By Tad Dorsey

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GPAC Standings

• #1 Morningside defeated RV Southeastern in their only game of the Hoop City Classic at the Corn Palace, 91-82.  The Mustangs started fast, rolling to a 53-37 halftime advantage. The Fire responded in the second half, and got as close as eight, but could not complete the comeback.  Tyler Borchers posted 20 points on 6 of 12 shooting and 7 of 11 at the line. He added 5 rebounds. Zach Imig posted a double double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.  The Mustangs opened a huge week of GPAC play with a 91-87 victory over #23 Mount Marty in Yankton. Morningside’s rebounding made an impact as they outrebounded the Lancers 37-25.  The game was tied at 42 at halftime. Morningside trailed 50-48 early in the first half, when they went on a 6-0 to take the lead for good. Tyler Borchers moved into 4^th all time on the Mustangs scoring list with 1,684 points, passing Brody Egger.  He went 10-14 with 22 points and 8 rebounds. Matt Hahn had 18 points on 6 of 8 shooting while adding 7 assists and 4 rebounds.  The Mustangs finished the week with a very impressive 74-60 victory over #7 Dakota Wesleyan. Morningside fell behind 12-3 early, before composing themselves.  One showing of a contender is being able to find different ways to score, and in the first half the Mustangs did that. Two leading contributors for Morningside, Tyler Borchers and Matt Hahn, combined for 3 points at halftime, but the Mustangs secured a 38-31 lead.  An early 19-0 run proved key. DWU fought back and got within 3, but the Mustangs secured the victory. Zach Imig was solid, going 7 for 11 with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals. Alex Borchers also posted 15 points. After a rough first half, Tyler Borchers rebounded with 10 points in the second half.  Ben Hoskins hit 3 big threes in three attempts and scored 11 points with 6 rebounds. The Mustangs move to 16-0 and 9-0 in the GPAC. The Mustangs host Nebraska Christian on Wednesday and host #19 Northwestern on Saturday.  
• #7 Dakota Wesleyan defeated Trinity International 81-61 in their only game of the Hoop City Classic. It was competitive early, with TIU leading 17-16 with 9:50 left.  The Tigers rebounded to take a double digit lead, before the Trojans cut it to within 1. DWU lead 38-33 at halftime. Tigers found separation in the second half, not allowing TIU to get back in the game. Nick Harden was 7 for 17 and 10 for 11 at the line with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists.  Ty Hoglund went 5 for 14 and 8-8 at the line with 20 points. The Tigers defeated Dakota State on the road, 88-59. Dakota Wesleyan jumped out to a 33-14 lead and never looked back. Samuel McCloud had a strong game, going 7-11 and 4-8 from 3 for 18 points, also adding 8 rebounds. Tyson Smiley also went 7 for 11 with 18 points.  Nick Harden was 6 for 7 with 17 points. The Tigers traveled to #1 Morningside, falling 74-60 to the Mustangs. The Tigers jumped out quick, going up 12-3. Their fans made the trip to Sioux City, and they were loud. The Mustangs scored the next 19 points and never trailed again. Ty Hoglund paced the Tigers with 26 points on 8-21 shooting, making all 8 free throws.  Mason Larson went 5 for 6 with 13 points. DWU is 14-3 and 6-2 in the GPAC. They travel to face #19 Northwestern on Wednesday.  
• #19 Northwestern had a shocking 88-65 loss in hosting Concordia.  An early 15-6 run for the Bulldogs set the tone for this game.  Northwestern trailed 44-32 at halftime. They never got within single digits for the second half.  Jay Small went 5 of 13 with 17 points and 7 reebounds. Keegan Van Egdom was 4-5 with 11 points and 7 rebounds.  Craig Sterk was 5-7 with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Red Raiders narrowly avoided another upset, coming from behind to beat Doane 97-95 in double overtime.    With the Tigers up 74-71 late in regulation, Trent Hilbrands drained a deep three to tie the game with 45 seconds left. Doane took the lead, before Hilbrands hit a free throw jumper to force the first OT.  After falling behind by four in OT, Grant Rohrer scored four in a row, and Hilbrands gave the Raiders the lead. Doane tied it at the end to force 2OT. Hilbrands started the 2OT with a three, and Northwestern lead for the remainder of the game.  Trent Hilbrands went 10 for 17 with 26 points. Jay Small was 5 for 14 with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Grant Rohrer was impressive, going 9 for 10 with 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. The Raiders are now 14-4 overall and 6-2 in the GPAC.  They have a difficult week, hosting #7 Dakota Wesleyan on Wednesday before playing at #1 Morningside on Saturday.    
