Warriors Drop Final Game of Cruzin Classic to St. Thomas

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Midland University concluded its play in the 2023 Cruzin Classic on a Wednesday night with a matchup against St. Thomas University. After a battle for 40 minutes, the Warriors fell to the Bobcats, 57-48, on their home floor.

The Bobcats began the opening quarter with a 9-2 run, that featured three consecutive three-pointers. The Warriors battled back with layups from Ellie Bovaird and Aryannah Harrison, but St. Thomas maintained pressure. The opening quarter ended with a 5-1 run by STU as they doubled up its guests, 14-7.

Midland mounted a comeback in the second quarter with a 12-4 run to seize the lead at 21-17. Gabby Beauperthuy and Bovaird paced the Warriors' offense with five and four points, respectively. The Bobcats ended the first-half scoring with a pair of free throws before halftime. MU led 21-19.

After the break, St. Thomas started the third quarter with a layup to pull the game even. Beauperthuy quickly responded with a jump shot, regaining the lead for the Warriors. Consecutive three-pointers by the Bobcats allowed them to reclaim the lead, as the teams traded the lead several times in the third. Midland held a 29-27 lead with five minutes left, but St. Thomas surged ahead, 35-21, thanks to an 8-2 run to end the quarter.

The fourth quarter saw the teams trading baskets once more. A three-pointer by Emma Shepard narrowed the game to a one-point difference, 37-36, with 7:44 to go. The Bobcats embarked on a 6-1 run to widen their lead. As the game entered its final minutes, Midland kept fighting but its shots went awry as the Bobcats secured the 57-48 win.

Aryannah Harrison led the Warriors with 14 points off of the bench. Gabby Beauperthuy finished with 9 points while Ellie Bovaird and Jenna Weber each had 6. Sarah Shepard had a strong showing on the glass with a career-high 10 rebounds.

For the game, Midland shot 17-of-54 (31.5%) while STU was 19-of-56 (33.9%). The Bobcats had a slight edge behind the arc with seven made three-pointers, while the Warriors had five made threes.

Midland (3-10, 0-7 GPAC) will be idle now until the start of the New Year. It will return to action the first week of January when Jamestown (6-6, 3-4 GPAC) comes to town. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2024, inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont, Nebraska.