Strong Start - Mside begins GPAC second half in win column

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – A recent run by junior guard Zac Imig shows no signs of slowing down.

Morningside College head coach Jim Sykes, his staff and his Mustangs' teammates couldn't be happier. The Gretna, Neb., native, averaging 14 points, two and a half steals, just under four assists and better than four and a half rebounds per appearance over his last four opportunities, posted 16 points, grabbed three boards, dished out two assists and picked off a steal to help lead the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Division II top-ranked team to a 68-41 Great Plains Athletic Conference win over Doane University Wednesday, Jan. 15.

The road to 19-0 overall and 11-0 in the league didn't end with Imig, though. Senior center Tyler Borchers (LeMars, Iowa) added 12 points and five rebounds and junior Trey Brown (Gretna, Neb.), another Maroon post standout, turned in 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal off the bench.

Mside's defense played a big role, too. They shutout the visiting Tigers until the 12:00 mark of the opening stanza to gain a 12-0 lead and built the margin to 32-9 with less than three minutes remaining in the frame. Doane was limited to an icy 15 of 56 effort from the field overall (26.8 percent) and converted on only three of 17 three-point attempts (17.6 percent).

Morningside begins two in a row on the road Saturday, Jan. 18. They tip-off at 6 p.m. at Dordt University's DeWitt Gymnasium in Sioux Center.