Mustangs cruise in Classic opener

FREMONT, NEB. – Morningside College put six players in double figures Saturday, Nov. 24, leading the way in a clash of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' preseason top 15 squads.

The Mustangs ran their perfect 2018-19 start to 6-0 and regular season win streak to 13 with a resounding 97-75 triumph in the opening game of Midland University's Draemel Classic. Trailing No. 14-ranked Bellevue University 9-8 less than four minutes in, head coach Jim Sykes' crew roared out on a game-deciding 35-12 run to hold a 21-point lead and didn't look back.

Junior forward/center Tyler Borchers (JR/Le Mars, IA ) (LeMars, Iowa) spearheaded the attack, tallying 20 points on 10-of-12 field goal shooting. He also proved key on the ball-handling side of things, dishing out six assists and picking up two steals to go with five rebounds. Junior guard Matt Hahn (JR/Fremont, NE ) (Fremont, Neb.) finished with 19 points, due to going a perfect five-for-five from outside the arc, and grabbed seven rebounds; senior guard Brody Egger (SR/Urbandale, IA) (Urbandale, Iowa) tracked closer to the program's career scoring first 10 with 13 points; and sophomore guard Zach Imig (SO/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.) rounded out the starters' quartet in double digits with 12 points. Morningside also received 10-points-or-more outings from its bench, as sophomore center Trey Brown (SO/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.) (11) and sophomore forward/center Jeff Widhelm (SO/Valley, NE ) (Valley, Neb.) (10) finished in the territory.

The Mustangs conclude their two-day Classic schedule Sunday, Nov. 25. Tip-off time is 1 p.m. against Dakota State University.