Mustang
BASKETBALL SATURDAY, FEB. 5
This afternoon, a festival atmosphere accompanies the second edition of the 202122 River City Rivals series. Following a pair of Great Plains Athletic Conference tussles between crosstown foes Briar Cliff University and Morningside University, the 2021 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ national champion Mustangs football team will be honored. Fans can pick up a Champions Day commemorative program in the lobby of Rosen-Verdoorn Sports Center.
PAYING TRIBUTE TO CANCER AWARENESS Head coach Jamie Sale’s women’s program honors family members and friends that have battled, are battling, and were taken by cancer during today’s doubleheader opener. Each team and coach member will have signs of individuals’ names who have been afflicted. A special announcement and a free-will donation are part of the recognition. Fans, friends, and alumni who purchased Pink Out gear will also be on hand.
THE SERIES After an early December split at BCU’s Newman Flanagan Center, Morningside’s women extended a recent success span to 22-2 against the Chargers. It was also their third straight victory in the set. With their home floor triumph, Briar Cliff’s men snapped a two-game series skid against Mside. The Mustangs still hold a 6-2 advantage over the last eight meetings.
THE MATCH-UP Going into a midweek Dordt visit on Feb. 2, Morningside’s women held a fourgame cushion with six contests to play on the league standings. The Mustangs men’s squad was sitting third, only two games out of first. Senior women’s forward Sophia Peppers recently reached a career milestone, while senior men’s forward/guard Zach Imig closed in on one to begin the current span. In a hard-fought 64-60 win at the College of Saint Mary, Peppers tallied 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a blocked shot. Her point total enabled her to become the 15th player in program history to reach the 1,400-point mark. Imig went into the week needing only nine points to become a member of the men’s program’s all-time scoring top five.
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