by SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Morningside College got 31 points from its bench Saturday afternoon and used that depth to fend off a feisty College of Saint Mary squad in the Great Plains Athletic Conference basketball game. The Mustangs beat CSM 81-75.
The Flames never led in the contest but had tied the score at 60-60 heading into the fourth quarter. Morningside then went on a 16-5 run to take control of the frame. CSM brought the game within three points with under a minute remaining, but wasn’t able to pull off the upset.
The Mustangs are currently tied for first place in the GPAC with a 6-1 record, boast an 11-1 overall record and were ranked No. 2 in the most recent NAIA poll. The Flames, meanwhile, are still searching for their first GPAC win. CSM is 0-7 in conference play and 6-8 overall.
“We played OK in the first half, but seemed a bit tentative to start the game,” CSM Coach Jesse Flanagan said. “We had way too many turnovers in the first half.
“The second half we made some lineup changes and played great. Overall, we played fine, but just had to overcome some things that were out of our control.”
Deaundra Young (SR/Mims, FL) led all scorers with 25 points for CSM. The 6-2 senior also had 14 rebounds, seven blocks and five assists. It was her tenth straight double-double in her last 10 games.
Teammate Pilar Aldrich (JR/Winnebago Tribe) scored 14 points, while Justice Ross(JR/Gretna, NE) contributed 13 and Eirenei Alesana (JR/Long Beach, CA) had seven.
“Dee battled and had a great game,” Flanagan said. “And Nei stepped up and played good.”
But, perhaps, Morningside’s bench play was the difference in the game. Leading that charge was non-starter Lauren Lehmkuhl, who had a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds. Also for the Mustangs, Madison Braun scored 15, Jordyn Wollenburg tossed in 12, Jessica Tietz canned 11 and Allison Bachman finished with 10 points.
The Flames are off until Jan. 2 when CSM plays host to Dordt College in a 2 p.m. contest.
