Warriors Fall Short on the Road Against (RV) Saint Mary

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – Midland University traveled to Leavenworth, Kansas, to face (RV) Saint Mary in a nonconference game Tuesday night. The Warriors fall after a hard fought battle 79-65.

The Spires got on the board first with an early free-throw opportunity. Jeff Rozelle III responded with a jumper as the teams began to trade baskets back and forth. Saint Mary called a timeout as Midland led 6-5 at the 14-minute mark.

After the short break, the Spires sparked an 11-4 run to take a 16-10 lead. Jake Orr broke the scoring drought for the Warriors with a layup and free throw, followed by a jumper from Aiden Sandbothe to bring it back to a one-point game with 10 minutes left in the first half.

A three-pointer by the Spires extended their lead to 19-15 as Midland called a timeout. After the break, both teams battled defensively during a scoreless stretch before the Spires ended the drought with a free throw and a dunk. Nick Dolezal answered with a dunk of his own, followed by a layup from Amari Rahaman to make it a three-point game heading into the final five minutes.

A 4-2 run by Saint Mary gave them a five-point lead, 26-21, before another timeout. After the break, Orr led a 5-2 run to make it a two-point game. With time winding down, Saint Mary hit a jumper before Orr connected on a three-pointer to close the gap. The Warriors trailed 30-29 at halftime.

After intermission, Butch Lordeus opened the half with a three-pointer to give Midland a 32-30 lead. The Spires responded with a 13-1 run to push the lead to double digits, prompting a Warrior timeout.

After the break, Rozelle III sank two free throws before Saint Mary called another timeout. The Spires continued to build momentum with an 8-2 run to extend their lead to 51-37 with 13 minutes remaining. Cole Petersen hit a jumper, but the Spires answered with a three-pointer as both teams traded baskets.

Rahaman made two free throws and Orr added a layup for a 4-0 Warrior run, but Saint Mary maintained control. A dunk by the Spires fueled a 6-3 run to keep their lead at 65-50. Rozelle III hit a three-pointer to start an 8-2 Midland run, but Saint Mary answered with three consecutive baskets to push the score to 73-58. After a timeout with less than two minutes remaining, the Spires closed the game on a 6-3 run before Lordeus capped the night with a three-pointer. Midland fell to (RV) Saint Mary on the road, 79-65.

From the field, Midland shot 23-of-62 (37.1%), while Saint Mary shot 33-of-69 (47.8%).

Dolezal led the Warriors with 15 points, followed by Lordeus with 14, Rozelle III with 11, and Orr with 10.

"Defensively, we gave ourselves a chance tonight," head coach Tyler Erwin said. "We had some really good possessions. We got some stops in a row, guarded well, and did some good things on the defensive end — not perfect, but we're taking steps in the right direction.

Offensively, we really struggled in all phases — at the rim, from the free-throw line, and behind the arc. We've gotten good looks and good shots within the flow of our offense but haven't been able to knock them down. I know at some point this season the floodgates will open, but that was the difference tonight."

Midland (0-3) will take a weeklong break after playing four games in nine days before traveling back to Kansas to face Sterling College (1-2) in a nonconference matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Sterling, Kansas.