December 18, 2019

Photos credit by Karen Giles

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Morningside (Iowa), who is the current top-ranked team in the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, missed only 17 baskets Wednesday evening, cruising past Dakota State (S.D.) 101-45 in a non-conference contest at RVSC-Allee Gym.  After a closely-tight contest through the first 11 minutes of the game, the Mustangs closed the first half with a 23-6 outburst and never looked back.

Dakota State fell to 3-10 overall record.  Morningside, a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, remained undefeated in 13 games this season (13-0 overall record).

The Trojans await until Saturday, Dec. 28 for their next contest, staying on the road to face another GPAC conference.  DSU visits Jamestown (N.D.) with a 7 p.m. tip-off at Newman Center.

(1) Morningside (Iowa) 101, Dakota State (S.D.) 45 - FINAL

• Dakota State and Morningside recorded three ties and three lead changes in the early going of the game.  The score was knotted at 14-14 (third tie of the game) after a basket by Anthony Costello with 10:15 left in the first-half.
• Leading 25-20, the Mustangs used a 14-0 scoring surge to widen their lead to 39-20 with 2:48 remaining.  The Trojans were scoreless for nearly four minutes, halting their scoring drought after a field goal by Cole Bruhn with 2:48 remaining in the first-half (DSU trailed 39-22).
• Morningside earned a 44-24 halftime advantage, thanks to their sizzling 63.3 percent shooting from the field (19-of-30 field goals).  The Trojans were held to 11-of-30 field goals (36.7 percent) in the first twenty minutes of the game.
• MC continued its scoring outburst, kicking off the second-half by scoring 17 straight points to balloon their lead to 61-24 with 14:41 remaining.
• DSU halted their scoring drought with a basket by Brady Van Holland (assisted by Josh McGreal) with 14:19 left (Trojans trailed 61-26).
• Morningside outscored Dakota State 57-21 after shooting a blazing 79.3 percent from the field (23-of-29 field goals) in the second-half.  The Trojans were held to 34.6 percent from the field (9-of-26 field goals).
• Van Holland led DSU with 14 points.  He also had four rebounds.  Costello added 10 points and three rebounds.  Gare Ewefada tallied eight points.  Gavin Schipper scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds.  McGreal had three rebounds and a steal. 
• Ewefada, Schiper and McGreal each dished out two assists for the Trojans.  Schipper stole the ball twice.
• Four MC players hit double-digits in scoring, led by Tyler Borchers with 19 points (8-of-10 field goals).  Trey Brown added 14 points off the bench.  Alex Borchers and Trey Powers each tallied 12 points.
• Zach Imig pulled down five rebounds and dished out four assists for the Mustangs.  Alex Borchers had five assists and four rebounds. 
• Morningside was red-hot from the field, shooting 42-of-59 overall from the field in the game (71.2 percent).  Dakota State was limited to 35.7 percent from the field (20-of-56 field goals).  MC was 11-of-20 from the 3-point line (55 percent), while DSU was 5-of-19 3-pointers (26.3 percent).
• The Mustangs outrebounded the Trojans 38-17 in the game. 

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director