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Nov. 21- at Midland Lutheran College, 4 p.m., Fremont, NE
Nov. 24- vs. Dakota Wesleyan Univ., 8 p.m., Sioux City, IA
Radio: The Midland Lutheran game will be broadcast on KMSC 92.9 FM
 Jim Sykes, a 1989 graduate of the University of Nebraska, is in his sixth full season as the Mustangs’ head coach. Sykes, who has a 132-47 career record for a .737 winning percentage at Morningside, has guided the Mustangs to GPAC regular season championships each of the past two seasons and to three GPAC regular season championships during his tenure with the team. He has led the Mustangs to four 20-win seasons in the last five years, three NAIA Division II National Tournament berths in the last four years, and has been the head coach for four of the eight 20-win teams in the college’s history. Sykes was named the 2008 GPAC Coach of the Year after he guided the Mustangs to a 29-4 record to set a school record for victories, the GPAC’s regular season championship, a NAIA Division II National Tournament berth, and a No. 1 national ranking for much of the season. Sykes led the Mustangs to a 28-7 record and the Elite Eight of the NAIA Division II National Tournament during the 2005-06 season. That came after a 20-11 record in 2004-05 for the college’s first 20-win season since the 1994-95 campaign. Sykes served as the Mustangs’ interim head coach for the final 12 games of the 2003-04 season. The Mustangs posted a 9-3 record during those final 12 games en route to an 18-13 finish and a 14-4 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) to share the league’s regular season championship with Northwestern College. Sykes was named the 2004 GPAC Coach of the Year for his efforts. Sykes is in his eighth season as a member of the Mustangs’ coaching staff. He was previously an assistant boy’s basketball coach at Waverly (Neb.) High School. Sykes played two seasons at Hastings College before he transferred to Nebraska.
Morningside Mustangs (3-1 Record)
G- Cory Gaston, 6-2, So., McCook, NE, 6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
G- Eddie Marrs, 5-9, Sr., Omaha, NE, 14.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg
G- Mitch Carstens, 6-3, Sr., Grand Island, NE, 15.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
C- Garth Hamilton, 6-7, So., Lincoln, NE, 8.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
F- Adam Palmer, 6-5, Sr., Sioux City, IA, 13.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Midland Lutheran Warriors (2-5 Record)
G- Jason Ahrens, 6-1, Sr., Wahoo, NE, 15.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
G- John Kulwicki, 6-3, Sr., Ravenna, NE, 9.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
C- Brandon Mach, 6-6, Jr., Wahoo, NE, 6.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg
F- Chad Langemeier, 6-4, Sr., Wahoo, NE, 4.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg
F- Zach Rosenboom, 6-5, So., Oakland, NE, 11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Dakota Wesleyan Tigers (4-1 Record)
G- Mitch Bain, 6-1, Sr., Nassau, Bahamas, 9.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg
G- Chase Walder, 6-3, Jr., Castlewood, SD, 9.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg
G- Darrin Dorsey, 6-2, Jr., Phoenix, AR, 13.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F- Brady Wiebe, 6-6, Jr., Madison, SD, 19.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg
F- Preston Broughton, 6-6, Sr., Corsica, SD, 9.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg
 Morningside was tabbed for a fifth place finish in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll.
1.Dakota Wesleyan, 140 points; 2.Briar Cliff, 129; 3.Sioux Falls, 110; 4.Dordt, 106; 5.Morningside, 105; 6.Hastings, 101; 7.Northwestern, 82; 8.Concordia, 69; 9.Nebraska Wesleyan, 49; 10.Doane, 43; 11.Mount Marty, 39; 12.Dana, 26; 13.Midland Lutheran, 16.
Morningside suffered its first defeat of the season with a 92-63 loss against William Penn University on Tuesday in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The Statesmen shot 52.9 percent from the field and outrebounded the Mustangs by a 49-36 margin. Mitch Carstens scored a team-high 14 points for Morningside, which shot just 35.7 percent from the field. Eddie Marrs joined him in double figures with 12 points, followed by Ryan Gass, nine; Cory Gaston, six; Garth Hamilton, six; Adam Palmer, five; Tyler Pleiss, four; Trent Miller, two; Kevin Zoz, two; Joel Haveman, two; and Jake Hamburger, one. Pleiss, Palmer, and Hamilton each had five rebounds to share Mustang honors. Hamburger led all performers with three steals.
