Lancers' Historic Run Ends in Gritty Semifinal Battle Against #20 Northwestern

ORANGE CITY, IA – The Mount Marty Lancers saw their remarkable postseason push come to an end on Saturday afternoon, falling 78-71 to the #20-ranked Northwestern Red Raiders in the GPAC Tournament Semifinals.

Coming off a thrilling buzzer-beater win in the quarterfinals, the #3-seeded Lancers traveled to Orange City with an upset on their minds. While they outscored the Red Raiders in the second half, a double-digit halftime deficit proved too much to overcome against one of the nation's top-ranked squads.

Game Recap: A Tale of Two Halves

The Red Raiders used their home-court advantage early, shooting 54.9% from the floor to build a 39-28 lead by intermission. 

However, the Lancers refused to go away quietly. Behind the sharp-shooting of Sutton Arend and Jake Jensen, Mount Marty stormed back in the second half, outscoring Northwestern 43-39. The Lancers cut into the lead late, but Northwestern's Jesse Van Kalsbeek (24 points, 18 rebounds) dominated the glass to prevent the Lancers from completing the comeback.

Lancer Standouts

• Sutton Arend: Put on a clinic in his final GPAC appearance of the season, scoring 24 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. He showed his range by knocking down 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

• Jake Jensen: Matched Arend's outside intensity, also hitting 4 threes to finish with 20 points and 6 rebounds.

• Deegan Williams: Navigated a tough defensive backcourt to distribute 5 assists and chip in 9 points.

• Damon Opdahl: Was a force on the defensive end, leading the team with 3 steals and securing 6 rebounds.

The Lancers finish the GPAC campaign with a 16-11 overall record. This season will be remembered for the program's rise to the #3 seed in the conference and a quarterfinal thirlling victory over Briar Cliff.