Warriors’ Upset Bid Falls Just Short Against No. 7 Northwestern

FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University hosted No. 7-ranked Northwestern College on Saturday evening in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) matchup. Despite a hard-fought battle that featured six ties, the Warriors came up just short, falling 74-71.

Trey McCain opened the game for Midland with a layup, setting the tone for a tightly contested contest. Both teams exchanged baskets early, keeping the score tied at 14-14 before Midland called a timeout. After the break, the back-and-forth action continued. Northwestern capitalized on a 6-0 run to take the lead with five minutes left in the half. Jake Orr and Noah Sandbothe answered with a 4-0 run for the Warriors, prompting a Northwestern timeout.

Following the pause, Northwestern scored another 4-0 run, but Rece Kissinger and McCain quickly responded with a 5-0 run to keep the game close. Both teams earned trips to the free-throw line, but the Warriors turned up the pressure in the final minute, ending the half on a 6-0 run to take a narrow 36-33 lead.

After halftime, Northwestern opened the second half with a free throw, and the back-and-forth rhythm resumed. Midland called for an early timeout, but the Red Raiders emerged with a 4-2 spurt before being whistled for another timeout. The Red Raiders then surged ahead with an 11-0 run, forcing Midland to call another timeout.

The Warriors responded out of the break as Orr sank a three-pointer to spark a 7-0 run, cutting the deficit to one. Northwestern countered with a 9-2 run to extend its lead. McCain stepped up for Midland with a three-pointer and a jump shot, bringing the Warriors back into contention as they called a timeout with one minute remaining.

Out of the break, Northwestern scored on a layup, but McCain answered with another three-pointer. The Red Raiders added another basket, but Orr drilled a three-pointer to bring the game within two points.

With just eight seconds remaining, Midland called its final timeout. Northwestern hit a free throw after the break, and Midland got off a final shot, but it fell short as the Warriors suffered a narrow 74-71 loss.

"Credit to Northwestern — they're a national tournament team and are really good," said Midland head coach Tyler Erwin. "Coming back from the break, we've re-energized and done some great things over these past two games. Tonight, we followed the game plan. Aside from a few missed free throws and a three- or four-minute stretch we'd like to have back, we played the tempo and style we wanted. Even though the result didn't go our way, I'm really proud of our guys."

McCain led the Warriors with 28 points, followed by Orr with 14 and Kissinger with 12.

For the game, Midland shot 27-of-55 (49.1%), while Northwestern shot 26-of-59 (44.1%). The Red Raiders were 16-of-25 (64%) at the free-throw line, while Midland was 9-of-18 (50%).

Midland (7-10, 2-7 GPAC) will look to bounce back next week with a road game at Hastings (1-14, 0-8 GPAC). The Warriors and Broncos will tipoff for the first time this season on Wednesday, January 8 inside Lynn Farrell Arena in Hastings, Neb.