• #23 Mount Marty played a home game against #1 Morningside, falling 91-87 in a very competitive contest.  They provided no recap of the game. Jordan Johnson had a very big game, going 11 for 15 with 25 points and 6 rebounds.  Chris King scored 27 points on 10-20 shooting, including 7 of 13 from 3. They rebounded with a tight victory over Waldorf, 85-79.  They also provided no recap for this game. Colby Johnson scored 26 points on 10 of 17 shooting with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Chris King added 25 points on 10 of 18 shooting and 5 rebounds.  The Lancers fall to 14-3 and 6-2 in the GPAC.  
•  RV Dordt started the new year with a dominant 91-55 victory over Doane.     The Defenders started with a 32-16 lead and never looked back from that point.  Cade Bleeker had a very strong game going 8-11, all from 3, with 26 points and 4 rebounds.  They fell in their next game, 91-79 at Concordia. The first half was very competitive, with Dordt up 40-39 at halftime.  Out of the half the Defenders went on a 9-0 run for a 49-39 lead. Concordia quickly answered, going ahead 59-57 with 12:35 left.  Concordia hit several clutch threes late to put the game away. Garrett Franken went 10 for 19 with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Zach Bussard was a solid 6 for 7 off the bench with 14 points. Dordt fell to 13-5, and 5-4 in the GPAC. They host #23 Mount Marty on Wednesday for traveling to Nebraska Christian on Saturday.  
• Briar Cliff posted a strong 90-87 victory against Hastings.  The Chargers quickly fell behind 12-0. Briar Cliff rallied in the first half to keep it competitive, trailing 44-39 at halftime.  The Chargers continued to trail for most of the second half, before key shots from Jackson Lamb and Nick Hoyt put the Chargers in the lead.  Another key play-maker late was freshman center Codey Hicks. His offensive rebound and put back put the Chargers up 82-81 with 2:38 left. The Broncos had a chance to take the lead with 18 seconds left, but a block by Hicks protected the lead.  Jackson Lamb had another big game, going 11 for 29 and 10 for 10 at the line for 37 points and 7 rebounds. Nick Hoyt scored 12 points on 4-6 shooting with 2-2 from 3. The Chargers could not keep it rolling with a disappointing 99-86 loss at Midland.  The Chargers shot a scorching 20 for 36 from 3 point range, but their defense couldn’t stop the Warriors, allowing them to shot 57%. 14 turnovers hurt the Chargers. Jaden Kleinhesselink was on fire for the Chargers, going 13 for 18, 5 of 7 from 3, with a career high 34 points and 8 rebounds.  Conner Groves went 7 for 14, 7 for 12 from 3, with 21 points. Nick Hoyt went 5 for 7, all threes, for 18 points. The Chargers also posted victories in the Holiday Classic, beating Waldorf 77-71 and beating Presentation 109-50. The Chargers are 11-7 and 2-6 in the GPAC. They are at Doane on Saturday.  
• Jamestown started the week with a 72-69 win at Midland.  As the score indicates this was a closely contested matchup.  Jamestown had a first half, building a lead of double digits, and holding a 39-31 lead at the break.  Midland rallied to get within 48-46 with 13 minutes left. Midland took the lead with 6:22 left, and lead 66-60 with 5:15 left.  Jamestown trailed 69-66 with 42 seconds left before Terrell Alfred hit back to back threes, to tie the game with 42 seconds left and give Jamestown the lead with 3.3 seconds left.  Alfred finished 7 for 13, all 3s, with 21 points. Brady Birch also had a solid game, going 6 for 11 with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Jamestown lost to visiting Hastings 79-65 in their next game.  The game was tied 65-65 with 8:23 remaining. From that point the Broncos finished on a 14-0 run. Alfred went 8 for 12, 4 for 8 from 3, with 20 points. Schrom was 7 for 13 with 14 points and 6 rebounds.  Jamestown is 11-6 and 3-5 in the GPAC. They host Presentation on Tuesday and are at Concordia on Saturday.  
• Concordia beat Peru State 109-60 to close out 2019.  Concordia fell behind 6-0 early, but quickly rebounded with a 15-0 run, and this one was never close.  There was not an available box score. They opened 2020 with a very impressive 88-65 victory at #19 Northwestern.  This is their first road victory over a ranked conference foe since February 2017. Concordia played well early, leading 34-22 with 7:15 remaining in the first half.  The Raiders were never within ten following that. This was Northwestern’s first home loss of the season. Carter Kent went 7 of 13, including 5 of 8 from three with 25 points.  Gage Smith was 5 of 6 and 3-3 from 3 with 14 points and 6 rebounds. The Bulldogs followed that up with another impressive victory, beating RV Dordt 91-79. Dordt lead in at halftime 47-39 before Concordia made their comeback.  They lead 75-72 with 4:30 left, and they finished with a 16-7 run. Big threes by Carter Kent finished off the Defenders. Carter Kent was 8-11 with 25 points. Tanner Shuck went 7 for 12 with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Brevin Sloup was 6 for 11 with 16 points.  The Bulldogs improve to 11-5 and 4-4 in the GPAC with an impressive week. Wednesday they are at Hastings and they host Jamestown on Saturday.  

