By Tad Dorsey

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GPAC Standings

• #1 Morningside dominated Doane in their first game, winning 68-41 to remain undefeated.  The game was never in question as Doane didn’t score for the first 8 minutes of the game, falling behind 12-0.  The Mustangs were up 32-9 and it never really got much closer. Zach Imig had a big game, going 6-8, 3-5 from 3, for 16 points.  Tyler Borchers went 4 for 7 with 12 points and 5 rebounds. The Mustangs were certainly pushed in Sioux Center against RV Dordt, but as elite teams do, they found a way to pull through with an 88-81 victory.  Dordt had the lead for parts of the first half as they competed very well, but the Mustangs rallied to force a 42-42 draw at halftime. Morningside was in control for most of the 2^nd half, as they built a double-digit lead.  Dordt got within 4, but a clutch stretch of free throws from Morningside closed it out, as they finished 15 for 17 at the line.  All 5 Mustang starters hit double digit points, led by Tyler Borchers going 7 for 8 with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.  The Mustangs have improved to 20-0, and 12-0 in the GPAC. They are 2.5 games ahead of DWU for first place in the GPAC. A challenging week upcoming, as they travel to Seward to take on RV Concordia, winners of 7 straight, on Wednesday and they have a home game against #17 Mount Marty on Saturday.  The Mustangs football team will also celebrate “Champions Day” during the Saturday game.  
• #10 Dakota Wesleyan picked up a massive home victory over RV Dordt, winning 71-70 despite being shorthanded, as they played without Ty Hoglund and Nick Harden.  The Tigers built up a lead in the first half, but three-point shooting from the Defenders cut the lead to just 41-37 at halftime. DWU got up by 12 on a three from Samuel McCloud early in the first half.  Dordt rallied to take a 60-55 lead with 9 minutes reaming. A 6-0 Tiger run gave them the 71-68 lead with 2:22 left. Dordt had the lead down to 1, but the missed a shot at the buzzer allowing DWU to escape with the victory. Samuel McCloud had a big game stepping up for the shorthanded Tigers, as he posted a career high 25 points on 7-15 shooting with 5-10 from three.  He also posted 5 steals. Jeffrey Schuch went 7 for 11 with 15 points and 6 rebounds. The Tigers also defeated Midland 73-59 on the road. Ty Hoglund returned for the Tigers, but Nick Harden did not. Midland tried to stay close early on, but with 3 minutes in the 1^st half the Tigers built a double-digit lead on a three from Koln Oppold.  The lead stood at 7 at halftime. Midland cut the lead to five midway through the half, but could never get closer.  Mason Larson had a big game, going 7 for 8, 3-3 from 3, and 6-7 at the line for 23 points. Ty Hoglund only took 3 shots in his return, though he did go 10 for 11 at the line 50 score 14 points, adding 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.  Dakota Wesleyan improves to 17-3 and 9-2 in the GPAC, 1.5 games ahead of Mount Marty for 2^nd place in the GPAC.  They host Hastings on Wednesday.  
• #17 Mount Marty saw their highest national ranking since February 16^th, 1999, being ranked 17^th in the NAIA DII Poll.  The did a solid job of validating that ranking with a strong 89-79 victory over visiting Northwestern, getting revenge for a previous defeat.  The first half was competitive, seeing the Lancers lead 47-43 at halftime. The Raiders rallied and took a 52-51 lead early on, but the Lancers rebounded to take the lead back and not trail again.  Back to back threes from Jordan Johnson and Jailen Billings put the Lancers up 60-54. A 14-4 run from Mount Marty with 8 minutes remaining saw the Lancers go up 85-73 with 2 minutes remaining. Colby Johnson went 10 for 20 with 24 points and 4 rebounds.  Jordan Johnson also had a good game, going 8 for 11 with 21 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds. Chris King was active, going 5 for 13 with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals. The Lancers weren’t as successful at Hastings, falling 87-70. The Lancers fell into a big halftime hole, trailing 40-26 at halftime.  The often-electric offense only shot 31% in the first half. The Lancers made a run out of the lockers, cutting the lead to 53-46 with 13 minutes remaining, but they could not stop Hastings from extending the lead. Chris King scored 14 points and added 6 rebounds. The Lancers are 16-5 overall and 8-4 in the GPAC. They remain a half-game ahead of Concordia for third place.  They have road games against Nebraska Christian on Thursday and #1 Morningside on Saturday.  
• RV Dordt had a rough week, going 0-2 against a pair of top ten teams.  They nearly took down #10 Dakota Wesleyan in the Corn Palace, falling 71-70 with a last second missed shot.  They fell behind 33-21 early, before rallying to cut the lead to 41-37 at halftime on a three pointer from Chandler Brunsting.  The Defenders played well in the 2^nd half, as Brunsting hit a pair of threes to give them a 60-55 lead with 9:12 left.  The game was tight down the stretch as they lead continued to change hands. DWU took a 71-68 lead with just under 3 minutes to go.  Dordt’s offense struggled from there, as they missed three triples with a chance to tie the game. With :27 seconds left 2 free throws from Jansma cut the lead to 71-70.  After DWU missed the front end of a 1 and 1 Garrett Franken missed an 18-footer as time expired. Franken ended 6 for 16 with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Brunsting finished 4 for 8 with 13 points and 4 rebounds.  Dordt also fell to #1 Morningside 88-81. The Defenders came out fast in front of a big crowd, taking a 28-20 lead with 10:16 left as Chandler Brunsting converted a 4-point play. The Mustangs responded by taking a 37-36 lead with 4:17 left in the half.  Dordt managed to draw even at 42-42 at halftime on a buzzer beater by Garrett Franken. Early in the 2^nd half it was very competitive.  Midway through the half Morningside went on an 11-4 run to take control.  Dordt tried to battle back but could never draw even. Franken had another big game, going 9 for 15 with 24 points and 8 rebounds.  Ben Gesink was 5 for 8 with 13 point. The Defenders fall to 15-7 and 6-6 in the GPAC. They are 6^th in the GPAC, a half-game behind Northwestern and a game up on Jamestown.    
• RV Concordia extended their winning streak to 7, their best since 2009-10, with an 83-72 victory in Sioux City against Briar Cliff.  Concordia got revenge after the Chargers knocked off the Bulldogs in Seward with a last second three-point shot. Concordia lead for the vast majority of the game, as they played tough defense early and efficient offense late.  The Bulldogs lead was just 33-30 at halftime, but they jumped early in the 2^nd half with a 9-2 run for a 42-32 lead.  They also had a 20-6 run late in the game to put the game on ice.  Brevin Sloup had a big game, as a late three-point play allowed him to reach 1,000 points.  He finished 11 for 24 with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Tanner Shuck went 6 for 11 with 15 points and 6 rebounds.  The Bulldogs improve to 14-5 and 7-4 in the GPAC. They are now in 4^th place, a half-game behind #17 Mount Marty and a game ahead of Northwestern.  The Bulldogs put their 7-game win streak on the line as they host #1 Morningside on Wednesday.  They play in Ann Arbor against Concordia University in Ann Arbor, while they play in the Concordia Invitational Tournament Saturday in Chicago.  

