Men's Basketball Comes Up Short Versus Morningside, 80-71
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Morningside (12-5, 9-1) | 31 | 49 | 80 |
|
Hastings (4-14, 3-7) | 33 | 38 | 71 |
(Hastings, NE) – Riding a two-game winning streak, the men's basketball team came back home to host Morningside on Saturday, but fell 80-71.
The Broncos started red-hot as they took a 9-0 lead on three straight three-pointers by senior DaRon Hall, and two from sophomore Maverick Binder. Sophomore Micah Hinrichs hit one of his own after a Morningside answer and Hall hit his second soon after to go up 15-6 with 14:22 left in the half.
A 12-0 Mustang run put them ahead 18-15 before an 8-0 Hastings run put them back up 23-18, capped by a Hall basket. Morningside went on an 11-2 run to take a 29-25 lead with three minutes left in the half. Hall responded with five quick points and sophomore Eli Podoll splashed a three-pointer to go up 33-29. Two Morningside free throws brought the Mustangs to within two at 33-31 going to halftime.
Hinrichs started the second half with a three, then Binder and Hinrichs put them up nine with two more each. Following a 5-0 Mustang run, Binder hit two threes, but Morningside had answers to them, getting to within four at the 14:56 mark. The Mustangs kept coming, scoring 12 more to take a 54-46 lead with 10:25 to go.
Baskets by senior Myles Simon and Hall got Hastings to within three on the ensuing possessions. Down four with less than five minutes, Morningside went on 6-1 run to take a 67-58 lead. Hastings got within eight but could not get closer as the Mustangs took the 80-71 win.
Morningside shot 53 percent overall compared to 44 percent from Hastings. Morningside held a 35-25 rebounding advantage and led 19-9 in points off turnovers. Hall led Hastings with 28 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Binder was also in double-figures with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists. Hall and Binder combined for seven of Hastings' 10 threes.
Up next, Hastings will play at Concordia on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7:45pm.
