No. 17 Mustangs outlast Grand View 95-84
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 17 Mustangs survived a scare in the first half, but a second half explosion lifted Morningside to a 95-84 in front of the home crowd at Allee Gymnasium and the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 17 Mustangs survived a scare in the first half, but a second half explosion lifted Morningside to a 95-84 in front of the home crowd at Allee Gymnasium and the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center.
The Mustangs trailed 44-42 at the half, in large part to costly turnovers on one end of the court and hot shooting from the Vikings on the other end.
Ely Doble was a workhorse in the first half, totaling 12 points and six rebounds on 5-of-6 shooting. The Mustangs shot over 70% from the field in the first half, but 14 turnovers compared to seven for the Vikings allowed Grand View to hold the slim halftime advantage.
The Mustangs were dominating the glass in the first half, 15-5, as Grand View's game plan to limit Morningside's transition offense was working, holding Morningside to four fast-break points.
The Mustangs took the advantage early in the second half, settling in and limiting turnovers while still shooting well from the floor. Morningside committed just three second half turnovers and shot better than 60% at 20-32 in the final 20 minutes.
Justin Sitti was the star of the show in the second half, and more specifically from the 14 minute mark to the seven minute mark of the half. In that stretch, Sitti scored all 14 of his points, including converting on a pair of three-pointers, and added two rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He finished a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor for 14 points and added five rebounds.
When Sitti checked out, Morningside led 81-72 with 6:03 to play. The Mustangs held strong from there to seal a double-digit victory. Doble finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Doble missed just one shot in the game. Joey Skoff added 17 points and Jack Dotzler 13 points and six assists. Brendan Buckley pitched in 12 points and seven rebounds.
Morningside returns to conference action Saturday, Jan. 6 at Hastings. The Broncos are unbeaten in conference play. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. in Hastings.