By Matt Bos, NAIA Media Coordinator

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – (Box Score) –The No. 6 seeded Morningside Mustangs avoided being the second straight Top-10 team to go down on day two of the NAIA DII Men’s Basketball National Championship as they used a big second half to down Tabor (Kan.) 86-79. The win moves the Mustangs into Friday’s second round for the fourth time and first since 2009.

The early going saw the Mustangs jump out to a sizeable lead as they got a triple from Steve O’Neill and a layup from Bryce Koch to build a 13-6 edge. The Bluejays, out of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, responded to score 11 of the next 15 points to tie the game up at 17-17. Tabor continued their spurt for the remainder of the first half and after having as big a lead as seven (24-17), went into the locker room leading 34-30.

Tabor continued to push and after just 2:14 of play into the second, the Bluejays held their largest lead of the game at 42-33. That is when Morningside started to slowly chip away at the lead and it came via the long-ball as they would go on to connect on eight triples in the closing 20 minutes.

The Mustangs took their first lead since the 13:56 mark of the opening half on a three-pointer from Storm Throne with 7:41 to play. The lead grew over the next few minutes for Morningside as they hit three more three’s to build a 75-67 lead. 

The Bluejays would not go quietly however as they kept fighting before ultimately falling by the final of 86-79.

“Our first half we missed numerous opportunities and to only be down by four, we were lucky,” said Morningside head coach Jim Sykes. “We came out in the second half and played relaxed and we told the guys make one pass to get a good shot and two to get a great shot and that is what we did to come out on top.”

Steve O’Neill led the Mustangs with 26 points while Tanner Miller and Kyle Nikkel chipped in with 15 and 12 points respectively.

Tabor (19-13) was led in scoring by Andrew Thomas with a game high 28 points on 9-10 shooting from the field and 10-10 from the foul line. Thomas also grabbed a team high nine rebounds.

“Steve kept us in the game most the day, added Sykes, “Then some other players were able to hit big shots and to have four players in double-figures really says a lot about the depth of our team.”

With the win, Morningside (28-4) advances to Friday’s second round where they will meet No. 11 Saint Francis (Ind.) who defeated St. Francis (Ill.) 70-68 to open the slate of games on Thursday. Game time is set for Noon.