RV Mustangs surge past Dordt, become first to 10 GPAC wins

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — With a 102-80 win Wednesday over Dordt, the RV Morningside men's basketball team became the first squad this season to reach 10 conference victories.

Morningside (13-5, 10-1 GPAC) earned its 10th straight Great Plains Athletic Conference win by outscoring the Defenders 52-36 in the second half, fueled by a decisive 21-5 run that spanned 4 minutes, 49 seconds from the end of the first half into the second.

"We did a nice job of sharing the basketball," head coach Trent Miller said on the KMNS-AM postgame show. "I liked how we took care of the ball, and it set us up offensively to be successful."

The win also was No. 100 for Miller, who became head coach in March 2021. 

Alex Wilcoxson scored 12 points during that key stretch and finished with a game-high 26, matching his season high set Nov. 22 against Mount Marty. The sophomore from Gretna, Nebraska, consistently found space off screens and capitalized.

"He felt it today," Miller said. "His teammates got him open. He used multiple screens, kept his eyes on the rim and had his feet ready to shoot."

Wilcoxson was one of five Mustangs in double figures. Daniel Brocaille and Kaden Van Regenmorter each knocked down three 3-pointers, with Brocaille scoring 17 points and Van Regenmorter adding 16. Tyson Odvody chipped in 12 points, while Fitzy Grant added 11 off the bench.

Though he didn't reach double figures, Caleb Dreckman played a key role, dishing out a team-high five assists as part of Morningside's 20-assist night.

Defensively, the Mustangs held Dordt to 33 percent shooting in the second half, limited the Defenders to four 3-pointers, and forced eight turnovers after halftime.

"We got hands on the ball," Miller said. "We made them put it on the floor and poked it out. We'll see them again at home (on Feb. 4,) and we know we'll have to be at our best because they're well coached."

All 14 Mustangs who dressed saw action, including freshman Kyle Cannon, who scored his first collegiate basket.

Morningside has Saturday off before returning home Wednesday, Jan. 21, to host Dakota Wesleyan.