Warriors Outlast Saint Mary in Non-Conference Clash

FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University hosted the University of Saint Mary on Tuesday night for a non-conference matchup inside the Wikert Event Center. After a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle, the Warriors emerged with an 88-85 victory over the Spires, improving to 4-1 on the season.

Trey McCain opened the game with a jumper, sparking an early surge for the Warriors. Midland quickly built a 22-9 lead within the first five minutes, prompting a timeout from Saint Mary. After the break, the Spires answered with a 17-9 run, hitting five three-pointers to cut the lead to 37-31, leading Midland to call a timeout. Out of the huddle, Saint Mary continued to chip away, scoring a quick 4-0. Jake Orr and Luke Gdowski closed the first half with a 5-0 run, giving Midland a 42-35 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Jake Orr helped ignite a 9-2 run to extend the Warriors' lead. Both teams traded baskets before the Spires launched a 10-0 run, closing the four-point gap. Cole Petersen answered with back-to-back layups, and Ryan Larsen hit a jumper to push Midland's lead back to double digits. The teams continued exchanging points, prompting Saint Mary to call a timeout. Out of the break, the Spires went on a 12-5 run, claiming an 83-82 lead and forcing Midland to call a timeout.

The lead was short-lived. McCain drained a crucial three-pointer to put the Warriors back on top. Both teams took brief timeouts before play resumed, and Jeff Rozelle III went to the free-throw line. Saint Mary answered with a layup, pulling within two points with less than 30 seconds left. Isaiah Smith secured the win for Midland, sinking a free throw down the stretch to seal an 88-85 victory over the Spires.

"With two minutes to go it felt that way [eerily similar to Saturday], We found a way. Made enough plays down the end to win," commented head coach Tyler Erwin after the contest. "We've talked a lot about doing whatever it takes to find a way to win. We were good enough defensively. [We] had a couple of key plays and timely stops that we didn't get on Saturday."

Midland shot 31-of-54 (57.4%) from the field, while Saint Mary finished 33-of-77 (42.9%). The Warriors outperformed the Spires from beyond the arc, hitting 9-of-16 three-pointers (56.3%) compared to Saint Mary's 13-of-32 (40.6%). On the boards, Midland held a 39-31 advantage.

"We had 21 assists on 31 made baskets. We're sharing it and that's the fun part of this team right now," added Coach Erwin. "They don't really care who scores it. They know if we move it, good things will happen. It's a fun group. We're a work in progress but I'm really proud of our efforts tonight."

Ryan Larsen led Midland with 19 points, hitting a career milestone of 1,000 points. Trey McCain added 16, while Jake Orr recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Luke Gdowski and Cole Petersen each contributed 12 points, and Rece Kissinger added 10.

"Our last two games, against Sterling and St. Mary, we kind of scheduled that for a reason," said Coach Erwin about the scheduling. "Both of them can spread you out and Briar Cliff can do similar things. I liked our preparation for both games. One went our way and one didn't, but the biggest thing right now is to get through some film tomorrow and get over the sickness."

Midland (4-1) will kick off Great Plains Athletic Conference play by hosting Briar Cliff (2-3) on Saturday afternoon. The game is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. on November 16 in Fremont.