by Tad Dorsey

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GPAC Standings

• #2 Morningside ended up with a light week, as their game against Concordia was postponed and their game against #18 Southern Oregon was cancelled.  They did record an 81-70 victory in their lone game against Bellevue in the Midland University Draemel Classic.  Morningside shot a blazing 63.6% for the game. The Mustangs built a 10 point halftime lead before hanging on for an 11 point victory.  Tyler Borchers was on as usual, going 8 for 9 and 7 for 12 from the line for 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, a block and a steal. Zach Imig was also effective going 6 for 7 with 14 points and 4 rebounds. Morningside moved up two spots to #2 in the NAIA Poll.  The Mustangs undefeated stretch moves to 8-0 and they are back in action Wednesday at Midland before hosting city rival Briar Cliff on Saturday. 
• #6 Dakota Wesleyan posted another strong week.  They started by knocking off conference foe RV Briar Cliff 88-73 in the Corn Palace.  It took a while for star Ty Hoglund to get on track, but once he did the Chargers could not stop him.  Briar Cliff stayed in the game early, trailing only 41-38 at halftime, but the Tigers turned up offensively in the 2^nd period.  It was a milestone game for the Tigers, as Hoglund reached 2,171 points, moving to third all-time for DWU.  Coach Matt Wilber also recorded win #148, putting him third all time for wins as a Tigers coach. Hoglund finished 9 for 18 and 15 of 16 at the line for 36 points.  Nick Harden had an effective night, going 9 for 16 with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. The Tigers competed in the St. Francis Thanksgiving Classic at the Sullivan Center in Joliet, Illinois over the weekend.  They defeated Lincoln College 74-70 in the first game. As the score indicates it was a competitive game. After runs from each teams it was 31-29 at halftime. The Tigers started the 2^nd half strong, taking a 10 point lead on a Hoglund three, before LC again cut into their lead.  The Lynx eventually took a 66-64 lead. Colin Kramer hit a tie-breaking layup with a minute to play to give the Tigers the lead for good.  Hoglund finished with 23 points on 8 of 20 shooting, also adding 9 rebounds. Harden was an efficient 8 for 14 with 17 points and 4 assists.  Samuel McCloud finished 6 for 12, all threes, for 18 points. DWU closed out the week with by defeating hosts St. Francis (IL) 80-71. The Tigers lead wire to wire in this one, winning the first half 44-33.  Hoglund was again the leading scorer, adding 20 points on 7 of 15 shooting. Harden added 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Tyson Smiley with 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.  Dakota Wesleyan remained at 6^th in the NAIA Poll. DWU improved to 8-0 and 4-0 in the GPAC.  The Tigers have two games next week, hosting RV Mount Marty on Wednesday before a road game against Concordia on Saturday.  

•  #23 Dordt started the week with a close victory over Dickinson State.  The Defenders started fast, taking a 19-11 lead with a Marcus Winterfeld three.  The Blue Hawks rallied, tying the game at 32-32, before Dordt would take a 41-37 halftime lead.  The game was tied at 57 with 14:39 left. DSU had a 6-0 run to take an 85-83 lead with 2:50 left.  Dordt took the late lead 89-87 on a shot by Chad Barkema, after securing three offensive rebounds. The Defenders secured a turnover on the next possession to secure the victory.  Barkema finished 8 for 9 with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block. The Defenders convincingly defeated Peru State 86-67 to finish a strong week. Dordt went on a 24-12 run to close out the first half, leading 49-32.  Peru State never was within 15 in the 2^nd half.  Garrett Franken had a strong game, going 7 for 12 with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.  Jesse Jansma finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Dordt moved up to 23^rd in the NAIA poll and is 8-3.  The Defenders are at Jamestown on Wednesday and host Midland on Saturday.  

