Strong second half send Mustangs to NAIA Second Round

WICHITA, KAN. – Morningside's opening pairing of the 2023 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship First and Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, had all the excitement a national tournament game should, with a close final score, physical play, and buzzer beaters aplenty. The Mustangs, coming out on top, 81-77, move on to the second round and site championship, playing the winner of Kansas Wesleyan University and Indiana University-Kokomo.

It was late in the first half when Morningside finally settled in and took a lead, holding a 44-37 advantage at the break. 

With a strong Morningside crowd behind them, the Mustangs carried the advantage through the second half, with Aidan Vanderloo and Jack Dotzler sinking buzzer-beating three-pointers late to send Columbia packing. The Cougars closed the gap, hitting a three-pointer as the final horn sounded.

Vanderloo led the Mustangs in scoring, running up 22 points in the contest. Ely Doble was close behind, with 19 points, while Joey Skoff had 12 and Trey Powers 10 to round out the double-digit scorers. Dotzler tallied a team-high six assists, while Doble had four.

Doble and Powers each had seven rebounds to lead the high seed in the pod, while Skoff and Dotzler followed with three each.

Morningside's season continues tomorrow, moving onto the site championship in the NAIA Second Round at 3 p.m. with a trip to the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship final site on the line.