No. 21 Mustangs suffer first loss since December

ORANGE CITY, Iowa — The Morningside men's basketball team ran into a difficult night on the road Wednesday. The 21st-ranked Mustangs saw their 10-game winning streak come to a halt in a 109-85 loss at Northwestern.

Morningside (19-6, 16-2 GPAC) shot 51 percent overall and connected on 44 percent of its 3-point attempts, but the Mustangs struggled to generate consistent stops.

"Tonight wasn't our night," said head coach Trent Miller. "Credit to Northwestern, they were better than us this evening. We got hit early, and it took us too long to respond." 

Caleb Dreckman led Morningside with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Derek Quinlin provided a lift off the bench with 12 points, all from beyond the arc in the second half, while Fitzy Grant also added 12. Alex Wilcoxson contributed eight points and four steals.

The Mustangs matched the Red Raiders on the glass, 33-32, and received 31 bench points, but the margin created early proved difficult to overcome.

The loss was Morningside's first since Dec. 17, and its first GPAC loss since losing to Midland on the road on Nov. 15.

"This loss provides us a great opportunity to learn and grow," Miller said. "This group has stuck together all season. All our goals are still intact."

Now, Morningside turns its focus its last two home games, including a 3:45 p.m. tip-off this coming Saturday against Hastings.