Warriors Drop Conference Clash at (RV) Northwestern

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Midland University traveled to Orange City, Iowa to take on (RV) Northwestern College on Monday evening. Originally scheduled for Saturday, the game was postponed due to inclement weather in the region. Despite the Warriors' determined efforts to start a conference winning streak, they faced a second-half surge from the Red Raiders and ultimately fell 73-53 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) game.

Emma Shepard kicked off the opening quarter with a layup. After quiet minutes from both teams, Northwestern ended the scoreless streak with consecutive layups. Gabby Beauperthuy ignited a 5-1 run with a three-pointer, followed with a layup by Sarah Shepard. The Red Raiders took control as they went on a 16-6 run, finishing the first quarter with a 21-13 lead.

Continuing their momentum, the Red Raiders began the second quarter with a 5-0 run. The Warriors started to stage their comeback as they narrowed the gap to just five points, 28-23, as the Shepard sisters ignited a 10-2 run. Emma and Sarah both contributed four points while Beauperthuy added two. Northwestern widened its lead with a 6-2 run end of the half, leading 34-25.

After the break, the Warriors started to chip away at the deficit. An 8-2 run brought them within three points, 36-33, but the Red Raiders quickly responded with a 15-4 run. Three consecutive three-pointers extended the lead back to double digits. Northwestern rode that momentum to the final break, leading 53-37 after three quarters of action.

Maintaining their momentum, the Red Raiders kept building on their lead. A 7-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter all but put the game out of reach. Midland attempted one final comeback, going on a 9-2 but the hole was too much to overcome. As the clock ticked down, each team emptied their benches as the teams went back and forth down the stretch. Northwestern sealed the victory with a final layup, securing the 73-53 win over Midland.

Emma Shepard led the Warriors with 15 points while Sarah Shepard and Gabby Beauperthuy added with 10 points each. Sarah added 15 rebounds to her stat line for a double-double.

For the game, Midland shot 19-of-55 (34.5%) while Northwestern was 29-of-66 (43.9%). The Red Raiders took advantage of 15 turnovers by the Warriors, turning them into 22 points. They also had a sizable advantage in points in the paint, 42 to 22.

Midland (4-12, 1-9 GPAC) will return home to host Mount Marty (5-10, 1-8) in a conference matchup on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on January 17 inside the Wikert Event Center in Fremont, Nebraska.