Road-opening weekend yields tough-luck results for Morningside

BOURBONNAIS, ILL. – Strong individual performances spotlighted National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' No. 6-ranked Morningside University's appearance in the 2021 Great Plains Athletic Conference – Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Challenge Friday and Saturday, Nov. 5 and 6. 

In a wide-open, end-to-end battle with host Olivet Nazarene University Nov. 6, head coach Jamie Sale's squad received monstrous outputs from senior forwards Taylor Rodenburgh (Hawarden, Iowa) and Sophia Peppers (Exira, Iowa) along with sophomore center Chloe Lofstrom (Armstrong, Iowa). Rodenburgh put up 29 points, grabbed nine boards, and dished out an assist; Peppers was just three rebounds shy of ending with a triple-double, tallying 12 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and blocked shot; and Lofstrom entered off the bench to contribute 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists. However, even with those numbers, the hosts used a 39-22 final period rally to win 106-97.

Their two-day stay in suburban Chicago, Ill., opened with a rematch of an NAIA sectional final from 2020-21. The Saint Xavier University of Illinois used a second-half surge to exact some measure of revenge, gaining a 77-63 victory. Peppers was a handful in the paint again with 17 points, six rebounds, two steals, and a blocked shot, while senior guard Sierra Mitchell (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) began a pair of back-to-back double-digit resumes with 16 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Lofstrom posted another considerable bench effort with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. 

Morningside opens its home season Wednesday, Nov. 10, welcoming the MidAmerica Nazarene University of Kansas to Allee Gymnasium of the Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center for a 6 p.m. tip-off.