Mustangs set tone with hot first half

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — A strong first half of offense on Saturday allowed the Morningside men's basketball team to defeat Mount Marty 86-63 in Allee Gym.

The Mustangs (4-4, 2-1 GPAC) connected on 20 of 30 shots during the first 20 minutes of play Saturday, posting 50 points. They also made 10 3-pointers during the first half, including four from Alex Wilcoxson.

"We did a better job of finding the paint," head coach Trent Miller said. "We had a lot of guys who put two feet in the paint to make an easy pass, and guys knocked shots down. I love the confidence that our guys are shooting with right now."

Wilcoxson turned in a career-high 26 points for the Mustangs, including six made 3s. He was 10-for-14 overall. On the season, Wilcoxson has a 54 percent shooting rate.

"He's been consistent all year, and he's not afraid of the big shot," Miller said. "He improved (over the summer) with his ability to attack the rim. He has continued to become a better passer. He's doing a better job finding open guys and finding those correct reads. We are very fortunate to have Alex right now."

Morningside started out the first 10 minutes with a 24-9 lead, and that also included a 12-0 run that saw made layups from Tyson Odvody, Caleb Dreckman, and Kaden Van Regenmorter. Wilcoxson and Daniel Brocaille made 3s during that stretch, too.

The Mustangs were 11-for-21 during the second half, and made five 3s.

Morningside led by as many as 31 points, and held the advantage for more than 37 minutes.

Three additional Mustangs scorers were in double figures — Dreckman (18), Van Regenmorter (13), and Brocaille (11). Both Brocaille and Dreckman had eight rebounds. Nine Morningside players recorded at least one assist, led by six by Wilcoxson.

Morningside hosts Waldorf on Tuesday night at 7:45 p.m.