Morningside’s women’s basketball team broke five school records during the 2013-14 season

Morningside College broke five school records during the 2013-14 women’s basketball season.

The Mustangs set single-season records with 649 made free throws and 937 free throw attempts to shatter their former single-season standards of 585 made free throws and 782 free throw attempts set during the 2007-08 season.

Aside from their ability to get to the free-throw line, the Mustangs also had one of their best rebounding teams in school history. Morningside grabbed a school-record 1,572 rebounds to shatter its former record of 1,436 rebounds during the 2007-08 season. The Mustangs outrebounded their opposition by an average margin of 4.5 rebounds per game.

It took the Mustangs just two games into the season to break a school record when they dealt 34 assists in a 131-88 victory against Olivet Nazarene University on Nov. 2 at the Ashford University Classic. The Mustangs broke their former single-game standard of 30 assists in games against Johnson & Wales University during the 2005-06 season and against Doane College during the 2007-08 season.

The Mustangs also had an individual record breaker in Lexi Ackerman, a 5-10 freshman guard from Rock Rapids, Iowa, who made 38 of 79 3-point field goal attempts for 48.1 percent to set a single-season record for 3-point shooting accuracy. Ackerman broke the former Morningside 3-point shooting mark of 46.0 percent by Abby Goodlaxson, who made 40 of 87 3-point shots during the 1998-99 season. Ackerman buried 25 of 44 3-point attempts for a sizzling 56.8 percent over the Mustangs’ final 20 games. Aside from being the Mustangs’ best 3-point shooter, Ackerman also averaged 9.7 points per game and finished second on the team with 107 assists and 74 steals for norms of 3.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

The Mustangs’ leading scorer was Leann Osten, a 5-6 senior guard from Columbus, Neb., who averaged a career-high 12.3 points per game. Osten, the team leader with 155 field goals, had the Mustangs’ top single-game scoring performance of the season with a career-high 30 points against Northwestern College in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Post-Season Tournament Championship Game. Aside from leading the Mustangs in scoring, Osten also led the Mustangs with career-high totals of 115 assists and 103 steals for averages of 3.2 assists and 2.9 steals per game.

Osten finished her career with 1,056 points for the 23rd highest scoring total in Morningside history.

Ashlynn Muhl, a 6-0 junior forward from Minneota, Minn., was the Mustangs’ leading rebounder and second leading scorer with averages of 8.0 rebounds and 11.6 points per game. Muhl had a team-high 10 double-doubles and was the Mustangs’ leading rebounder in 23 of its 36 games, including a 14-board haul against William Penn University on Nov. 9 for the Mustangs’ top single-game rebounding performance of the season. Muhl made a team-high 109 free throws in 153 attempts and led the Mustangs in field goal accuracy with 147 hoops in 258 attempts for 57.0 percent to finish just shy of the Morningside school record of 57.1 percent by Shawna Paskert in 1991-92.

Muhl will enter her senior season as the 19th leading rebounder in Morningside history with 538 career rebounds. She is in 35th place on Morningside’s all-time scoring list with 807 career points.

MaKayla Augustine, a 5-7 freshman guard from Sioux City, was the Mustangs’ most prolific 3-point shooter with a team-high 45 3-point field goals en route to a 5.5-point scoring average off the bench.

Ashley Schroeder, a 6-0 junior forward from Roca, Neb., led the Mustangs with 25 blocked shots while coming off the bench.

Jordyn Wollenburg, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Gretna, Neb., made 46 of 56 free throw attempts for 82.1 percent to lead the Mustangs in free throw accuracy and was one of the team’s most productive reserves with averages of 4.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Jessica Tietz, a 6-2 sophomore center from Bancroft, Neb., was the top scorer and rebounder off the Mustangs’ bench with averages of 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. She climbed to 41st place on Morningside’s all-time rebounding list with 325 career rebounds and 56th on the college’s career scoring list with 515 career points.

Kalene Anderson, a 6-0 senior forward from Rosalie, Neb., averaged 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in a starting role and finished her career as the 28th leading rebounder and the 59th leading scorer in Morningside history with 418 career rebounds and 484 career points, respectively.

Morningside posted a 29-7 record during the 2013-14 season for its school-record 11th consecutive 20-win season. The Mustangs were one of four teams to share the GPAC regular season championship with a 16-4 league record and made their 12th consecutive appearance in the NAIA Division II National Tournament. The Mustangs have a 326-68 record for a .827 winning percentage over the last 11 seasons and were NAIA Division II National Champions in 2004, 2005, and 2009.