By Tad Dorsey

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GPAC Standings

• #1 Morningside continued its undefeated streak, as the only undefeated team in NAIA Division II.  They started the week by knocking off RV Concordia 85-72, ending the Bulldogs’ 7 game winning streak.  The Mustangs had to weather the storm in this one, as Concordia shot the ball very well early on to build a ten-point lead.  The Mustangs used a 23-9 run in the last 10:30 of the first half to go into the break up 39-34. They continued the momentum into the 2^nd half, as they scored a 16-5 run out of the break for a 55-39 lead.  This was a record-breaking game for Tyler Borchers, as his fourth field goal of the game was the 690^th of his Morningside career, braking Chris Kuhlmann’s school record.  He finished 9 for 18 with 23 points and 11 rebounds. They finished the week with yet another win over a ranked team, with a workmanlike 91-72 victory over #17 Mount Marty.  The Morningside defense had a tough task of slowing down an impressive shooting Lancer team, and they were up for it. The Lancers shot just 33.3% from 3. The game was tied 11-11 with 12:56 left in the first half when Morningside went on another big run, 22-5.  This led to a 43-28 halftime lead. This Morningside team has a knack for turning tight games into blowouts if you blink. Mount Marty made a few runs in the 2^nd half, but never got within 12.  This time it was Alex Borchers leading the Mustangs, as he went 7 for 10 with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.  Matt Hahn was 4 for 10 with 15 points and 5 rebounds. He hit some impressive deep threes. Morningside runs their record to a perfect 22-0, 14-0 in the GPAC.  They have a 4-game lead over Dakota Wesleyan for first in the GPAC with 6 games to go. Wednesday they travel to Hastings before the Battle for the Saddle at Briar Cliff on Saturday.  
• #10 Dakota Wesleyan had a bit of a let-down with a 73-64 home loss to Hastings.  It was a tight contest early on, with a dunk from Koln Oppold tying the game at 21 midway through the first half.  The Broncos ended the half on a 14-6 run for a 35-28 lead. Another early second half run gave Hastings a 50-37 lead with 15 minutes left.  4 quick points from Ty Hoglund cut the lead to 4 points with just under 6 minutes to go, but the Tigers could not get any closer. Koln Oppold was impressive in defeat, going 10 for 19 with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.  He’s done a solid job for DWU since Nick Harden has been out. The Tigers fall to 17-4 and 9-3 in the GPAC. They are in 2^nd place, 4 game back of Morningside and 1.5 up on Mount Marty.  They have a pair of home games this week, hosting Jamestown on Wednesday before matching up with RV Concordia on Saturday. 
• #17 Mount Marty defeated Nebraska Christian 67-56 in Omaha.  The Lancers used a 10-0 run in the first half to take the momentum and led 34-29 at half time.  The Sentinels cut the led 2 early on in the first half, but Mount Marty took back control to seal the win.  Colby Johnson had a big game, going 8-11 (4-5 from 3) with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Chris King had a great game, scoring 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 steals.  The Lancers fell 91-72 against #1 Morningside in Sioux City. It seemed likely that the only way they could beat the Mustangs was a strong night from 3, and that certainly did not happen.  11-33 from 3 was not going to be enough to get the job done. The biggest concern for Mount Marty from this game is the health of Chris King, who struggled walking off the court late in the game.  Before the injury King had an impressive game, going 9 for 21 (3-6 from 3) with 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. He had a very impressive step back three that was well defended. The Lancers fall to 17-6 on the season, 8-5 in the GPAC.  They are third place, 1.5 behind DWU and 0.5 up on Concordia, Northwestern, and Dordt.  
