Wire-to-wire triumph keeps Morningside among GPAC top quartet

HASTINGS, NEB. – From a bucket by sophomore guard Aidan Vanderloo (Sioux City, Iowa) to a three-pointer from senior guard Zach Imig (Gretna, Neb.), Morningside University had a lead from the start to finish Wednesday, Jan. 12.

The Mustangs, winning for the third time in their last four outings, consistently kept the pressure on the host Hastings College Broncos throughout the 40 minutes on the Lynn Farrell Arena floor. A torrid shooting night in all disciplines guided head coach Trent Miller's team to improve to 10-5 overall and 7-3 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Mside shot 54.4 percent from the field overall, a sizzling 52.6 from outside the arc, and a respectable 77.8 percent clip from the charity stripe. Due to those significant percentages, the visitors' points column lit up early and often. Sophomore guard Joey Skoff (Bellevue, Neb.) continued to turn heads, compiling 23 points with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. The senior combo of guard Zach Imig (Gretna, Neb.) and center Trey Brown (Gretna, Neb.) were statistical headliners, too, as Imig wound up with 18 points, nine rebounds, and four steals, and Brown totaled 15 points and eight boards. Imig took over the No. 6 slot on the program's all-time points list (1,646), while Brown found himself among the first 10, too, passing Mark Faber (1977-81) for 10^th by going to 1,472.

Junior forward Trey Powers (Omaha, Neb.), coming off the bench to tally 12 points, and Vanderloo with 11 rounded out the double-figure scorers. Morningside built the lead at nearly every instance, taking as large as an 18-point advantage.

Miller's crew, tied for third with Northwestern on the GPAC standings and only a game out of first, returns home to open the second half of the league schedule Saturday, Jan. 15. Game time against Doane University is 3:45 p.m. at Allee Gymnasium of the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center.