By Jesus Jimenez — The Morningside basketball teams concluded their regular season at home with big wins on Senior Day, as both the men’s and women’s teams defeated Briar Cliff Saturday, Feb. 22.
The women’s team achieved an upset against No. 5 Briar Cliff, winning 76-74 in their final home game. The men’s team followed with a strong second-half comeback, defeating the Chargers 88-81.
Women Achieve Remarkable Upset
The Mustangs (12-14, 10-10 GPAC) entered the game as underdogs but played tough defense to secure the victory.
“We were intense the whole time defensively,” said head coach Jamie Sale.
Alexis Spier made a crucial free throw with 6:57 remaining, putting Morningside in the lead. The Mustangs established a seven-point lead late in the game; however, Briar Cliff made a comeback attempt to reclaim the lead.
That was until Lily Vollertsen blocked the final shot to secure the victory.
“I’m really happy that this is the memory I get to take away in my last game of the season,” said Spier, who led the team with 19 points. “This is huge for us going into the (GPAC) Tournament. We’re going to play that team again, and it’s great knowing we can beat Briar Cliff.”
Vollertsen recorded a double-double, contributing 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Jordyn Carr added 10 points and five assists. Coming off the bench, Tonja Heirigs made three 3-pointers and finished with a total of 11 points.
Before the game, seniors Spier, Chaise Pfanstiel, and Baylie Girres, along with student assistant coach Maddie Craighead, were honored.
Pfanstiel recorded six points, five rebounds, and three assists. Although Girres did not participate in this game, she recently achieved a season-high of eight points.
“Our seniors have meant everything to our program,” Sale stated.
Morningside is the No. 6 seed in the GPAC Tournament and will face Briar Cliff again at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Men Return to Defeat Briar Cliff
After the women’s team secured a victory, the men’s team followed up with a hard-fought 88-81 win against Briar Cliff.
“I think it’s a pretty good example of what these seniors mean to us,” head coach Trent Miller said. “They’ve been through a lot together.”
The Mustangs (20-8, 14-6 GPAC) trailed by 11 points early in the second half but refused to give up. Joey Skoff made a crucial three-pointer that put just over two minutes left to give Morningside the lead.
“It’s a shot we work on every day in practice,” Skoff said.
Skoff, Morningside’s all-time leading scorer, recorded 31 points and made key free throws at the end to secure the victory.
Justin Sitti sealed the victory with a dunk in the final seconds.
Daniel Brocaille recorded 15 points and nine rebounds, while Brendan Buckley contributed 14 points and five assists.
The Mustangs honored seniors Ethan Alfers, Brendan Buckley, Charlie Fletcher, Tyson Gordon, Dylan Johnson, Sitti, Skoff, Aidan Vanderloo, and Aiden Westra before the game.
“It’s a special group,” Miller said.
Morningside will now play Dakota Wesleyan at home in the first round of the GPAC Tournament at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Senior Day Ends on a High Note
With both teams getting wins over Briar Cliff, Morningside finished its home season. Now, both men’s and women’s teams will try to carry that momentum into the GPAC Tournament.
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