Mustangs advance to national championship final site with win over Kansas Wesleyan

WICHITA, KAN. – Morningside punched its ticket to the 2023 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship, presented by Ballogy, on the strength of an 87-80 win over Kansas Wesleyan in the Second Round.

The Mustangs trailed by as many as 10 inside of the final 10 minutes of the contest, pulling even as the game reached the final five minutes of play. Morningside would take the lead for good, 75-74, as Trey Powers made a free throw with 3:41 to play. Jack Dotzler would extend the lead with a pair of free throws 15 seconds later.

The combination of Joey Skoff, Dotzler, Ely Doble, and Justin Sitti would continue to add to Morningside's lead all while the Coyotes kept fighting to get back on top. Sitti slammed the final nail into the Coyote's coffin with a rim-rattling, shot clock-shaking exclamation point, as he dunked a ball with 13 seconds left to play. KWU would notch another three before time expired, having no effect on the final result.

Dotzler was Morningside's leading scorer in the contest, tallying 23 points in 35 minutes on the court. Doble had a hard-fought 22 points inside the arc, and Skoff had 20. Aidan Vanderloo had eight points, followed by Trey Powers and Dylan Johnson with six each. Dotzler added eight assists to his totals, Vanderloo had three, and Skoff had two.

Doble and Brendan Buckley led in the rebounds column, with seven each. Powers had six, Skoff had five, Dotzler had three, Vanderloo two, and Johnson had one. 

Morningside advances to the NAIA National Championship tournament, playing Arizona Christian on Tuesday, March 14, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.