Mustangs lean on defense en route to road victory

YANKTON, S.D. — The Morningside men's basketball team leaned on its defense Saturday, suffocating Mount Marty in a 76-54 victory on the Lancers' home floor.

Morningside (10-5, 7-1 GPAC) held Mount Marty to 28 percent shooting, extending its GPAC winning streak to seven games and maintaining its spot atop the conference standings.

Mount Marty went just 7 of 29 from the field in the first half and connected on only two 3-pointers. Meanwhile, the Mustangs found their rhythm early, shooting 16 of 29 in the opening 20 minutes as Daniel Brocaille knocked down four 3-pointers.

"I thought our guys were locked in defensively from the start," said head coach Trent Miller. "Their level of competition and focus put them in a great position to be successful."

Morningside jumped out to a 15-4 lead that set the tone for the afternoon. During the opening run, Brocaille scored six points while freshman Kaden Van Regenmorter added five, including the Mustangs' first basket.

The Mustangs carried a 41-20 lead into halftime, with Brocaille scoring 19 of his game-high 25 points in the first half. Morningside also created separation by pushing the pace, owning a 12-0 advantage in fast-break points before the break.

Morningside opened the second half with a 7-2 spurt, capped by a Brocaille 3-pointer and a Caleb Dreckman layup, pushing the lead to 46-22 and forcing Mount Marty to play uphill the rest of the way. Late in the game, the Mustangs held the Lancers without a field goal for more than four minutes.

Tyson Odvody finished with 12 points, while Van Regenmorter and Fitzy Grant added 11 apiece.

Though Alex Wilcoxson did not score, he impacted the game in other ways, recording nine defensive rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals.

"I always love how that kid fights," Miller said. "He was a huge asset, as he always has been."

The Mustangs return home Wednesday to host Concordia in a GPAC matchup scheduled for 7:45 p.m. inside Allee Gym.

"They're disciplined and they're athletic," Miller said. "We're going to have to be great on the glass."