by Abby Koch–The Mustangs were looking for a return to the win column after losing to University of Jamestown recently. The Mount Marty Lancers were on the hunt to cause a GPAC upset and secure their spot in conference standings.
Laddie E. Cimpl Arena, the home court of the Lancers, was the stage to see which team would come out top for the Jan. 30 contest. The Lancers had lost 68-58 to the Mustangs at Allee Gymnasium early in the season.
Head Coach Todd Lorensen’s Lancer squad was coming off a close 79-78 win against the Midland University Warriors, giving them an 8-14 record. Much of the game had the Lancers and Warriors keeping within a point or two of each other. The Lancers had also pulled off an 80-79 victory over Jamestown Dec. 5, a team the Mustangs did not defeat in the regular season.
The Mustangs lost to University of Jamestown 76-67 on their home court on Jan. 27. With hopes of turning things around and correcting mistakes, the Mustang men were hoping to build a winning momentum before the end of the regular season.
The Mustangs would achieve that goal with a 78-71 win against the Lancers on Jan. 30.
Junior Collin Hill’s layup and senior Zach Imig’s jumpshot established a 4-0 lead for the Mustangs within the first few minutes. Lancer senior Jailen Billings sparked an offensive push by making a three pointer from the corner.
Morningside’s senior Trey Brown’s foul at 17:44 marked the beginning of a short scoring spree ny Lancer sophomore Luke Ronsiek. Ronsiek would make two free throws and two three pointers, and with senior Tyrell Harper’s free throws, gave the Lancers a 13-9 lead.
“[Mount Marty is] a lot better than what their record shows,” said Morningside Head Coach Jim Sykes to KMNS. “On a day when everybody’s clicking, it’s going to be a scary day for them. They were able to beat Jamestown here, something we weren’t able to do. We’ve just got to make sure we’re locked in on both ends of the floor.”
The Lancers maintained their lead over the Mustangs until 5:20 left in the first half. Imig’s short pass to freshman Ely Doble led to a layup to even the score 22-22. Fellow Mustang freshman Joey Skoff drove in for two points, establishing the maroon–clad squad their lead for the rest of the game.
Before the end of the half, the Mustangs built their lead to 39-30. Freshman Aidan Vanderloo would lead the Mustangs in scoring with 9 points. The Lancers only saw scoring from Billings, Ronsiek, and Harper during the first half.
The Lancers entered the second half with three-point shots from Billings and senior Elijah Pappas, making the score 43-36. Mustangs were able to make a few layups, making the score 51-40 at 14:51, before the Lancers started putting on some pressure.
Brown tried to go for a layup but was stopped by Lancer junior Chad Moran, who took it back for two, making the score 51-45 at 13:29. Pappas scored a layup for the Lancers, making it 51-47, after Imig missed a shot for two. Lancer fans vocalized their support for the back to back scoring.
“Mount Marty worked their tails off. They came and they wanted this, and it was theirs,” said Sykes to KMNS about the 16 Mustang turnovers. “They made a couple runs that were pretty impressive and we just couldn’t help ourselves.”
The Mustangs answered back with scoring of their own, building a 68-57 lead at 4:26. Their 11-point lead would be brought down to a 3-point lead by the Lancers at 0:14 with a score of 74-71.
Lancer fpulss in the last few seconds allowed Brown to score on free throws and secure the Mustangs a 78-71 win.
Imig led the Mustangs in scoring with 19 points, paired with his eight rebounds and five assists. Brown collected a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Vanderloo proved his abilities by scoring 14 points.
“[Vanderloo] spends a lot of time in the gym and if he can get to a spot, he’s going to rise up and shoot it,” said Sykes to KMNS “The kid can jump pretty well for his size and he just elevates. He’s got such a nice touch and follow through, and that just comes from reps.”
The Lancers’ Harper led with a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Billings was second in scoring with 21 points.
Coach Lorensen’s team is now 5-13 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). The Lancers now are in a conference battle for eighth place. They will be on the road to face Hastings College on Feb. 3.
The Mustangs are now 14-3 in the GPAC with a one–game lead over second place Dakota Wesleyan University. Their lead in the conference will be put to the test when they travel to the Corn Palace to face Dakota Wesleyan University on Feb. 3.
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