By Jacob Knabel, Concordia (Neb.) Sports Information Director

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Top-ranked defending national champion Morningside (Iowa) experienced little trouble speeding past eighth-seeded UC Merced (Calif.) in the first round of the 2016 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championships, presented by Mercy Medical Center and Seaboard Triumph Foods, on Wednesday evening. The Mustangs flexed their muscles with a 93-64 blowout of the overmatched Bobcats.

Fifteenth-year head coach Jamie Sale’s squad improved to 32-2 overall and has advanced to play in the second round at 1:45 p.m. CT versus 13th-ranked Cardinal Stritch (Wis.). UC-Merced (11-15) had qualified for the national championships by winning the California Pacific Conference tournament title.

Lauren Lehmkuhl scored 10-straight points for Morningside during one stretch in the second quarter and was one of three Mustangs to already get into double figures by halftime. A rising star as a sophomore, Lehmkuhl came off the bench and poured in 17 for a deep and powerful Mustang squad that appeared on its way to the century mark before cooling off late. Still, the Morningside bench outscored UC-Merced’s, 51-22, in a runaway.

Named the most valuable player of the 2015 tournament, senior Jessica Tietz played a total of 16 minutes and still posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. She returned to the floor after suffering an injury during Morningside’s Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament championship run. Lexi Ackerman chipped in 12 points. In sum, 13 of the 15 Mustangs who saw action dented the scoreboard. Not a single player got more than 18 minutes of court time.

On the other side, freshman Aubrey Hayes got hot from long range, nailing 4-of-5 shots from distance in route to 14 points. The Bobcats were led by the 18 points from Shelby Howard, who went 7-for-23 from the floor.

The Mustangs shot 48.1 percent (37-for-77) while holding UC-Merced to 29.7 percent (22-for-74). They also owned the boards, 59-40.
Morningside, now 36-9 all-time at the national tournament, is seeking its sixth national championship in program history. Morningside boosted its record to 13-1 in first-round games at the national tournament.