• RV Concordia could not continue their 7-game win streak, as they fell 85-72 against #1 Morningside.  Things started quickly for the Bulldogs, as they hit 8 of their first 10 shots for a 21-11 lead early on.  Morningside responded with a 28-9 run that extended into the 2^nd half.  The Bulldogs could not get within 10 in the last 15 minutes of the game.  Sam Scrapelli had an impressive effort, going 6-10, (5-8 from 3) with 21 points, all in the 2^nd half.  Brevin Sloup was 7 for 15 with 18 points and 5 assists.  Concordia traveled to River Forest, Illinois for the Concordia Invitational Tournament.  Their first matchup was Concordia-Ann Arbor, and the Bulldogs had a strong 79-57 victory.  The Bulldogs absolutely dominated the first half, taking a double-digit lead with 13:18 left, and only extending it from there.  AJ Watson nailed a buzzer beating three before halftime as the Bulldogs doubled up the Cardinals, with a 50-24 lead. CUAA could never really threaten CUNE in the 2^nd half.  Scrapelli again led the Bulldogs, going 5 for 10 with 15 points and 3 assists.  Tanner Shuck also had a solid game, going 5 for 12 with 13 points. The Bulldogs were even more impressive in the CIT title game, beating Concordia-Wisconsin 92-55.  The Bulldogs once again put the game away in the 1^st half, leading 53-33 at halftime.  They hit 11 three pointers in the first half alone, which is the same amount of total shots CUW hit in the frame.  Tanner Shuck, who was named the CIT MVP, went 7 for 13 with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Justin Wiersema went 6 for 9 with 15 points and 4 assists.  The Bulldogs go to 16-6 on the season, 7-5 in the GPAC. They are in a three-way tie for 4^th in the GPAC with NWC and Dordt.  They are 0.5 games behind Mount Marty and 1.5 up on Jamestown and Hastings.  The Bulldogs host Northwestern on Wednesday before a trip to the Corn Palace against #10 DWU on Saturday. 
• Northwestern got back in the win column with an 89-76 victory over Briar Cliff.  It was a back and forth game early on, before the Raiders went on a 13-0 run, with 11 points from Jay Small, to take a 31-20 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half.  The would not relinquish that lead. The Chargers did cut into the lead, making the score 53-48 at halftime. A 9-3 run out of the half gave the Raiders a 62-51 lead. Briar Cliff could not get within 6 for the rest of the game.  Trent Hilbrands had a big game, going 10-23 with 26 points and 6 rebounds. Jay Small was also impressive, going 8 for 15 with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Keegan Van Egdom recorded his first career double double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.  The Raiders improve to 15-7 and 7-5 in the GPAC. They are in the 4^th place tie with Dordt and Concordia in the GPAC.  They have a pair of tricky road games this week, playing at RV Concordia on Wednesday before the long trip to Hastings on Saturday.  
• RV Dordt posted a pair of close victories this week.  They beat Jamestown 77-75 in Sioux Center. This is a good matchup as the teams split this year, with Jamestown winning in overtime in December.  The first half was close, as neither team lead by more than 4. Josh Van Lingen assisted a Garrett Franken layup at the end of the first half giving Dordt the 40-39 lead.  Dordt built a lead in the 2^nd half, going up seven on a three from Marcus Winterfeld with 12:46 left.  The Jimmies had a run to answer, as they took a 67-66 lead with 5:26 left.  Dordt trailed 75-71 with 3:16 left. They tied it at 75 with back to back baskets by Van Lingen.  Just like the first half, Van Lingen assisted Franken for the go-ahead basket with 5 seconds left.  Garrett Franken finished 7 for 13 with 15 points and 3 rebounds. Josh van Lingen went 7 for 11 with 15 points and 3 assists.  Zach Bussard was also impressive, going 6 for 9 with 14 points and 8 rebounds. The Defenders also edged Doane 75-69 in Crete. Dordt led for basically the entire game, despite never really being able to pull away.  The Defenders used a 16-8 run late in the first half to take a 39-28 lead. They would be up 41-33 at halftime. Doane kept battling in the second half, but never got within a score in the 2^nd half.  Jesse Jansma had a good game, going 6 for 9 with 15 points and 4 rebounds.  Marcus Winterfeld was 8 for 10 at the free throw line to help put away the game, finishing with 12 points and 4 rebounds.  Zach Bussard was 5 for 6 with 14 points and 5 rebounds. The Defenders improve to 17-7 and 8-6 in the GPAC. They are tied with NWC and RV Concordia for 4^th in the GPAC.  They play at Midland on Saturday.  

