Warriors Surrender Lead Late; Drop Season Opener

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Midland University opened up its 2023-24 season on a Friday afternoon as they faced Dickinson State University in the first game of the Chick-fil-A Classic in Bellevue, Nebraska. Despite leading most of the game, the Warriors fell to the Blue Hawks 68-66 in their season opener.

Sarah Shepard got things going for the Warriors, scoring the opening basket of the game and the season. After trading baskets back and forth, Midland started to pull away from Dickinson State. Gabby Beauperthuy and Jenna Weber sparked an 11-0 run with layups and a free throw, followed by back-back three-pointers from Kennedy Darner and Rubie Klausen. As the quarter drew to a close, the Blue Hawks were able to end the run with a layup. Midland finished the first with a 12-point lead, 20-8.

Looking to chip away at its deficit, Dickinson State pulled back within single digits midway through the quarter. Back-to-back three-pointers from Rubie Klausen and Emma Shepard pushed the Midland lead back out to 15 points just before the break. The Warriors led 36-21 at halftime.

After the intermission, Dickinson State started the third quarter rolling with a 6-0 run. A layup from Bailee Hart ended the run as Midland adjusted to the Blue Hawks' second-half game plan. The teams traded baskets with MU able to use a three-pointer from by Emma Shepard to go up by 14 heading into the final 10 minutes of play, 58-44.

The Warriors' offense started to slow down as the Blue Hawks began to pick up their defensive pressure. A 17-4 run pulled them within a point, 62-61, with 3:38 to play. After a free throw by Aryanna Harrison, DSU tied the game at 63-63 with under three minutes to go.

Midland moved ahead with another free throw by Harrison, but its lead was short-lived as Dickinson State responded with a layup with 1:50 on the clock and then added a free throw to go up 66-64 heading into the final 39 seconds.

After a timeout to advance the ball, Emma Shepard was fouled on a drive to the basket. She stepped up to the foul line and made both free throws to bring the game back to a tie. With the clock winding down, Dickinson State scored the go-ahead basket with 14 seconds. A last-chance attempt by the Warriors was defended by the Blue Hawks to preserve their win, 68-66.

Gabby Beauperthuy and Rubie Klausen led the way in scoring with 11 points each. They were followed by Emma Shepard and Jenna Weber with nine points each.

Beauperthuy added eight rebounds, three steals, and a pair of assists to her stat line, leading the team in two of the categories. Rubie Klausen led the way for the Warriors with three assists off of the bench.

For the game, Midland shot 21-of-58 (36.2%) while Dickinson State was 25-of-58 (43.1%). The Warriors had an edge at the foul line, making 15-of-24 attempts, while the Blue Hawks were 11-of-17.

Midland (0-1) will be back in action on Saturday, October 28 as they take on Bellevue, who is competing in the evening game of the classic. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. inside the Gordan Lozier Athletic Center in Bellevue.