 Morningside has won Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season championships each of the past two seasons and has qualified for the NAIA Division II National Tournament three of the last four years. The Mustangs were also GPAC co-champions in 2003-04. Their best national tournament finish came in 2006 when they reached the NAIA II Elite Eight. Morningside posted a 29-4 record during the 2007-08 campaign to set a school record for victories and was ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season. . .Morningside has four 20-win seasons over the last five years and has posted six consecutive winning seasons. The Mustangs had records of 20-11 in 2004-05, 28-7 in 2005-06, 29-4 in 2007-08, and 24-8 last winter. . .Morningside has a 116-36 record for a .763 winning percentage over its last 152 games dating back to the 2004-05 campaign. . .The Mustangs have a 60-9 record for a .870 winning percentage on their home court since the start of the 2004-05 season.
Morningside is a NAIA Division II member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). The Mustangs posted a 24-8 record last season and won the GPAC regular season championship with a 15-3 league record to earn their third NAIA Division II National Tournament berth in the last four years. . .Morningside’s opponents are averaging 80.2 points per game with a team shooting mark of 50.2 percent from the field following a 2008-09 campaign where the Mustangs’ opponents averaged only 69.7 points per game with a shooting figure of 41.0 percent.
 Eddie Marrs, a 5-9 senior guard from Omaha, Neb., has the Mustangs’ top individual scoring performance so far this season with 25 points in the Mustangs’ 77-75 victory against Peru State College on Nov. 13. Marrs, who made nine of 12 field goal attempts in the contest, scored 14 of the Mustangs’ final 21 points, including the game winning basket with one second left, to rally the Mustangs from a 12-point deficit with 5:41 remaining. The 25 points was the ninth 20-point plus performance of Marrs’ Morningside career. He is the Mustangs’ second leading scorer with an average of 14.8 points per game.
Marrs earned second-team All-GPAC honors last season when he averaged 14.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and led the Mustangs with 76 assists and 59 steals for averages of 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He also led the Mustangs in 3-point field goal accuracy with 37 treys in 99 attempts for 37.4 percent. Marrs scored in double figures in 22 of his 31 games and had eight scoring performances of 20 points or more. He had the Mustangs’ top individual scoring performance of the season when he scored 35 points to lead Morningside to an 84-77 overtime victory against Dordt College on Feb. 21.
He has a career scoring average of 14.7 points per game with the Mustangs.
Marrs joined the Mustangs last year as a transfer from Minnesota West Community College. Marrs was the fifth leading scorer in the nation in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III ranks with an average of 23.3 points per game during the 2007-08 season. Marrs was the Minnesota Community College Conference (MCCC) scoring champion and was named to the MCCC All-Southern Division team, the MCCC All-State team, and the NJCAA All-Region 13 team. He was the NJCAA III National Co-Player of the Week after he scored 41 points, including 35 in the second half, in a game against Minnesota State. Aside from his scoring exploits, Marrs also dealt 89 assists and had 60 steals for averages of 4.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
He is a 2006 graduate of Omaha North High School.
Mitch Carstens, a 6-3 senior guard from Grand Island, Neb., led the Mustangs with 14 points in Tuesday’s game at William Penn and has been their most consistent scorer so far this season. Carstens, who is averaging a team-high 15.0 points per game, has scored at least 14 points in each of the Mustangs’ first four games. He opened the campaign with 16 points against Bellevue University, followed by 15 points against Friends University, 15 tallies against Peru State, and his 14 points against William Penn. Carstens also had nine steals in the Peru State game to finish one shy of a Morningside school record. He has a team-high 14 steals for an average of 3.5 per game and has made a team-high seven 3-point field goals in 24 attempts for 29.2 percent.
