The 17th annual Mid-America Basketball Tournament tipped off on Wednesday, February 13, at 7:00 p.m. in the Union College gymnasium and the College View Academy gymnasium.
The annual basketball tournament, hosted by Union College, featured men's and women's teams from eight Seventh-day Adventist high schools across the Midwest. Each team will participate in a round-robin tournament on Wednesday through Friday, followed by a single-elimination championship tournament on Saturday night and Sunday.
The guys had a gutsy win against CVA in their second game on Thursday night at Union College Thunderdome. The game was very low scoring for the first three quarters, with Midland holding a 17-16 lead going into the final frame. To give you an idea, Midland scored three points in the third quarter, and CVA scored ONE! Both teams came to life in the fourth period, with the Mustangs scoring as many points in one quarter as they had in the first three. In the end, Midland pulled off a 34-24 win after a loss to Campion on Wednesday night. The guys played Maplewood in the final game of the day at College View and lost their second pool game 47-31. After initial pool play, the Guys varisty finished with an unpromising 1-2 record.
However in the first round of single-elimination, the Mustangs bumped off previously-unbeated Sunnydale 38-26, continuing their season-long mastery of the Spartans for the third straight game.
The second round of single-elimination pitted Varsity against home-town CollegeView. The Mustangs fought off CVA for a 46-38 victory in which both teams spent as much time on the floor as on their feet. As a result of the win, Midland faced Maplewood for the title in a repeat of the 2009 championship game.
The Midland Mustangs won the 2013 MAUC Tournament champs after defeating Maplewood 44-34 in the championship game. In a rematch of the 2009 title game, and with a number of alumni from the 2009 championship team in the stands, Midland led the game from the first buzzer. With seniors Jacob Prosser, Evan MacEwan, and Juan Rodriguez all wanting to go out as winners, the pressure was continual against the Huskies. The Junior duo of Tanner Finnegan and Brett Trana kept things red hot on the outside perimeter, and this sweet taste of victory can only promise great things for next season. And on a side note, a shout-out to Brennan Nelson who had to choose whether to play in the championship game for his winter baseball team, or for the Mustangs - tough choice!
Congrats to the champs - it's another trophy for the trophy case! Thanks to Karen Whitson, Jodie Trana, Sam Adams, and Richard Young for these pictures from the championship game.
