RV Mustangs surge in second half in victory

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — After an uneven start following an eight-day break, the Morningside men's basketball team surged in the second half to earn an 84-64 win Thursday over Dakota Wesleyan.

Morningside scored 59 points in the second half, as it was 21 of 36 from the floor and made 11 of 16 free throws. In the first half, the Mustangs posted just 25 points.

The RV Mustangs (14-5, 11-1 GPAC) went on a 19-0 run throughout the second half that lasted over six minutes. Kaden Van Regenmorter and Caleb Dreckman hit two 3-pointers, while Brayden Dinkla scored four of his 10 second-half points during that stretch.

"I'm proud of the guys where we found a way to have success," head coach Trent Miller said. "Our guys hung together and found ways to find success for each other. It was fun to see the shots go down (in the second half). Credit to Dakota Wesleyan, they're a physical team, but I liked how we responded in the second half."

Miller said it was the most adversity that the Mustangs have experienced on the floor since their last loss over holiday break at Keiser. Thursday marked the first time since the Keiser loss where they didn't shoot over 50 percent.

"The guys have always come back and answered the call," Miller said. "The first half was very difficult for us and it put us in a position where we had to respond."

Defensively, the Mustangs forced the Tigers to miss 10 consecutive shots while also forcing three turnovers. In all, the Mustangs held the Tigers to 38 percent shooting. They also forced 15 turnovers.

Dinkla wound up with 13 points, making five of seven shots. It's the second time in the last three games where the guard from Winterset, Iowa, has scored in double figures. Dinkla has played 11 or more minutes in 13 conference games this season.

"He's been a tremendous spark plug off the bench," Miller said. "Tonight was one of the biggest displays of his overall skill set and what he means to our team."

Dreckman led the Mustangs with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Daniel Brocaille also turned in a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Other double-figure scorers included freshman Tyson Odvody (13) and Van Regenmorter (11). Fitzy Grant wasn't far off a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds. 

""We found a way to win whether shots were falling or not falling," Dinkla said. "Having an extra day to prepare was very nice. The way we guarded tonight was awesome. We just have to keep trusting the game plan that the coaches are preparing for us.

"We trust each other, and we share the basketball," Dinkla added. "All glory to God for giving us this game. We took great shots in the first half, but they weren't going in, and we trusted ourselves to take those shots in the second half."

Up next, Morningside travels to Doane for a 3:45 p.m. Saturday contest. The Mustangs' next home game is Jan. 31 vs. Midland.