He averaged 10.2 points per game last season en route to honorable mention All-GPAC honors. Carstens made a team-high 39 3-point field goals in 121 attempts for 32.2 percent and ranked second on the team with 36 steals. He scored in double figures in 17 of his 30 games played.
Carstens averaged 2.9 points per game off the Mustangs bench as a sophomore and scored at a 4.7-point clip off the bench as a freshman. He was one of the Mustangs’ best outside shooters as a freshman with 28 3-point field goals in 64 attempts for 43.8 percent.
Carstens has averaged 6.4 points per game during his Morningside career.
Carstens was a two-time Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star Class A honorable mention all-stater during his prep career at Grand Island High School. He averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and connected on 80.9 percent of his free throw attempts as a senior.
 Garth Hamilton, a 6-7 sophomore center from Lincoln, Neb., had career highs of 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in the Mustangs’ Nov. 13 victory against Peru State. Hamilton had a perfect seven-for-seven shooting performance from the field against the Bobcats en route to the first double figure scoring performance of his Morningside career. He topped his previous career scoring best of eight points in back-to-back games against Northwestern College and Dordt College last season. Hamilton’s 11 rebounds topped his previous best of nine caroms in the Mustangs’ season opener against Bellevue University. Hamilton had a team-high five rebounds in Tuesday’s game against William Penn and has been the Mustangs’ leading rebounder in three of their first four contests. Hamilton is averaging 8.0 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. He also tops the team with three blocked shots.
He was the Mustangs’ top freshman last season when he averaged 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game and made 12 of 23 field goal attempts for 52.2 percent in 22 varsity contests. He finished the season by making eight of his last 11 field goal attempts for 72.7 percent.
Hamilton has made 25 of 50 field goal attempts for 50.0 percent during his collegiate career.
Hamilton also competes for the Mustangs’ tennis team. He had a 7-5 record in the No. 4 singles flight and also played No. 1 doubles last season.
Hamilton averaged a double-double as a prep senior at Lincoln High School with norms of 15.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Hamilton, who also averaged 2.4 blocked shots per contest, earned Class A honorable mention all-state laurels from both the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star.
Adam Palmer, a 6-5 senior forward from Sioux City, had a team-high five rebounds in Tuesday’s game against William Penn, but was held to a single-digit scoring total for the first time this season with five points. Palmer had his third straight double figure scoring performance to open the season when he had 10 tallies in the Nov. 13 victory against Peru State. He is averaging 13.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and has dealt a team-high 10 assists for an average of 2.5 per game. Palmer also tops the Mustangs in field goal accuracy with 18 hoops in 30 attempts for 60.0 percent after he entered the campaign with a career shooting mark of 39.6 percent.
He was the top rebounder and second leading scorer off the Mustangs’ bench last season with averages of 3.9 rebounds and 4.2 points per game. Palmer provided two double figure scoring performances off the bench last season. Palmer was one of the Mustangs’ most improved players last year after he had averaged 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 13 contests as a sophomore.
Palmer averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game as a senior at Sioux City North High School en route to second-team Class 4A all-state laurels from the INA and third-team all-state honors from the Des Moines Register. Palmer also received first-team All-Northwest Iowa and first-team All-Metro honors from the Sioux City Journal.
 Tyler Pleiss, a 6-2 freshman guard from Omaha, Neb., grabbed a team-high five rebounds to go along with four points and two assists in Tuesday’s game against William Penn in his Morningside debut.
Pleiss helped lead Ralston High School to Nebraska’s Class B state championship last year when he averaged nine points and four rebounds per game en route to honorable mention all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star.
Jake Hamburger, a 6-3 freshman guard from Hastings, Neb., had a game-high three steals in Tuesday’s game at William Penn. Hamburger is averaging 7.0 points per game off the Mustangs’ bench and is the team’s best free throw shooter with 11 gift shots in 12 attempts for 91.7 percent.
Hamburger earned first-team Class C-1 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star after he averaged 13.3 points per game last year at Hastings St. Cecilia High School. Hamburger was a second-team Omaha World-Herald all-state laurels as a junior when he averaged 14.0 points per game for St. Cecilia’s class C-1 state championship team.