• Hastings, like Briar Cliff, swept the Holiday Classic hosted by the Chargers, with victories off Presentation (92-72), and Waldorf (76-49).  They opened up 2020 with a loss at the Chargers 90-87. Hastings started fast, up 12-0, shutting out Briar Cliff for the first 4+ minutes.  The Broncos competed well, but the Chargers’ three point offense was key in the comeback. After a sluggish first half, Bart Hiscock rebounded in the second half, going 8 for 17, 10-13 at the line for 28 points and 11 rebounds.  He was double teamed often in the first half, allowing other shooters to make open shots. Brendan Lipovsky went 7 for 13 with 18 points. The Broncos rebounded with a strong victory at Jamestown, 79-65. Hastings again opened fast, leading 19-12 early.  They did give up a late 12-4 run allowing the Jimmies to get within 36-34 at halftime. The first part of the second half was very competitive, with neither team gaining an edge. A three by Shane Chamberlain put Hastings up 65-62 midway through the half.  Jamestown tied it at 65 with just over 8 minutes remaining. The Broncos defense locked down from there, as they remarkably held Jamestown off the board for the final eight minutes, going on a 14-0 run. Bart Hiscock had another massive game, going 8 for 20, 5 of 9 from 3, with 24 points and 15 rebounds.  Zach Kitten was 8 for 12 with 18 points and 77 rebounds. The Broncos are 9-9 and 2-6 in the GPAC. They host Concordia on Wednesday.  

• To close out 2019, Midland lost their exhibition game against Creighton 91-54, and split two games in the Bellevue Classic, beating Graceland 76-71, and losing to the College of the Ozarks 105-95.  They opened 2020 with a competitive 72-69 loss aginst Jamestown. At halftime the Warriors trailed 39-31, but they rallied in the second half to take a late lead. They lead 69-66 in the final minute, before the Jimmies hit back to back threes to thwart the comeback.  The Warriors were led by Samuel Mailloux going 6 for 15 with 16 points and 5 rebounds. The Warriors followed the tough loss with an upset over Briar Cliff, 99-86. The 99 points is a season high for the Warriors. Midland saw a 54-44 halftime lead. This lead grew to 14 early in the second half, before a 12-0 BCU run made the game close again.  Midland countered with an 8-0 run. Midland was impressive from the free throw line, closing the game out with a 17 for 19 effort. They also committed a season low four turnovers. Bowen Sandquist played all 40 minutes, scoring 30 points on 10 of 15, 8 for 13 from 3, shooting. Emanuel Bryson went 6 for 7 with 16 points and 6 rebounds, while Samuel Mailloux was 6 for 10 with 16 points. Midland improves to 5-10 and 2-6 in the GPAC.  