• Jamestown lost a heartbreaking game at Dordt, 77-75.  The game was a very competitive affair, which is what you expect in this conference.  Late in the game the Jimmies took a 4-point lead with a free throw from Mason Walters and a basket from Brady Birch.  The Defenders ended the game on a 6-0 run to seal the victory. Jack Talley had a strong performance, going 8-19 (5-11 from 3) with 21 points,10 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Brady Birch was 6 of 9 with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Isaiah Dobson was 5 for 10 (4-9 from 3) with 16 points and 6 assists. Great to see Mason Walters back on the court playing a significant role again.  He played 28 minutes off the benching, going 4-5 with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. The Jimmie offense exploded with a 102-60 victory over Midland. The Jimmies saw a 55-33 lead at halftime, and immediately extended it with a 19-6 run to start the 2^nd half.  This game was never close.  Mason Walters was 8 for 11 with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals.  Jack Talley added 18 points and 9 rebounds. The Jimmies are 6-7 in the GPAC and 15-8 overall.  They are tied with Hastings for 8^th in the GPAC, 1.5 back of the three teams tied for 4^th, and 3 games up on Midland.  Big week for the Jimmies, as they play at #10 Dakota Wesleyan on Wednesday before hosting #17 Mount Marty on Saturday.  

•  Hastings had a massive week.  They started by knocking off another top 20 team, impressively beating #10 Dakota Wesleyan 73-64 at the Corn Palace.  Hastings maintained an early lead after Mason Hiemstra opened the game with two threes for the 6-0 lead. Late baskets by Hiemstra and Shane Chamberlain allowed the Broncos to go into halftime up 35-28.  Early in the 2^nd half Hiemstra made four consecutive baskets to put Hastings up by double digits.  DWU made things interesting with an 8-0 run cutting the lead to 62-58 with 6:12 left.  Hastings quickly got the momentum back with another three from Hiemstra. Hastings secured the win.  Hiemstra had a big game, going 9-14 (4-6 from 3) with a career high 24 points and 6 rebounds. Zach Kitten was 5 for 12 with 14 points and 10 rebounds.  The Broncos pushed their win streak to 4 with another strong victory, beating Briar Cliff 96-88. Star big man Bart Hiscock missed this game with an illness.  The score was very misleading, as Hastings was up by 20+ for most of the last 10 minutes before a late run by the Chargers. Briar Cliff scored the first 8 points, and after that point it was all Broncos.  Three straight baskets by Hiemstra forced a 16-16 draw. The Broncos used back to back threes from Karson Gansebom late in the half to take a 45-35 lead. The Broncos put on a 3 point clinic in the 2^nd half to put the Chargers away.  Hiemstra finished 9 for 15 with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.  Chamberlain was 8-11 (5-7 from 3) with 21 points. The Broncos improve to 13-10, and 6-7 in the GPAC.  They are tied for 7^th with Jamestown.  They have a difficult task next week, hosting #1 Morningside on Wednesday and Northwestern on Saturday.  

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Currently Out of Conference Tournament

• Midland was not competitive against Jamestown, falling 102-60.  Bowen Sandquist scored 22 points in the loss. Kylan Smallwood added 13.  The Warriors fall to 7-13 and 3-10 in the GPAC. They are 9^th in the Conference, 3 games back of Jamestown and Hastings.  They need a big run to get into contention for the conference tournament.  They host RV Dordt on Saturday.  
• Briar Cliff had another rough week, going 0-2.  They lost at Northwestern 89-76. Early on the game was fairly even.  A three pointer by Nick Hoyt gave the Chargers an early lead at 20-18, before the Raiders scored the next 13 points for a 31-20 lead.  The Raiders led 53-48 at halftime. Briar Cliff was within 4 late despite trailing by double digits for a vast majority of the 2^nd half.  Jackson Lamb led the Chargers with 8 for 16 shooting, scoring 20 points and 6 rebounds.  Nick Hoyt went 5-9 (all threes) for 15 points. The Chargers had a disappointing showing at Hastings, falling 96-88.  After Jackson Lamb scored the game’s first 8 points, the Chargers defense struggled to stop Hastings. The Chargers trailed 45-35 at halftime.  The fell behind by as much as 25 in the 2^nd half.  The Chargers had a late three-point barrage to make the score look a lot closer than the game actually was.  Jackson Lamb scored 17 points and added 5 rebounds. Briar Cliff falls below .500 for the first time this season, at 11-12 and just 2-11 in the conference.  Briar Cliff is in 10^th place, and at 4 games back of 8^th is in grave danger of missing the GPAC tournament after making the Elite Eight a season ago.  The Chargers are at 17 Mount Marty on Wednesday before hosting top ranked Morningside on Saturday.  
•  Doane competed well against RV Dordt, falling 75-69.  Dordt led by as many as 15, but the Tigers battled back to trim the lead back down.  Anthony Laravie went 10 for 18 with 28 points. The Tigers fall to 5-17 and 1-12 in the GPAC.  They are last in the conference, 5 games out of the tournament. They host Nebraska Christian on Wednesday before playing at #17 Mount Marty on Saturday.   