• RV Northwestern had a strong week at the Dordt Thanksgiving Classic.  They started by knocking off Peru State 97-79. The Raiders went off to a 19-6 lead by going 4 of 5 from 3.  They finished the half up 38-18. PSU cut it to 14 in the 2^nd half but could not get any closer.  Grant Rohrer scored a career high 27 points, while Jay Small also had a career night, scoring 23 points on a season best 7 threes, while getting a career high 16 rebounds for his first career double double, and tying a career high with 6 assists.  The Red Raiders finished the classic with a 92-81 victory over Dickinson State. The Blue Hawks kept the game close early, before a 12-2 run by the Raiders on the strength of 3 threes from Trent Hilbrands gave Northwestern a 73-61 read with 9 minutes left in the game.  DSU wouldn’t get closer than 9 afterwards. Hilbrands finished 10 for 20 with 23 points and 6 rebounds. Jay Small was 6 for 15 with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Craig Sterk was 8 for 12 with 17 points and 6 rebounds, while Grant Rohrer was 7 for 9 with 16 points and 8 rebounds.  The Raiders are now receiving votes in the NAIA Poll, and improved to 8-2 on the season. They next travel to Briar Cliff on Wednesday before hosting Hastings on Saturday. 
• RV Mount Marty continued their hot start with a home upset of #16 Jamestown, 93-88 in overtime.  This game was competitive throughout. Mount Marty built a 73-65 lead with 5:31 left on a three pointer from Elijah Pappas.  Jamestown would counter with an 11-3 run, capped by a three pointer to tie the game with 1:17 left. Colby Johnson gave the Lancers the lead late, before Jamestown again tied the game. The Lancers led throughout overtime.  They score first with a three point play by Ryan Warren. He followed that with a three pointer. The Lancers hit their free throws late to secure the upset. Pappas led the Lancers off the bench going 6 for 13 with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists.  Ryan Warren also contributed off the bench, going 5 for 10, 4 for 6 from three with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Lancers followed with another upset, this time over #20 St. Ambrose, 93-90. A play by play was unavailable for this game. The leading scorer for Mount Marty was Chris King, going 6 for 13 and 9-11 at the line for 24 points and 4 rebounds.  Jordan Johnson shot 7 for 15 with 21 points, while Colby Johnson was 9 for 18 with 20 points. Another strong week from the Lancers continues to show that they are legit. The Lancers are now receiving some votes in the NAIA votes, but when I see them I see a top 25 team. The Lancers are 10-2 and 3-1 in the GPAC. They face their biggest test this week, with a game in the Corn Palace against #6 Dakota Wesleyan on Wednesday and a road game against #23 Dordt on Friday.   

• Briar Cliff competed well with #6 Dakota Wesleyan early on, but could not stop the Tigers falling 88-73.  Briar Cliff had the early 27-21 lead in the first half, before a 7-0 DWU run. BCU regained a 38-34 lead in the first half, but the Tigers again countered, taking a 41-38 lead at halftime.  The Tigers also scored the first 8 points of the 2^nd half.  Jackson Lamb had a strong game, going 11 for 22 and 6 for 6 from the line with 31 points, and 9 rebounds.  Nick Hoyt went 6 for 8 and 5 for 7 from 3 for a career high 17 points. The Chargers fell out of the RV category in the NAIA Poll, falling to 7-3 and 1-3 in the GPAC.  Briar Cliff is back in action hosting RV Northwestern on Wednesday before a road game against #2 Morningside on Saturday.  
• Jamestown fell out of the rankings with a rough loss at Mount Marty, 93-88 in overtime.  The Jimmies used an 11-3 run late to erase an 8 point deficit. They used a three pointer from Terrell Alfred to tie the game.   It was his career high 6^th three of the game.  Alfred finished 8-15, 6 for 12 from 3 for 26 points.  Mason Walters played all 45 minutes, going 8 for 17 with 21 points and 17 rebounds.  Jamestown fell to 7-4 and 1-3 in the GPAC. This week the Jimmies look to break a four game losing streak against 23 Dordt on Wednesday.  
• Concordia’s only schedule game for the week against #4 Morningside was postponed due to weather.  The Bulldogs remain at 6-1 and 1-1 in the GPAC. They have two home games this week, hosting Doane on Wednesday and #6 Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday.  
• Hastings took a home loss to Midland 85-74.  The game was close early on with the lead changing often.  Midland ended up with a 39-32 lead at halftime. The Broncos rallied early in the 2^nd half, cutting the lead to two on a layup by Bart Hiscock.  That was as close as they would get, as Midland countered with a 23-8 run.  Brendan Lipovsky led the Broncos with 18 points on 8 of 19 shooting, adding 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  Bart Hiscock had 17 points on 7 of 15 shooting with 10 rebounds for the double double. Hastings also lost a close exhibition match with NCAA DII Pittsburg State 72-69.  The game was tied 35-35 at halftime. The Gorillas scored the first 15 of the 2^nd half, before Hastings rallied.  The Broncos were within 6 with 1:50 left.  They used late threes to cut into the lead, but ran out of time.  Hiscock had 23 points on 9 of 20 shooting and added 11 rebounds. The Broncos are 5-4 and 1-3 in the GPAC.  They host Nebraska Christian on Tuesday before a road game against Northwestern on Saturday. 
• Midland picked up their first GPAC win by upsetting Hastings on the road 85-74.  The Warriors led for most of the game, taking a 12 point lead early on a three from Laurence Merritt.  Midland used a 16-6 run early in the second half to take a 55-43 lead with 12 minutes left. Merritt led the Warriors going 8 for 17, 3 of 6 from 3 with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Kylan Smallwood was 9 for 15 and 3-6 from 3 with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors lost a double overtime game against #22 Bellevue 101-98, with the Bruins hitting shots to force both overtime and double overtime.  Laurence Merritt had another excellent game, shooting 11 for 22 and 7 of 11 from 3, and 8 of 9 from the line for 37 points, 3 steals, and 4 assists. The Warriors are 3-5 and 1-2 in the GPAC. They have games against #2 Morningside on Wednesday and #23 Dordt on Saturday.  