•  Doane closed out 2019 with an exhibition loss to Colorado State, 87-62.  They opened the new year with a 91-55 loss to RV Dordt on the road. Doane struggled on offense, shooting just 30% and 5 for 27 from 3.  Anthony Laravie had 13 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Their next game was much more competitive, as they fell 97-95 in 2OT against #19 Northwestern.  Doane was up 37-30 at halftime. The 2^nd half was very competitive, seeing 8 lead changes, as Northwestern came back with 64% shooting after halftime.  Northwestern hit a basket late to force OT. In OT the Tigers trailed by 2 when Anthony Laravie tied the game with a two point jumper.  Northwestern’s three point shooting in 2OT was to much for Doane to overcome. Joe Burt had a career game for Doane, post a career high 23 points and a career high 7 rebounds.  Laravie had 17 points, while Garren Pauli posted 14 points and a career high 8 rebounds. Doane falls to 4-13 and 0-8 in the GPAC. 

TAD’S POWER RANKINGS

1. Morningside – Created some real distance in the GPAC standings
2. Mount Marty (+1) – Showed some real competitiveness in the loss against Morningside
3. Dakota Wesleyan (-1) – Ty Hoglund was the best player on the floor in the big time showdown with Morningside 
4. Northwestern (-) – Tough week, survived an upset attempt from Doane
5. Dordt (-) – Rough loss to Concordia
6. Concordia (+2) – Big week with upsets over 19 Northwestern and RV Dordt
7. Jamestown (-1) – Split a few conference games
8. Briar Cliff (-1) – Inconsistency hurt them, the defense has to improve if they want to compete
9. Hastings – Played tough in a loss to BCU before a very strong victory over Jamestown
10. Midland (-) – Best game of the season in the win over Briar Cliff
11. Doane (-) – Nearly got their first conference victory 

Stat Leaders

Points Per Game

1. Jackson Lamb (BCU) 23.72 ppg
2. Ty Hoglund (DWU) 23.24 ppg
3. Bart Hiscock (HAS) 22.22 ppg
4. Chris King (MMC) 21.63 ppg
5. Trent Hilbrands (NWC) 17.94 ppg

FG%

• Tyler Borchers (MOR) 66.0%
• Brock Schrom (JAM) 64.0%
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 58.4%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 57.5%
• Tyson Smiley (DWU) 55.7%

3pt%

• Nick Hoyt (BCU) 58.7%
• Ben Hoskins (MOR) 52.4%
• Jaden Kleinhesselink (BCU) 49.3%
• Cade Bleeker (DOR) 48.9%
• Laurence Merritt (MID) 48.1%

Free Throw %

• Jay Small (NWC) 98.0%
• Isaiah Dobson (JAM) 91.1%
• Jackson Lamb (BCU) 90.6%
• Ty Hoglund (DWU) 86.6%
• Colby Johnson (MMC) 78.6%

Assists per game

• Nick Harden (DWU) 4.25 apg
• Zach Imig (MOR) 4.13 apg
• Jordan Johnson (MMC) 3.81 apg
• Matt Hahn (MOR) 3.44 apg
• Isaiah Dobson (JAM) 3.40 apg

Rebounds per game

• Bart Hiscock (HAS) 8.44 rpg
• Garrett Franken (DOR) 8.17 rpg
• Chuol Biel (CON) 7.50 rpg
• Miguel Lopez (DOA) 7.29 rpg
• Jack Talley (JAM) 7.07 rpg

Blocks per game

• Chuol Biel (CON) 1.88 bpg
• Brock Schrom (JAM) 1.59 bpg
• Craig Sterk (NWC) 1.41 bpg
• Josh Van Lingen (DOR) 0.94 bpg
• Tyler Borchers (MOR) 0.87 bpg

Steals per game

• Isiah Sykes (DOA) 2.00 spg
• Laurence Merritt (MID) 1.64 spg
• Elijah Pappas (MMC) 1.64 spg
• Nick Harden (DWU) 1.50 spg
• Zach Imig (MOR) 1.44 spg

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Wednesday January 8^th

7 Dakota Wesleyan (14-3 6-2) @ 19 Northwestern (14-4 6-2) 8:00 PM CT

23 Mount Marty (14-3 6-2) @ RV Dordt (13-5 5-4) 8:00 PM CT

Saturday January 11^th 

19 Northwestern (14-3 6-2) @ 1 Morningside (16-0 9-0) 4:00 PM CT

Jamestown (11-6 3-5) @ Concordia (11-5 4-4) 4:00 PM CT