TAD’S POWER RANKINGS

1. Morningside (-) – They don’t stop getting big wins.   
2. Dakota Wesleyan (-) – Rough loss to Hastings
3. Mount Marty (-) – Need to get the shooting back on track  
4. Dordt (-) – A pair of tight conference victories
5. Concordia (-) – Showed up well in the CIT
6. Northwestern (-) – Strong showing against Briar Cliff
7. Hastings (+1) – Four game winning streak, playing good basketball
8. Jamestown (-1) – This is a talented team, could be a tough matchup for top teams
9. Briar Cliff (-) – Rough losses this week
10. Midland (-) – Ran into a buzzsaw against Jamestown
11. Doane (-) – Showed some fight against Dordt 

Stat Leaders

Points Per Game

1. Jackson Lamb (BCU) 23.14 ppg
2. Ty Hoglund (DWU) 21.45 ppg
3. Bart Hiscock (HAS) 21.32 ppg
4. Chris King (MMC) 20.59 ppg
5. Trent Hilbrands (NWC) 17.96 ppg

FG%

• Tyler Borchers (MOR) 64.8%
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 58.2%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 57.8%
• Zach imig (MOR) 53.3%
• Bart Hiscock (HAS) 52.0%

3pt%

• Nick Hoyt (BCU) 55.2%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 49.5%
• Ben Hoskins (MOR) 48.2%
• Jaden Kleinhesselink (BCU) 47.4%
• Cade Bleeker (DOR) 46.8%

Free Throw %

• Jackson Lamb (BCU) 90.3%
• Isaiah Dobson (JAM) 89.2%
• Ty Hoglund (DWU) 87.4%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 80.0%
• Chris King (MMC) 79.0%

Assists per game

• Nick Harden (DWU) 4.25 apg
• Jordan Johnson (MMC) 4.05 apg
• Zach Imig (MOR) 4.05 apg
• Isaiah Dobson (JAM) 3.79 apg
• Matt Hahn (MOR) 3.59 apg

Rebounds per game

• Bart Hiscock (HAS) 8.36 rpg
• Garrett Franken (DOR) 7.42 rpg
• Miguel Lopez (DOA) 7.36 rpg
• Jack Talley (JAM) 7.30 rpg
• Chuol Biel (CON) 6.95 rpg

Blocks per game

• Chuol Biel (CON) 1.70 bpg
• Brock Schrom (JAM) 1.52 bpg
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 1.24 bpg
• Tyler Borchers (MOR) 0.91 bpg
• Josh Van Lingen (DOR) 0.79 bpg

Steals per game

• Chris King (MMC) 1.77 spg
• Isiah Sykes (DOA) 1.68 spg
• Mason Hiemstra (HAS) 1.52 spg
• Nick Harden (DWU) 1.50 spg
• Laurence Merritt (MID) 1.44 spg

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Wednesday January 29^th

#1 Morningside (22-0 14-0) @ Hastings (13-10 6-7) 8:00 PM CT

• Hopefully Bart Hiscock is good to go, as a matchup with Tyler Borchers is must see basketball

Northwestern (15-7 7-5) @ RV Concordia (16-6 7-5) 8:00 PM CT

• Tied in the standings, looking for a top 4 seed to get a first round GPAC Tournament home game

Saturday February 1^st 

#1 Morningside (22-0 14-0) @ Briar Cliff (11-12 2-11) 4:00PM CT

• Battle for the Saddle.  

RV Concordia (16-6 7-5) @ #10 Dakota Wesleyan (17-4 9-3) 4:00 PM CT

• DWU looking to get back on track