Waldorf Men's Basketball Comes Up Short in Shootout @ Mount Marty

YANKTON, South Dakota. Waldorf University put together one of its best offensive performances of the season but came up just short in a 107-103 road loss to Mount Marty on Saturday afternoon at Cimpl Arena. The Warriors led by seven at halftime and were in front for much of the contest before the Lancers closed strong, with Jackson Edman's free throw in the final 20 seconds helping seal the game.

The Warriors set the tone early behind red-hot perimeter shooting, racing out to a 21-8 lead midway through the first quarter after a 3-pointer from Conner Aldridge. Waldorf knocked down 17 3-pointers on 70.8% shooting from beyond the arc and finished the day at 62.5% from the field overall. That efficiency translated into a 48-41 advantage at the end of the first quarter, punctuated by Aldridge drilling a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Warriors into the break with momentum.

Waldorf continued to apply pressure out of halftime. A 3-pointer from Omar Foley early in the second quarter pushed the Warriors' lead to 56-47, giving them a nine-point cushion. Foley was nearly unstoppable offensively, pouring in 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, while going a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. Guard Nick Graves provided another key scoring option with 25 points, hitting 6-of-10 from deep and dishing out five assists in 38 minutes.

Mount Marty, however, slowly chipped away at the deficit in the second half. A key turning point came with 15:43 remaining in the second quarter, when a 3-pointer from Mac Ryken gave the Lancers a 62-61 lead, their first advantage after Waldorf's early surge. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth shootout, with both offenses trading baskets as the Warriors tried to reclaim control. While Waldorf maintained its efficiency, Mount Marty capitalized on extra opportunities at the free-throw line, going 28-for-44 at the stripe compared with the Warriors' 16-for-20.

Jake Jensen led the way for the Lancers with a game-high 33 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range and 7-of-10 from the line. Edman added 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and came up big in late-game situations. With Waldorf still within striking distance in the closing seconds, Edman sank a free throw with 17 seconds remaining to extend Mount Marty's lead to 107-103, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Warriors' final possession.

Despite the narrow loss, several Warriors turned in standout efforts. In addition to Foley and Graves, Aldridge finished with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, going a perfect 3-for-3 from long range while adding three rebounds and three assists. As a group, Waldorf totaled 17 assists on 35 made field goals and committed just 15 turnovers in a fast-paced contest that featured sustained scoring runs on both sides. The Warriors also recorded four steals and four blocks while battling through 30 team fouls in a physical matchup.

The performance at Cimpl underscored Waldorf's ability to generate offense against quality opposition, particularly from the perimeter. While the Warriors were ultimately outscored 66-55 in the second half and out-rebounded 25-19, the combination of elite shooting and multiple double-figure scorers offered positive signs. Waldorf currently sits at 5-16, with a 1-12 record in GPAC play.