Mustangs soar into semifinals with 101-95 win
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – For the second time in as many games, the Morningside men’s basketball team cracked triple digits, this time in a 101-95 win over cross-town rival Briar Cliff in the quarterfinals of the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
35 | 60 | 95 |
|
|
52 | 49 | 101 |
Team Stats
Briar Cliff (IA)
| Game Statistics | Briar Cliff (IA) | Morningside |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (36-66) | (37-57) |
| Field Goal % | 54.5% | 64.9% |
| Rebounds | 28 | 27 |
| Assists | 15 | 22 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 19 | 25 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 13 | 2 |
| Pts in the Paint | 34 | 56 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 4 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 37 | 25 |
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – For the second time in as many games, the Morningside men's basketball team cracked triple digits, this time in a 101-95 win over cross-town rival Briar Cliff in the quarterfinals of the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament.
The Mustangs dropped 52 points in the first half, but it was a 14-0 run to end the half that gave them a 17-point advantage at the intermission. Joey Skoff had a thunderous dunk as a part of the Mustangs early 21-9 lead. The Chargers got back within three, 38-35, before the strong run to end the half by Morningside.
Skoff was an efficient 7-for-10 from the floor for 15 points in the first 20 minutes. Ely Doble was also finding a rhythm under the basket, connecting on five baskets and had 10 first-half points. Morningside as a team shot 68.8% from the floor in the opening 20.
Meanwhile, the Chargers had a rougher go of things on the offensive end. Briar Cliff shot 48.1% from the field, but Conner Graves had six of the team's 13 made baskets for 16 points in the first half.
Early in the second half, Morningside built a 22-point, 59-37, lead. The Chargers didn't go away easily down the stretch, cutting the lead to nine with 3:45 to play. The Mustangs would get the lead back up to 13 with 42 seconds left, but a pair of late three-pointers from Briar Cliff cut it back to six at the final buzzer.
Skoff had a game-high 29 points to pace the Mustangs. Doble finished with 19 and Jack Dotzler added 16 points. Dotzler also had a game-high seven assists. Morningside's passing was strong Tuesday night, as they teamed up for 22 assists to Briar Cliff's seven.
Groves finished with 27 points off the bench for the Chargers.
Next up, Morningside plays host to Dordt in the GPAC semifinals. The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. tip Saturday inside Allee Gymnasium.