Ryan Gass, a 6-3 junior forward from Valentine, Neb., just missed posting the second double figure scoring performance of his Morningside career with nine points in Tuesday’s game at William Penn. Gass made four of seven field goal attempts in the contest and is shooting 54.5 percent for the season with 12 hoops in 22 attempts. He is the top scorer off the Mustangs’ bench with an average of 7.5 points per game.
He is also a standout high jumper for the Mustangs’ track & field team. Gass was a 2008 NAIA national qualifier in both the indoor and outdoor seasons and was the 2008 GPAC indoor champion with a height of 6-8. He finished third at last spring’s GPAC Outdoor Championships with a height of 6-7 and is Morningside’s outdoor school record holder with a height of 6-10.
Gass earned honorable mention Class C-1 all-state honors when he averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game as a prep senior at Valentine High School. He placed third in the high jump at 6-7 and sixth in the long jump with a distance of 21-3 1/2 at the Class B state track & field meet as a senior.
 Cory Gaston, a 6-2 sophomore guard from McCook, Neb., dealt a career-high three assists in the Mustangs’ win against Peru State. He is averaging 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as a member of the Mustangs’ starting lineup after he saw only limited action in seven contests last winter.
Gaston averaged 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game as a senior at McCook High School en route to second-team Class B all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star.
Joel Haveman, a 5-9 sophomore guard from Avoca, Neb.,earned first-team Class C-2 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald as a prep junior when he averaged 18.1 points, 8.0 assists, and 2.8 steals per game at Weeping Water High School. Haveman missed his senior year due to an injury.
Kevin Zoz, a 6-1 sophomore guard from Murdock, Neb., is also a member of Morningside’s golf team. He had an 82.1-stroke scoring average as one of the Mustangs’ varsity regulars during the 2009 fall season.
Zoz earned first-team Class C-2 all-state honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal-Star and was named the honorary captain for both teams last year after he led Elmwood-Murdock High School to a state championship. He averaged 16.4 points, 3.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game as a senior. Zoz averaged 18.0 points per game as a junior en route to second-team Class C-2 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald and was an honorable mention Omaha World-Herald all-stater as a sophomore. He scored 1,306 points during his four-year varsity career.
 Midland Lutheran is a NAIA Division II member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). . .The Warriors are coming off a 2008-09 season where they finished 8-22 overall and 10th in the GPAC with a 6-12 league mark. . .Fourteen of the 15 players on the Warriors’ roster hail from Nebraska. The only non-Nebraskan on the team’s roster is Anthony Resendes, a 6-3 freshman forward from Peoria, Ariz. . .Midland Lutheran improved to 2-5 with a 76-64 victory at Iowa Wesleyan College on Tuesday. Justin Kulwicki led the way with 30 points behind an 11-for-18 shooting performance, including a five-for-10 showing from beyond the 3-point arc. Chad Langemeier grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to lead Midland Lutheran to a 50-40 advantage on the boards. . .Midland Lutheran is averaging only 58.9 points per game with a team shooting mark of 37.1 percent from the field. The Warriors scored only 39 points in a 70-39 loss at Jamestown College on Oct. 31. The Warriors’ opponents are averaging only 68.1 points per game. Midland Lutheran has not allowed more than 73 points in its first seven games. . .Jason Ahrens, a 6-1 senior guard from Wahoo, Neb., is the Warriors’ leading scorer with an average of 15.6 points per game to compliment an average of 4.6 rebounds per contest. He is the Warriors’ top 3-point threat with a team-high 10 treys in 23 attempts for 43.5 percent, but has converted only 52.6 percent of his free throw attempts. Ahrens earned honorable mention All-GPAC honors last season when he averaged 12.6 points per game. Ahrens earned second-team Class C-1 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald