Final frame defensive stand sends Mustangs to road league victory

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Holding host University of Jamestown scoreless for nearly five minutes down the stretch, a cold-blooded Morningside University defense equaled the minus 13-degree temperatures outside of Harold Newman Arena Saturday, Jan. 1. 

Head coach Jamie Sale's squad needed every bit of that grit and determination to overturn as large as a nine-point second-half deficit. Mirroring how the host Jimmies closed the first 20 minutes, a 9-4 stretch to hold a 37-33 edge at the break, Mside didn't surrender a field goal or home point for four minutes and 38 seconds to make a 68-61 Jamestown lead turn to an insurmountable 73-68 advantage with just 37 seconds left. Senior forward Sophia Peppers (Exira, Iowa) led the comeback with two key blocked shots and a six-for-six effort from the free-throw line over the last 10 minutes, part of a 17-point, four-rebound, three-assist, two-blocked shot outing.

Looking further into the box score, senior guard Sierra Mitchell (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) and sophomore center Chloe Lofstrom (Armstrong, Iowa) put their names in the double-digit registry, too. Mitchell went for 20 with three three-pointers included. Lofstrom had a memorable afternoon, tallying a personal single-game career-high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds for her fifth career double-double.

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' No. 10-ranked Morningside, improving to 11-3 overall and 7-1 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, kept a one-game lead on the loop standings. They resume the first half of the league slate Wednesday, Jan. 5. College of Saint Mary visits Allee Gymnasium of the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

NOTES: Mitchell's fourth 20-point-plus total in the last seven outings moved her 44 points from setting a new program all-time scoring mark … Peppers closed within 12 (1,259) of climbing to No. 21.