Morningside tightens up GPAC standings, rallies past NWC

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Trailing Siouxland rival Northwestern College 35-22 with less than eight minutes to go in the first half, Morningside University head men's basketball coach Trent Miller and his staff were looking for a turnaround.

Enter a pivotal 23-12 comeback stage left. With a raucous home crowd behind them inside Allee Gymnasium of the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center, the Mustangs managed to lock up the potent Red Raiders' offense when needed to trail only 47-45 at the break. The fever pitch of the rally reached a crescendo at the first-half buzzer when junior guard Will Pottebaum (LeMars, Iowa) tossed in a half-court heave with an appreciative roar as the teams left the floor.

The second 20 minutes saw more of the same as the first half late stages. Neither side held more than a five-point advantage with a thrilling finish in the offing. Sophomore guard Aidan Vanderloo (Sioux City, Iowa) drained a three-pointer with 2:34 to play, giving Mside an 81-78 lead. Northwestern went one-for-four from the field down the stretch, narrowly missing a pair of three-pointers to tie the contest. Vanderloo finished with the final five Mustangs points. The sophomore combination of guard Joey Skoff (Bellevue, Neb.) and Ely Doble (Gretna, Neb.) grabbed a defensive rebound apiece to lock up an 83-80 victory.

Vanderloo's 19-points night topped four Morningside players in double figures. Skoff has another solid all-around performance with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Junior forward Trey Powers (Omaha, Neb.) compiled 15 points and seven boards. Senior guard Zach Imig (Gretna, Neb.) tallied 11 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a blocked shot.

Morningside, moving to 12-7 overall and 9-5 in the league to tie Northwestern for third, returns to the road Wednesday, Feb. 2. Game time at Dordt University's DeWitt Gymnasium is 7:45 p.m.