Taking the Torch – Miller tenure begins on high note

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Seamless.

For fans watching at Allee Gymnasium inside the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center, the differences in a 2021-22 season opener compared to similar contests in previous years were minimal at best. It was just as first-year head coach Trent Miller and his staff had hoped Monday, Nov. 1.

Morningside University's tradition-rich men's basketball program debuted with a new leader at the helm with impressive results. The Mustangs roared past Heart of America Conference foe Peru St. 83-56, marking a fifth straight victory regarding season beginners.

The strategy to the triumph was built around a balanced scoring attack, strong rebounding, and aggressive defense. A pair of sophomore guards in Aidan Vanderloo (Sioux City, Iowa) and Joey Skoff (Bellevue, Neb.) topped the offense, posting 20 and 17 points, respectively. Senior center Trey Brown (Gretna, Neb.) added a trademark double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) while also making it difficult for the visiting Bobcats in the paint with two blocked shots.

A relatively innocuous 7-0 run from 14:48 to 13:27 jumpstarted the home squad, much to the delight of the Mside fans. After breaking a 9-9 tie in the stretch, Miller's crew continued to build upon the advantage at every turn en route to the final.

The Mustangs resume opening week Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6, at the Cornerstone University of Michigan Classic. Morningside faces the Olivet Nazarene University of Illinois in one of two semifinals Friday at 5 p.m. 

NOTES: Miller matched his predecessor and mentor in former head coach Jim Sykes to win his first coaching appearance. Sykes did the same late in the 2003-04 campaign when he took over the program … Vanderloo picked up right where left off at the end of 2020-21 with his outing. With a 24-point finish in last year's national tournament battle against Southwestern Assemblies of God University, he's averaging 22 points per game over his previous two outings going to Michigan … Skoff's 17-point total marked a single-game personal best and the sixth time he's hit double figures as a Mustang … Brown registered his ninth straight double-double and 31^st game in a row where he tallied 10-or-more points.