in his senior campaign at Wahoo Neumann High School. . .Chad Langemeier, a 6-4 senior forward from Wahoo, Neb., had 10 rebounds in Tuesday’s game against Iowa Wesleyan for the Warriors’ top rebounding performance so far this season. Langemeier is averaging 4.6 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game. Langemeier also tops the team with 22 assists for an average of 3.1 per game. He has made only 13 of 48 field goal attempts for a chilly 27.1 percent. Langemeier averaged 6.4 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game last season. . .Zach Rosenboom, a 6-5 sophomore forward from Oakland, Neb., is the Warriors’ second leading scorer with an average of 11.3 points per game following a freshman campaign where he averaged 7.5 points per game as a part-time starter. Rosenboom averaged 19.0 points per game as a prep senior at Oakland-Craig High School to earn first-team Class C-2 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald. He was a second-team World-Herald all-stater as a junior when he averaged 15.8 points per game. . .Justin Kulwicki, a 6-3 senior guard from Ravenna, Neb., has the Warriors’ top individual scoring performance so far this season with 30 points in Tuesday’s game at Iowa Wesleyan. Kulwicki is scoring at just under a double figure rate with a norm of 9.7 points per game and is the Warriors’ co-leader with 10 3-point field goals in 36 attempts for 27.8 percent. He is the team’s best free throw shooter with 10 gift shots in 13 attempts for 76.9 percent. He averaged 5.4 points per game during the 2007-08 season, but did not play in a varsity contest last winter. . .Alex Knobbe, a 6-4 sophomore forward from West Point, Neb., is the top performer off the Warriors’ bench with averages of 8.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and is the team leader in field goal accuracy with 24 hoops in 46 attempts for 52.2 percent. Knobbe has been one of the Warriors’ most improved players after he had eight points and seven rebounds in 11 varsity contests last winter. . .Brandon Mach, a 6-6 junior center from Wahoo, Neb., is the third Wahoo, Neb., native in the Warriors’ starting lineup. Mach is averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game after scoring at a 4.1-point clip off the bench last winter. . .Jordan Moline, a 6-0 freshman guard from Mead, Neb., was the honorary captain of the Omaha World-Herald’s 2009 Class D-1 all-state team after he averaged 11.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his senior season at Mead High School to help lead the team to a state championship. Moline also earned first-team all-state honors from the Associated Press and Lincoln Journal-Star. . .Ben Shanahan, a 6-6 junior forward from Wahoo, Neb., earned second-team Class C-1 all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald when he averaged 14.9 points per game as a prep senior at Wahoo High School. . .Rich McGill, a 1970 graduate of Wayne State College, is in his 29th season as Midland Lutheran’s head coach. McGill has a 300-497 career record with the Warriors. McGill guided Midland Lutheran to the NAIA District 11 championship and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament during the 1990-91 season for the first national tournament appearance in the college’s history. He led the Warriors to another NAIA II National Tournament appearance in 2000 when the team won the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference’s post-season tournament. McGill was named the NAIA District 11 Coach of the Year in 1985.
Morningside has an 8-4 record against Midland Lutheran since the start of the 1979-80 season.
The Mustangs defeated Midland Lutheran 66-56 last season on Jan. 7 in Sioux City in a game where they pressured the Warriors into a chilly 37.9 percent shooting performance and pounded them on the boards by a 49-29 rebounding differential. Nick Thompson had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Seth Atkins went for 10 points and 20 rebounds to lead the way. David Filsinger added 13 points off the bench. Jason Ahrens paced Midland Lutheran with 14 points and was joined in double figures by Brandon Mach and Adam Schmoldt, who each scored 11 points. Zach Rosenboom led the Warriors on the boards with seven rebounds.
Morningside has a 149-67 record against the current members of the GPAC since 1979.
