Vollertsen leads Mustangs to GPAC opening win

FREMONT, Neb. — The Morningside women's basketball team stayed unbeaten with a 64-52 road win over Midland on Saturday afternoon, opening Great Plains Athletic Conference play on a high note.

The RV Mustangs (5-0, 1-0 GPAC) overcame a slow start and used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away, outscoring the Warriors 27-10 over the final 10 minutes. Morningside shot 61 percent in the fourth, finishing the game at 36.6 percent overall and 15 percent from three-point range.

Lily Vollertsen turned in a monster double-double with 14 points and 19 rebounds — 13 of them defensive — to pace the Mustangs. Jaeden Webb filled the stat sheet with 14 points, nine assists, five rebounds and two steals, while Clancy Brown added 13 points, six rebounds and a team-high six steals. Kinsey Hall contributed eight points and five boards.

Morningside held Midland to 33 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers, turning those into 21 points on the other end. The Mustangs also dominated inside, outscoring the Warriors 44-26 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 48-44.

After trailing 12-10 after the first quarter, Morningside limited Midland to just six points in the second, taking a 21-18 lead into halftime before breaking the game open in the closing minutes.

The Mustangs travel to Mitchell, S.D., on Wednesday to face Dakota Wesleyan in another GPAC matchup.