Big Man Bonanza - Borchers, Brown pace Mustangs

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Attacking the rim was the order of the day for Morningside College Saturday, Dec. 8.

Embroiled in a tense Great Plains Athletic Conference battle with a high-octane University of Jamestown team inside Allee Gymnasium, junior forward/center Tyler Borchers (JR/Le Mars, IA ) (LeMars, Iowa) and his paint area companion sophomore forward/center Trey Brown (SO/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.) proved to be a big key for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Division II second-ranked program improving to 11-0 overall and 8-0 in the conference. Borchers went 11-of-16 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists as part of a 25-point late afternoon performance. Brown was just as impressive, totaling 14 points on six-of-six field goal shooting in 10 minutes of work.

Their totals, added in double-digit numbers from the trio of sophomore guard Zach Imig (SO/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.), junior forward Matt Hahn (JR/Fremont, NE ) (Fremont, Neb.) and senior guard Brody Egger (SR/Urbandale, IA) (Urbandale, Iowa), lifted the Maroon to an 87-79 victory, marking an 18^th straight regular-season victory. Morningside scored 14 of the game's first 21 points and never trailed over the 40-minute thriller that saw the visiting Jimmies, despite falling to 11-3 overall and 5-3 in the GPAC, move to within one on several occasions but never overtake their hosts.

Imig's 14-point, eight-rebound, three-assist, two-steal effort; Hahn's 11-point game, inspired by three long three-pointers much to the delight of the partisan Mustang crowd; and Egger's 10—point resume were needed just as much as what Borchers and Brown registered at the bucket. UJ guards Jon Purintun and Terrell Alfred drained eight treys between them and combined for 52 points of which Purintun wound up with 33.

Mside steps away from GPAC competition over their next three matchups. The span begins Saturday, Dec. 15, with a rematch against Dakota State University. Tip-off time is 4 p.m. at DSU Fieldhouse in Madison, South Dakota.

Notes – Egger became the ninth scorer in school history to eclipse 1,400 points, climbing to 1,402 … Borchers advanced within range of surging up the all-time digit list, increasing his career total to 1,052, less than 25 from going from No. 29 to 26 going into the three winter break contests … The Mustangs not only kept their season record free of defeats but also their mark in the all-time series with the Jimmies, as it went to 5-0.