 Dakota Wesleyan is a NAIA Division II member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). . .The Tigers posted a 25-9 record and finished second in the GPAC with a 14-4 league mark last season en route to a third consecutive appearance in the NAIA Division II National Tournament. . .The Tigers are ranked fourth nationally in the NAIA Division II pre-season poll. . .Dakota Wesleyan improved its record to 4-1 with a 79-65 victory against Dakota State University on Nov. 13 in Madison, S.D., behind a 23-point, 12-rebound performance by Brady Wiebe. The Tigers’ biggest win so far this season was a 98-84 triumph at No. 2 Black Hills State University on Nov. 7 in an early season matchup between two of the nation’s top ranked teams. . .Dakota Wesleyan is averaging 86.8 points per game while allowing just 69.0 points per game for an average victory margin of 17.8 points per game. . .Dakota Wesleyan will open the GPAC campaign at Dordt College on Saturday prior to its game at Morningside. . .The Tigers boast one of the best players in the GPAC in Brady Wiebe, a 6-6 junior forward from Madison, S.D., who earned NAIA Division II third-team All-America and first-team All-GPAC honors last year when he averaged 17.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He is averaging a team-high 19.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game so far this season. He scored 31 points in the Tigers’ win at Black Hills State for the team’s top individual scoring performance so far this season. Wiebe also tops the Tigers with eight blocked shots and a shooting mark of 59.6 percent from the field with 31 hoops in 52 attempts. Wiebe also led the team in field goal accuracy last season at 54.5 percent and as a freshman when he canned 58.2 percent of his attempts and averaged 7.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game off the bench. He graduated from Madison High School as its all-time leader with 1,063 career points and 659 career rebounds. Wiebe averaged 17.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game as a senior to earn first-team Class A all-state honors. . .Mitch Bain, a 6-1 senior guard from Nassau, Bahamas, is also a returning first-team All-GPAC performer. Bain is averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and leads the team in free throw accuracy with eight gift shots in 10 attempts for 80.0 percent. He has 24 assists and 11 steals for norms of 4.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Bain was the Tigers’ most significant addition last season when he led the team with 163 assists and 63 steals for averages of 4.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game to compliment norms of 12.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest. Bain joined Dakota Wesleyan last year as a transfer from Iowa Lakes Community College, where he earned second-team All-Region IX honors in 2007-08 when he averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. . .The Tigers’ top newcomer this season has been Darrin Dorsey, a 6-2 junior guard from Phoenix, Ariz., who is averaging 13.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and tops the team with 32 assists and 19 steals for norms of 6.4 assists and 3.8 steals per contest. Dorsey leads the Tigers in 3-point field goal accuracy with seven treys in 15 attempts for 46.7 percent and has made 23 of 44 overall field goal attempts for 52.3 percent. Dorsey joined the Tigers this year as a transfer from Bakersfield Junior College, where he was a two-year starter. Dorsey averaged eight points and 4.1 assists per game last season. . .Preston Broughton, a 6-6 senior forward from Corsica, S.D., is back in the Tigers’ starting lineup after a pre-season injury forced him to miss the entire 2008-09 campaign. He is averaging 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and has made 22 of 43 field goal attempts for 51.2 percent. He has the Tigers’ top rebounding performance so far this season with a 13-board haul in a 92-60 win against Grace University on Nov. 11. Broughton was the premier player in the GPAC during the 2007-08 season when he was the GPAC Player of the Year as well as a NAIA Division II first-team All-American after he averaged 17.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Broughton earned second-team All-GPAC honors as a sophomore when he was the Tigers’ second leading scorer and rebounder with averages of 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and led the team in field goal accuracy at 58.6 percent and with 39 blocked shots. He was one of the Tigers’ most improved players as a sophomore after he had averaged 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in a reserve role the previous season. He has scored 1,171 points during his Dakota Wesleyan career. Broughton averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior at Corsica High School to earn first-team all-state honors. . .Chase Walder, a 6-3 junior guard from Castlewood, S.D., is averaging 9.8 points per game and has made a team-high 13 3-point field goals in 32 attempts for 40.6 percent. Walder earned honorable mention All-GPAC honors last year when he averaged 10.8 points per game and made a team-high 70 3-point field goals in 187 attempts for 37.4 percent. Walder averaged 8.0 points per game off the Tigers’ bench as a freshman. Walder was South Dakota’s prep scoring leader when he averaged 32.4 points per game as a senior at Castlewood High School en route to first-team Class B all-state honors. Walder scored 1,393 points and had four 40-point plus scoring performances during his prep career. He was also a first-team all-state quarterback in football. . .Bo LaCroix, a 6-6 freshman forward from Hurley, S.D., is the top scorer and rebounder off the Tigers’ bench with averages of 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He has made six of 14 3-point field goal attempts for 42.9 percent. LaCroix earned second-team Class B all-state honors last year when he averaged 23.