Waldorf Men's Basketball Cannot Recover From Slow Start @ Briar Cliff

SIOUX CITY, Iowa. Briar Cliff used hot shooting from the perimeter and a dominant effort on the glass to pull away from Waldorf University in a 102-67 loss for the Warriors on Thursday night in Sioux City, Iowa. The Chargers controlled both halves, building a 45-28 lead by halftime and continuing to stretch the margin over the final 20 minutes.

The decisive stretch came early, as Briar Cliff opened the game on a strong shooting run and quickly turned a single-digit advantage into a double-figure cushion. The Chargers hit 15 3-pointers on the night, finishing 37-for-60 from the field and 15-for-27 from beyond the arc. Waldorf struggled to slow that efficiency while being outrebounded 37-24, giving Briar Cliff extra chances that the Chargers regularly converted into points.

Waldorf's best push came early in the second half. Trailing 46-28 at the break, the Warriors trimmed the deficit to 10 after a pair of 3-pointers from Conner Aldridge and Omar Foley that made it 46-36. The momentum was short-lived, however, as Briar Cliff responded immediately with another 3-pointer from Blake Sindelar and then stacked together stops and transition scores to restore a comfortable margin.

Aldridge led the Warriors with an efficient scoring night, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-for-19 shooting, including 3-for-7 from 3-point range and a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. He also added five rebounds and a steal as Waldorf tried to keep pace offensively. McNeal Thompson IV provided a spark off the bench with 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting and capped the Warriors' scoring with a late 3-pointer in the final minute. Cornelius Porter Jr. and Foley chipped in timely baskets during Waldorf's brief second-half run.

Defensively, the Warriors were active in passing lanes, collecting 10 steals and forcing 18 Briar Cliff turnovers. Waldorf also blocked two shots and committed just 10 fouls, but the Chargers frequently found open shooters and moved the ball well, finishing with 17 assists. On the offensive end, Waldorf went 27-for-70 from the floor and 7-for-27 from deep, creating looks but not matching Briar Cliff's shooting percentage.

Sindelar led Briar Cliff with 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range, while adding seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Dawson Mohr was a key contributor off the bench with 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting and 5-for-6 from 3, and Jaxson Wingert added 16 points and five rebounds. The Chargers' balance and efficiency ultimately proved too much for the Warriors to overcome.

Despite the final margin, Waldorf showed stretches of resilience, particularly to start the second half and with its pressure defense. The Warriors now sit at 5-15 overall, with a conference record of 1-11.