Championship Clincher - Mustangs go back-to-back atop GPAC

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – An across the board, steady effort lifted National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Division II second-ranked Morningside College to a ninth straight victory Wednesday, Feb. 6.

A 79-64 decision against visiting the Concordia University of Nebraska moved the Mustangs to 23-1 overall and 16-1 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. However, there was much more to the win, as shortly after a happy Allee Gymnasium and Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center crowd dispersed for the evening, head coach Jim Sykes and assistant coach Trent Miller received more good news as Dordt College dispatched of second place the University of Jamestown, sending the Jimmies three and a half back and locking up the program's second successive and sixth overall league championship.

Cinching the fact that the road to the loop's postseason tournament title in large part has to run through its home court, Morningside enabled the possibility with a red-hot 60 percent effort from the field overall while surrendering only nine turnovers. Sykes' squad trailed only 3-2 and 5-4 early before a driving lay-up by sophomore guard Zach Imig (SO/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.) at the 16:16 mark opened up a 20-4 run that the home team didn't look back from.

Junior center Tyler Borchers (JR/Le Mars, IA ) (LeMars, Iowa) guided the charge, tallying 26 points, good for his 12^th successive double-figure scoring contest and a single-season high. His story didn't stop there, as he also blocked three Bulldog shot attempts, grabbed six rebounds, dished out two assists and picked off two steals. Sophomore guard Zach Imig (Gretna, Neb.) added 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Other top-notch digits came from junior guard Alex Borchers (JR/South Sioux City, NE ) (South Sioux City, Neb.) (six assists) and sophomore center Trey Brown (SO/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.) (seven rebounds).

Mside wraps up its regular season home slate Saturday, Feb. 9. Briar Cliff University comes to Allee Gymnasium for a 4 p.m. tip-off as part of Senior Day 2019.

NOTES: Tyler Borchers moved into 13^th on the program's all-time scoring list (1,268 points) … Morningside's championship marked the second time the school has reeled off back-to-back GPAC crowns, adding to the 2007-08 and 2008-09 team feats. It's the Mustangs fourth loop title since 2009.