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.3 blocked shots, and 4.1 assists per game at Hurley High School. He set school records with 70 3-point field goals and 99 blocked shots in a season and 192 3-point field goals and 220 blocked shots in a career. LaCroix made three 3-pointers in the final 1:30 of play to lead Hurley to a Class B State Championship Game victory against Mitchell Christian. He also quarterbacked Hurley to a Class 9AA state championship in football and set a school record in the high jump with a height of 6-3 1/4. . .Matt Dykstra, a 6-6 freshman forward from Avon, S.D., is averaging 5.0 points per game off the Tigers’ bench. Dykstra averaged 21 points and seven rebounds per game as a senior and 20 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior during his prep career at Avon High School to earn second-team all-state honors both seasons. . .Jake Kneeland, a 6-2 sophomore guard from Summit, S.D., has made 10 of 20 field goal attempts for 50.0 percent en route to a 5.0-point scoring average off the bench. Kneeland scored 1,191 points during his prep career at Summit High School and averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game as a senior to earn conference MVP honors. . .Mark Mingo, a 6-3 junior guard from Armour, S.D., is averaging 4.0 points per game off the bench. He scored over 1,000 points during his career at Armour High School and averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game as a senior to earn third-team Class B all-state honors. . .Kyle Newman, a 6-2 junior guard from Marysville, Calif., is a transfer from Yuba Community College, where he averaged nine points per game en route to second-team All-Bay Valley Conference honors last year. . .Justin Nelson, a 6-0 freshman guard from Gillette, Wyo., was Wyoming’s 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year after he averaged 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.2 steals per game to lead Campbell County High School to a Class 4A state championship. . .Josh Korn, a 5-10 freshman guard from Freeman S.D., was South Dakota’s prep scoring leader in 2008-09 with a 29.8-point average at Freeman High School en route to second-team all-state honors. He scored 1,382 points during his prep career. . .John Hemenway, a 1996 graduate of the University of South Dakota, is in his fifth season as the Tigers’ head coach. Hemenway has a 91-44 career record for a .674 winning percentage at Dakota Wesleyan. He has led the Tigers to three consecutive NAIA Division II National Tournament appearances and to three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in Dakota Wesleyan history. Hemenway was named the 2007 GPAC Coach of the Year and the 2007 South Dakota Coaches Association Men’s College Coach of the Year after he guided the Tigers to a 24-8 record in 2006-07 for the third highest victory total in school history and to the school’s first national tournament appearance since 1995. His first coaching job came as an assistant at Morningside, where he was on the staff for four years under former Mustang head coach and current athletic director Jerry Schmutte. He was an assistant coach at South Dakota before he landed the Dakota Wesleyan position. Hemenway has also been an assistant coach at Chaminade University. He was a two-time All-North Central Conference performer during his playing career and set South Dakota single-season records with 197 assists and 179 made free throws.
Dakota Wesleyan defeated Morningside 79-72 in overtime last season on Jan. 28 in Sioux City to reduce the Mustangs lead in the all-time series to 15-6.
Morningside shot just 36.5 percent from the field and Dakota Wesleyan connected on only 36.1 percent of its floor shots in last year’s contest. Dakota Wesleyan’s Brady Wiebe led all scorers with 27 points and was joined in double figures by Mitch Bain with 17, Ike Muoneke with 17, and Chase Walder with 10. Seth Atkins led Morningside with 20 points, followed by Mitch Carstens with 18 and Eddie Marrs with 12. Muoneke grabbed 21 rebounds and Wiebe had 15 caroms to lead the Tigers to a 55-44 advantage on the boards. Nick Thompson had 16 rebounds for the Mustangs.
Morningside will compete in the Peru State College Classic on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27 and 28, in Peru, Neb. The Mustangs will face York College on Friday at 5 p.m. and Peru State on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Mustangs defeated Peru State 77-75 on a basket by Eddie Marrs with one second left earlier this season on Nov. 13 in the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center.
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