Rally Falls Short for Men's Basketball

CRETE, Neb. — Doane mounted a strong second-half push but came up just short in a 64–62 loss to Hastings on Wednesday night inside the Haddix Center. The Tigers outscored the Broncos 33–30 after the break and had multiple chances in the final minute, but Hastings held on in a tightly contested GPAC matchup. 

Hastings rode a hot start to build its largest lead of the night at 23–12 with 9:56 left in the first half, fueled by early shot-making from Micah Hinrichs, who scored 16 of his eventual 21 points before halftime. Doane responded with timely three-pointers from Trevon Beckman and Crayton Macholan to close the gap, but the Broncos carried a 34–29 edge into the break. 

Doane's offense clicked early in the second half, sparked by the tandem of Justus Gardiner and Casen Chaney. Gardiner scored 10 of his 15 points after halftime, including a pair of key baskets that brought the Tigers within a single possession. Chaney added 13 points with three triples, while Beckman matched him from long range, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from deep. 

The Tigers took their first lead of the second half at 48–47 with 12:39 remaining after a Jack Wilson three-pointer. Wilson delivered a double-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks in 36 minutes. His rim protection and work on the glass helped Doane slow Hastings' interior scoring and keep the Tigers in striking distance throughout. 

With under two minutes left, Doane trailed 62–59 and forced back-to-back defensive stops. Gardiner pulled down a key rebound, and Jonan Claussen drew a foul, sinking one of two free throws to make it a two-point game. After the Tigers again held defensively, the final possession came down to a contested look that narrowly missed as time expired. Claussen finished with nine points and three rebounds, while the Tigers shot an efficient 11-for-27 from three-point range (40.7%). 

Doane moves to 5–3 overall and 1–1 in GPAC play, while Hastings improves to 2–5 and evens its conference record at 1–1. The Tigers return to action this weekend as conference play continues in Sioux City, Iowa, against Briar Cliff.

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