Mside cruises in Delta Hotels by Marriott Classic opener

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Morningside College jumpstarted its path to a fifth straight win by scoring 43 of the first 60 points Saturday, Dec. 29.

Head coach Jamie Sale's Mustangs concluded a brief winter break layoff with a scorching effort, especially on the offensive end. Morningside, ranked number eight on the recent National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Division II poll, converted better than 52 percent from the field, at a strong 43.3 percent rate from outside the arc and missed just two of 14 free throw tries in route to a 99-76 victory over Haskell Indian Nations to open the 2018 Delta Hotels by Marriott Classic.

A 25-4 stretch over the final 5:50 of the opening frame broke open a nip-and-tuck contest early on. The Maroon, improving to 12-3 with a fifth successive triumph, opened the advantage to as much as 31 before an appreciative crowd of 400 fans before a late visiting rally closed the deficit to 23 as time expired.

Twelve of the 15 home team players that stepped on the floor scored. Sophomore guard Sierra Mitchell (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) led the attack with 24 points which featured six three-point baskets; freshman forward Sophia Peppers (Exira, Iowa) topped the bench efforts with 15 points, four assists which were a team high, and four rebounds; and junior forward/center Sydney Hupp (O'Neill, Neb.) and sophomore forward Kailey Burke (Hinton, Iowa) chipped in 12 points apiece. Burke was just a rebound shy of a double-double.

Morningside concludes action in the Classic Sunday, Dec. 30. They take on Grand View College at approximately 3 p.m.