Missed opportunities cost Mustangs in league loss

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Avoiding the season sweep isn't something that has been on the brain much for the Mustangs this season, as the men's basketball team has been able to pick up wins against most conference opponents in the first half of the season. Unfortunately for Morningside fans, Northwestern, one of only two teams to claim Great Plains Athletic Conference wins in the first part of the season, completed the sweep in Allee Gym, 78-74. 

Jamestown is the only remaining team in the GPAC that could claim a two-game sweep over the Mustangs, pending the results of the make-up meeting of the teams this coming Monday.

Northwestern led the majority of tonight's contest, getting off to a quick start and forcing Morningside to play catch up. And catch up the Mustangs did, taking a brief lead as Jack Dotzler hit a three to make the score 26-24 with 8:03 to play in the first half. The teams would continue to battle for the top spot, with Northwestern taking a lead into the halftime break.

The fight continued into the second half, where Morningside found itself missing opportunities to score, going dormant on the scoreboard for minutes at a time.

Late heroics by the Mustangs would close the gap between the two teams to as few as two points inside of the final minute, but missed shot attempts would allow Northwestern to cling to the win.

Dotzler and Ely Doble co-led Morningside in scoring, each netting 15 points. Aidan Vanderloo followed with 12, and Brendan Buckley had 11. Vanderloo dished three assists to lead coach Trent Miller's squad, with Trey Powers, Will Pottebaum, Dylan Johnson, Buckley, and Dotzler earning two assists each.

Doble led the team in rebounding, corralling nine boards in the contest. Powers followed, chasing down seven caroms, while Pottebaum and Buckley both recorded four rebounds.

Morningside makes the trip to Jamestown next week, opening with a Monday night game against the Jimmies. The rescheduled men's-only contest is slated to tip off at 6 p.m.