CRETE, Neb. – Midland University took to the dark-hued court inside the Haddix Center on Saturday as they faced Doane University for the second time this season. Tied with less than 20 seconds on the clock, the Warriors moved in front with a pair of free throws. With seven seconds, the Tigers drove the sideline and hit a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer to steal the win at home, 70-69. Midland’s record dips to 9-14 overall and 3-12 in the conference while Doane’s progresses to 9-13 overall and 6-8 in the GPAC.
At the 11:46 mark in the second half, both teams had amassed 44 points apiece. The Tigers responded with an 8-0 run off a layup and two three-pointers from behind the arc. After trading a couple more baskets, Emanuel Bryson and Ryan Larsen sparked an 11-5 run to bring the Warriors within one of Doane.
Trailing by three, 63-60, Colton Uhing drained an assisted three-point bucket from Larsen. Jake Rueschhoff kissed a layup off the glass on the next possession to give MU the lead with under two minutes to go.
The Tigers responded with a jumper of their own. The Warriors looked to feed the hot hand of Bryson, who started the half with a pair of buckets. The veteran guard drove into the lane like a laser, adding two more points to his bucket list with 43 seconds on the game clock.
Doane got a jumper on their next trip, retying the game at 67. Bryson earned two more free throws, going 2-for-2, giving the Warriors the advantage once again. With seven seconds left after the second free throw, the Tigers drove down and hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
Bryson controlled the lane, scoring a team-high 19 points on the night. Orr warranted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Rueschhoff pushed his way into double figures earning 10 points as he moves closer to joining the 1,000-point club.
“It’s tough winning on the road,” said head coach Tyler Erwin. “We didn’t play our best but had a chance to beat a really good team. I thought we defended it well (last play). [Brady] Timm made a tough contested shot to beat us. I liked our fight. We battled back a few different times and made some really good plays down the stretch. We just needed one more stop.”
Midland (9-13, 6-8 GPAC) will come home as they seek to avenge a loss to Concordia (13-9, 8-7 GPAC) back in November. The Warriors and Bulldogs will tip off at 7:45 p.m. on February 1 inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont.
CRETE, Neb – Midland University went on the road to take on Doane University in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup on a Saturday afternoon. After a closely contested first half, the Tigers handed a tough loss to the Warriors, 69-41. With the results, Midland drops to 3-18 overall and 1-14 in the conference. Doane improves their record to 13-9 overall and 7-9 in the GPAC.
The Tigers took an early advantage, opening up the game with a 7-0 run. Sarah Shepard broke the scoreless start for the Warriors with a free throw nearly three minutes into the game. That point got them going as they rallied by to take the lead, 11-10, after a layup by Emma Shepard with 1:38 on the first quarter clock. Midland would take a 13-12 in the quarter break.
Doane opened up the second with a three-pointer to put them back on top. After Lexi Kraft fired back with a layup to tie the score, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run and never looked back. They limited the Warriors to just five points in the quarter as they took a 27-18 lead into halftime.
After the intermission, Kraft attempted to get the Warriors going but the Tigers matched every score as the teams traded baskets early on in the third. As Midland’s shots began to miss, Doane rallied with a 9-0 run which expanded their lead to double digits, 39-24. Rubie Klausen broke the Warriors’ five-plus scoreless minutes with a layup. Both teams struggled to find points in the final two minutes as the Tigers took a 43-29 lead into the final quarter.
Their lead continued to grow as the Warriors’ shot attempts remained off-target. The margin reached 20 at the midway point and Doane cruised their way to the 69-41 home win.
Sarah Shepard was the lone player in double figures for Midland. She finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and added a team-high 7 rebounds in 27 minutes. Emma Shepard was the next-highest scorer with nine points off the bench.
As a team, Midland shot 12-for-55 (27.3%) from the field while Doane was 28-for-75 (37.3%). Behind the arc, the Warriors connected on just one three-pointer in 16 attempts (6.3%). Doane was 8-for-34 (23.5%) from distance and forced 14 turnovers that translated to 15 points.
Midland (3-18, 1-14 GPAC) will return home to host Concordia (14-7, 11-5 GPAC) inside Wikert Event Center on Wednesday night. The matchup is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. on February 1 in Fremont.
