Dominant defensive half leads to women's basketball win

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – A second half defensive stand turned the tables for Morningside's women's basketball team, as the Mustangs, who were trailing heading into the break, outscored the Hastings 28-10 in the third quarter and 50-15 in the second half en route to a 77-45 Great Plains Athletic Conference victory.

Hastings started the third quarter as it finished the second, building a small lead in the first two minutes of the period. That is until Sophia Peppers drove to the basket for a layup, making it, and receiving the and-1 for a Bronco foul, running less than 15 seconds off the clock, and bringing the Mustangs to within three, down 35-32. That's when things started to go downhill for Hastings.

With 6:25 in the quarter, Peppers made another layup, closing the gap to one point. McKenna Sims followed after a Hastings miss and a Chloe Lofstrom rebound, taking the lead 36-35. 

Olivia Larsen, appropriately a nursing major, then put on a defensive clinic, getting steals on the next four Hastings possessions, with the team converting the turnovers for six points. 

By the time the game concluded, Hastings had 29 turnovers, 18 of which Morningside forced, that were converted for 29 Mustang points. In contrast, Morningside gave up 16 points off 18 turnovers.

Larsen led the team in steals, with five in the contest. Peppers and Alexis Spier followed with four each, Chaise Pfansitel had two, and Lofstrom, Abbe Morten, and Sadie Roth each had one. 

Pfanstiel had a team-high four assists, as the team chalked up 19 in the game. Sims and Peppers each had three, while Larsen and Spier had two apiece. Lofstrom, Lily Vollertsen, Lauren Hedlund, Ella Wragge, and Jordyn Carr each tallied one assist.

The Mustangs helped their own case with an efficient offense, shooting nearly 51 percent from the field, and 41 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Peppers led the team in scoring, with 15 points. Spier ended the day with 13, Vollertsen had 12, Larsen netted 11, and Sims picked up eight points.

Lofstrom again led the team in rebounding, splitting six boards between the offensive and defensive glass. Peppers, Spier, Vollertsen, and Wragge each grabbed three caroms. Sims, Larsen, and Baylie Girres each had two. Hedlund, Aspen Jansa, Jillian Shanks, and Megan Callahan each grabbed one rebound.

Morningside is on the road on Wednesday, traveling to Dakota Wesleyan for a 6 p.m. contest.