•  Doane was off this week.  They are 4-8 and 0-3 in the GPAC.  They travel to face Concorida on Wednesday and host RV Mount Marty on Saturday.    

TAD’S POWER RANKINGS

1. Morningside – Tyler Borchers and Zach Imig keep them on top
2. Dakota Wesleyan – Ty Hoglund playing out of his mind with a strong cast of contributors 
3. Dordt (+1) – Playing consistently strong basketball
4. Northwestern (+1) – Shooting by Trent Hilbrands and Jay Small keep them in any game
5. Mount Marty (+1) – Keep on picking up quality wins, very underrated 
6. Jamestown (-4) – Struggled in a 3 game losing streak, but they have a strong offense
7. Briar Cliff (-) – Another competive loss, big week against NWC and Morningside ahead.
8. Concordia (-) – Off this week
9. Hastings (-) – Bart Hiscock off to a strong start 
10. Midland (-) – Picked up their first conference win!
11. Doane – Off this week

Stat Leaders

Points Per Game

1. Ty Hoglund (DWU) 26.33 ppg
2. Jackson Lamb (BCU) 24.70 ppg
3. Bart Hiscock (HAS) 23.00 ppg
4. Chris King (MMC) 20.00 ppg
5. Trent Hilbrands (NWC) 18.30 ppg

FG%

• Tyler Borchers (MOR) 67.4%
• Zach Imig (MOR) 61.3%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 58.4%
• Mason Walters (JAM) 55.1%
• Brendan Lipovsky (HAS) 54.7%
• Tyson Smiley (DWU) 54.7%
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 54.7%

3pt%

• Nick Hoyt (BCU) 64.3%
• Laaurence Merritt (MID) 51.6%
• Ty Hogland (DWU) 50.0%
• Logan Cale (HAS) 48.6%
• Trent Hilbrands (NWC) 47.6%

Free Throw %

• Jackson Lamb (BCU) 95.9%
• Ty Hoglund (DWU) 87.5%
• Carter Kent (CON) 87.0%
• Ethan Friedel (BCU) 86.8%
• Trent Hilbrands (NWC) 86.1%

Assists per game

• Zach Imig (MOR) 4.25 apg
• Jordan Johnson (MMC) 4.00 apg
• Isaiah Dobson (JAM) 4.00 apg
• Nick Harden (DWU) 3.83 apg
• Sammy Green (BCU) 3.80 apg

Rebounds per game

• Mason Walters (JAM) 10.27 rpg
• Garrett Franken (HAS) 8.46 rpg
• Ryan Williams (MID) 8.29 rpg
• Bart Hiscock (HAS) 8.11 rpg
• Miguel Lopez (DOA) 7.58 rpg

Blocks per game

• Chuol Biel (CON) 1.71 bpg
• Brock Schrom (JAM) 1.64 bpg
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 1.56 bpg
• Mason Walters (JAM) 1.00 bpg
• Josh Van Lingen (DOR) 0.91 bpg

Steals per game

• Isiah Sykes (DOA) 2.17 spg
• Samuel McCloud (DWU) 2.00 spg
• Zach Imig (MOR) 1.75 spg
• Tyson Smiley (DWU) 1.67 spg
• Elijah Pappas (MMC) 1.60 spg

Conference Schedule (All times CT)

Tuesday December 3^rd: 

Nebraska Christian at Hastings (5-4 1-3) 7pm

Wednesday December 4^th:

Doane (4-8 0-3) @ Concordia (6-1 1-1) 8pm

RV Northwestern (8-2 2-1) @ Briar Cliff (7-3 1-3) 8pm

2 Morningside (8-0 3-0) @ Midland (1-2 3-5) 8pm

RV Mount Marty (10-2 3-1) @ 6 Dakota Wesleyan (8-0 4-0) 8pm

23 Dordt (8-3 2-2) @ Jamestown (7-4 1-3) 8pm

Saturday December 7^th:

RV Mount Marty (10-2 3-1) @ Doane (4-8 0-3) 4pm

Hastings (5-4 1-3) @ RV Northwestern (8-2 2-1) 4pm

6 Dakota Wesleyan (8-0 4-0) @ Concordia (6-1 1-1) 4pm

Midland (1-2 3-5) @ 23 Dordt (8-3 2-2) 4pm

Briar Cliff (7-3 1-3) @ 2 Morningside (8-0 3-0) 6pm

GAMES OF THE WEEK

RV Mount Marty at 6 Dakota Wesleyan Wednesday 8pm

23 Dordt at Jamestown Wednesday 8pm

Briar Cliff at 2 Morningside Saturday 6pm