• Northwestern found themselves surprisingly unmentioned in the national rankings last week after a rough week.  They were unable to change the momentum with an 89-79 loss in Yankton against #17 Mount Marty. The Raiders trailed 47-43 at halftime, but they battled back early on in the 2^nd half.  A three-pointer by Trent Hilbrands gave the Raiders a 52-51 lead. They could not stop the Lancers after taking the lead though.  They fell behind 60-54 right after taking the lead. They did get closer as they cut they lead to 71-69 with a three from Keegan Van Egdom with 8 minutes left.  That was as close as they would get. Hilbrands finished with 18 pints on 7 of 13 shooting. Craig Sterk had 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting with 6 rebounds. The Raiders have lost their last three games to fall to 14-7 and 6-5 in the GPAC.  They are 5^th in the conference, a game behind Concordia and a half game up on Dordt.  They host Briar Cliff on Wednesday.  
• Jamestown picked up a tough conference victory, knocking off Briar Cliff 95-86.  It was a very strong offensive effort from the Jimmies. The Chargers had the 45-39 halftime lead, before the Jimmie offense erupted in the 2^nd half.  They opened the second half with a 9-3 run to tie the game at 48 with 17:57 left.  The Jimmies took their first lead of the half on a basket from Brock Schrom and free throws by Jack Talley for the 53-52 lead.  They never trailed from that point. They built the lead up to 81-67, before BCU cut it to six. Talley led the Jimmies with 23 points on 9 of 17 shooting and 9 rebounds.  Five other Jimmies were in double-digits. Jamestown improves to 13-7 and 4-6 in the GPAC. They are in 7^th place, a game behind RV Dordt and a half game up on Hastings.  They host Doane on Monday in a rescheduled game, before traveling to face RV Dordt on Thursday and Midland on Sunday.  
• Hastings started the week with a solid 90-70 victory over Midland.  The teams exchanged runs early, as Hastings countered an 11-2 Midland run with a 13-2 run of their own for a 15-13 lead.  The Broncos closed out the first half very well, extending their lead to 43-33. A three from Shane Chamberlain gave Hastings a 63-43 lead.  Midland couldn’t get back in the game. Bart Hiscock had a massive game, going 13 for 24 with 31 points and 14 rebounds. They followed that with a solid upset of #17 Mount Marty, beating the visiting Lancers 87-70.  The Broncos opened the game with a 13-2 run. After the lead was down to three, the Broncos hit 3 straight threes from Chamberlain, Logan Cale, and Mason Hiemstra for a double-digit lead. The score was 40-26 at halftime.  Out of halftime a three from Brendan Lipovsky gave the Broncos a 17-point lead. After a Mount Marty rally cut it to 51-46, the Broncos went on another 8-0 run, burying the Lancers. Lipovsky had a career high 34 points, shooting 13 for 22, including a career high 8 threes on 14 attempts.  He also added 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Mason Hiemstra also had a career game, scoring a career high 20 points and a career high 12 rebounds. He shot 6 for 13. Bart Hiscock went 6 for 11 with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Broncos improve to 11-10 and 4-7 in the GPAC. They are in 8^th place, a half-game behind Jamestown and a game and a half ahead of Midland.  They host Briar Cliff on Saturday.

