Assistant Coach: Kasi Stoltz
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MORNINGSIDE MUSTANG MEN NO.
NAME
YR.
POS.
HT.
HOMETOWN/ PREVIOUS SCHOOL
2 3 5 12 14 20 21 22 24 30 32 33 34 44 50
Jack Dotzler Trey Powers Tyler Vavrina Zach Imig Will Pottebaum Conner Hill Joey Skoff Aidan Vanderloo Collin Hill Zach Martinek Trey Brown Ely Doble TJ Schnurr Will Hurd Jacob Fierst
Fr. So. So. Sr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. So. Jr. So.
PG SF G G G PG G G F G C PF/C F C F/C
5-10 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-6 7-0 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 Jewell, Iowa/Truman State Uni. Sheffield, Iowa/West Fork Gretna, Neb./Gretna Gretna, Neb./Gretna Algona, Iowa/Bishop Garrigan Nemaha, Iowa/Storm Lake St. Mary’s 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
MIDLAND UNIVERSITY MEN NO.
NAME
YR.
POS.
HT.
HOMETOWN/ PREVIOUS SCHOOL
0 1 2 3 4 5 10 12 14 15 20 21 22 23 24 33
Kyle Castille Tanner DeKock PJ Brinkman Emanuel Bryson Ahmad Pierce Jake Rueschhoff Isaiah Sobers Dominic Shaw Teagan Ahrens Arturo Montes Samuel Mailloux Colby Tichota Bo Sandquist Rayshon Hovaldt Laurence Merritt Josh Lambert
Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. So. Fr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr.
F G C G F G G G G F F F G G G C
6-4 5-10 6-6 5-9 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-6 6-5 6-3 5-10 6-8
San Antonio, Tex./William J. Brennan Oskaloosa, Iowa/Oskaloosa Chula Vista, Calif./Otay Ranch Grovetown, Ga./Grovetown Copperas Cove, Tex./Copperas Cove Omaha, Neb./Millard North Copperas Cove, Tex./Copperas Cove Hollywood, Fla./McArthur Wahoo, Neb./Bishop Neumann Chihuahua, Mexico/Grand View Christian School Pender, Neb./Pender Yutan, Neb./Yutan Johnston, Iowa/Johnston Omaha, Neb./Platteview Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick Auburn, Neb./Auburn
Head coach: Oliver Drake Assistant coaches: Cam Schuknecht, Paul Blackburn
The Morningside College experience cultivates a passion for lifelong learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.
The Mustangs have four categories listed among the first five on the team side. They are first in steals (244), third in assists (312), and made three-point baskets (184), and fifth in total points (1,428). Individually, senior guard Sierra Mitchell is the national leader in three-pointers (69) and is third in scoring (314 points), and made treys per appearance (3.833). Junior forward Sophia Peppers isn’t far off the top five points, either, as her 287 are seventh-highest. Mitchell can hit a pair of significant milestones this afternoon. She’s eight points from becoming the seventh player in school history to reach 1800 and can pass former standout Dani Gass (2005-09) for sixth on the all-time points list with 11-or-more. Mitchell edges closer and closer towards former long-range shooting threat Madison Braun’s (2014-18) all-time made three-point record of 380, as she enters the afternoon with 372. Peppers also has a personal road marker in front of her. She can reach 900 career points with six-or-more today. Morningside’s men, winners of six straight, also bring in a 16-2 overall record and stand 12-2 in league play. They have a game-and-a-half lead on Dakota Wesleyan University on the loop charts, with the University of Jamestown just two-and-a-half back in third. Senior center Trey Brown continues to be the talk of the conference, region, and, in some aspects, the nation. He’s run off seven straight double-doubles, which have led him to sit third in rebounds (194) and 10th in rebounds per game (10.778) on the NAIA numbers. A current stretch of 21 double-figure scoring outputs in a row has moved him into the program’s all-time scoring top 25 (1,138). Fellow Gretna, Neb., native Zach Imig has continued to climb that same points’ listing. He leapfrogged former teammate Alex Borchers (2016-20) in Wednesday’s win at Dordt for the No. 11 slot. On the national team numbers, Sykes’ crew has three first ten memberships on the boards. Their 28.556 rebounds per game allowed are fourth-fewest allowed, and the plus 12.722 rebounds per outing margin they harbor is fifth-best. The Mustangs’ 743 total caroms are sixth-most..
ABOUT MIDLAND The upperclassman guard combination of senior Laurence Merritt and junior Bo Sandquist is one of the most GPAC’s most prolific in regards to long-range shooting, each hitting 42 three-pointers. Due to that display, they ranked first and third in scoring for head coach Oliver Drake’s team (4-12 overall, 2-11 GPAC). Merritt averages 14.3 points per contest, with Sandquist at 10.5 ppg. Freshman center Josh Lambert, who joins Sandquist to form the top two rebounders for Midland, is second scoring-wise (11.2 ppg). Head coach Shawn Gilbert’s MU women’s side has won five of its last seven and are hovering in the conference’s middle of the pack at 12-7 overall and 9-7 in the league. Junior guard Lexis Haase is the points’ caravan leader (12.1 pg), with fellow junior guard Peyton Wingert close behind (11.9 ppg). They’ve combined to hit better than 50 percent of the team’s three-pointers (61). The senior inside duo of Makenna Sullivan and Kathy Gathje has been a challenge for the opposition, each having blocked 10-or-more shots and averaging six-or-more rebounds per game.