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Currently out of GPAC Tournament

• Midland fell in their first game, 90-70 against Hastings.  The game was competitive early on, but after a 10-3 run by Hastings gave them a 43-33 lead at halftime, and it was never close following that.  Kylan Smallwood went 5 for 12 with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Bowen Sandquist was 6 for 15 with 16 points and 4 rebounds. Jake Rueschhoff posted 15 points on 6 of 15 shooting with 5 rebounds.  The Warriors were defeated by #10 Dakota Wesleyan, falling 73-59. After hitting a three to take a 3-0 lead, the Warriors never lead. The Tigers had an 11-point first half lead, but a three by Laurence Merritt cut the halftime deficit to just 7, 32-25.  The Warriors also opened the 2^nd half with a three from Kylan Smallwood to cut it to 4 points, but they couldn’t get over the hump.  Emanuel Bryson was big off the bench, going 7 for 13 with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Warriors fall to 7-12 and 3-9 in the GPAC.  They are in 9^th, 1.5 games behind Hastings, and a half game ahead of Briar Cliff.  They are at Jamestown on Sunday.  

• Briar Cliff dropped two more conference games.  They lost at Jamestown 95-86. The Chargers had a strong offensive effort in the first half, posting a 45-39 lead.  Jamestown couldn’t be stopped on offense in the 2^nd half, dominating the period.  Austin Roetman went 8 for 12 with 22 points and 7 rebounds.  Jackson Lamb was 6 for 15 with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Jaden Kleinhesselink was 8 for 12 with 17 points and 6 rebounds.  The Chargers also fell to RV Concordia 83-72. The first half was very competitive, as the lead for Concordia was just 33-30 at halftime.  Neither team had a lead of more than 6 in the first half. The 2^nd half was not as close.  Concordia picked up an early double-digit lead, and Briar Cliff never got back within a score of the Bulldogs.  Jackson Lamb hit a three with 10:36 to get the Chargers within 4, but Briar Cliff could not stay in the game. Lamb ended 8 for 15 with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Austin Roetman went 7 for 12 with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Briar Cliff falls to 11-10 and 2-9 in the GPAC. They are in 10^th place, 2 games behind Hastings for 8^th and a game up on Doane.  The Chargers have two important road games, traveling to Northwestern on Wednesday and Hastings on Saturday.  
•  Doane lost to #1 Morningside 68-41 in Sioux City for their only game of the week.  The Tigers fell behind 16-2 early and could never establish a rhythm for the game.  Fahad Tarjali had a decent game off the bench, going 5 for 7 with 12 points and 3 rebounds.  The Tigers fall to 5-15 and 1-10 in the GPAC. They are last in the GPAC, 3 games behind Hastings for 8^th place.  They have a makeup game at Jamestown on Monday, before hosting RV Dordt on Saturday.  

TAD’S POWER RANKINGS

1. Morningside (-) – Continuing to build on their conference lead 
2. Dakota Wesleyan (-) – Picking up big wins despite being shorthanded
3. Mount Marty (-) – Hitting a bit of a slump.  
4. Dordt (-) – Yet another last second loss against DWU. 
5. Concordia (+1) – Continuing their win streak
6. Northwestern (-1) – Three losses in a row to top 17 teams
7. Jamestown (-) – Offense is back in gear
8. Hastings (+1) – Massive upset of #17 Mount Marty
9. Briar Cliff (-1) – In serious danger of missing the GPAC tournament
10. Midland (-) – Rough loss to Hastings
11. Doane (-) – Offense continues to struggle 

Stat Leaders

Points Per Game

1. Jackson Lamb (BCU) 23.29 ppg
2. Bart Hiscock (HAS) 21.91 ppg
3. Ty Hoglund (DWU) 21.90 ppg
4. Chris King (MMC) 20.68 ppg
5. Colby Johnson (MMC) 18.11 ppg

FG%

• Tyler Borchers (MOR) 66.5%
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 58.7%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 57.4%
• Zach imig (MOR) 54.2%
• Bart Hiscock (HAS) 52.5%

3pt%

• Nick Hoyt (BCU) 55.2%
• Cade Bleeker (DOR) 50.5%
• Ben Hoskins (MOR) 49.4%
• Jaden Kleinhesselink (BCU) 49.3%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 46.3%

Free Throw %

• Jackson Lamb (BCU) 90.8%
• Isaiah Dobson (JAM) 89.8%
• Ty Hoglund (DWU) 87.0%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 79.7%
• Chris King (MMC) 78.5%

Assists per game

• Nick Harden (DWU) 4.25 apg
• Jordan Johnson (MMC) 4.21 apg
• Zach Imig (MOR) 4.05 apg
• Matt Hahn (MOR) 3.70 apg
• Isaiah Dobson (JAM) 3.53 apg

Rebounds per game

• Bart Hiscock (HAS) 8.52 rpg
• Garrett Franken (DOR) 7.82 rpg
• Chuol Biel (CON) 7.22 rpg
• Miguel Lopez (DOA) 7.10 rpg
• Jack Talley (JAM) 7.06 rpg

Blocks per game

• Chuol Biel (CON) 1.78 bpg
• Brock Schrom (JAM) 1.55 bpg
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 1.30 bpg
• Tyler Borchers (MOR) 0.84 bpg
• Josh Van Lingen (DOR) 0.82 bpg

Steals per game

• Isiah Sykes (DOA) 1.75 spg
• Chris King (MMC) 1.53 spg
• Nick Harden (DWU) 1.50 spg
• Samuel McCloud (DWU) 1.45 spg
• Laurence Merritt (MID) 1.44 spg

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Wednesday January 22^th

#1 Morningside (20-0 12-0) @ RV Concordia (14-5 7-4) 8:00 PM CT

• Mside has 20 wins in a row while Concordia is at 7 wins in a row. 

Thursday January 23^rd 

Jamestown (13-7 4-6) @ RV Dordt (15-7 6-6) 8:00 PM CT

• Jamestown looking for a late season run

Saturday January 11^th 

#17 Mount Marty (16-5 8-4) @ #1 Morningside (20-0 12-0) 4:00 PM CT

• Another hurdle for Morningside

Briar Cliff (11-10 2-9) @ Hastings (11-10 4-7) 4:00 PM CT

• Big game in terms of the last spot in the conference tournament