SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Heading into Thursday's game at the NAIA National Tournament, the Mayville State Men's Basketball team knew how tough their opponent, Morningside, was going to be. And, it proved to be a challenge, as Morningside controlled the game, start to finish, in a 90-55 defeat of the Comets in the opening round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

"This was a tough way to go out," Comet Head Coach Darren Tighe said. "But, I am proud of how we continued to stay together and battle, even though the score wasn't going our way."

From the get-go, it was all Morningside in the first half. The Comets led twice in the first 2:05 of the game, but Morningside took over from there, never relinquishing the lead.

52 seconds in, Mayville State took the lead on a putback from Max Cooper off a defensive rebound. Less than ten seconds later, Tyler Borchers tied the game up for Morningside on a putback. Borchers would extend the lead to 4-2 with 18:09 left in the half, before Daniel Lindgren's three gave Mayville State the lead again, 5-4.

The 5-4 lead would last less than 20 seconds, as Matt Hahn answered Lindgren's trey with one of his own, putting Morningside ahead 7-5. That would be the first of a 5-0 run for Morningside, which saw them take the lead 9-5 with 16:40 to go in the half. Max Cooper would be fouled by Borchers with 16 minutes left, sending him to the line for a pair of free-throws. Cooper would only connect on one, cutting the lead to 9-6.

Morningside would again go on a run, this time a 7-0 spurt, extending their lead to 16-6.

Kobe Critchley stopped the run, momentarily, with a trey with 13:33 to go, but, 13 seconds later, Trey Brown gave back the momentum to Morningside with a bucket.

The teams would trade buckets, and it was 21-11 Morningside with 12:41 left in the half.

The Comets would not score again until under nine minutes remained in the half, as Peyton Christman took a Lindgren pass and converted the trey to make the score 25-14. Another scoreless run took the Comets to under seven minutes left, when Lindgren would score on a pass from Alhag, cutting the lead to 17 points, 34-17.

Morningside ended the first half on a 6-2 run, capped off by Eric Staebler's putback with 19 seconds to go, cutting the lead to 22, 48-26 heading into the second half.

Much like spots in the first half, the Comets and Morningside would trade baskets, with the lead growing to 54-32 with 17:00 left on a two-pointer by Lindgren. Another 8-0 run by Morningside put them ahead by 30 points with 14:19 to go in the game, but Lindgren again cut into that lead with a trey with 14 minutes left in the contest.

The lead grew to as much as 40 with just under six minutes left in the game.

Mayville State was led in scoring by Lindgren, who finished with 24 points on eight-of-18 shooting from the field, including six-of-12 from the three-point line. Christman added six points and Cooper added five for the Comets, who wrapped up the season with a record of 20-9.

"It was another good year," Tighe said.

The Comets will say goodbye to six players this season.

"I am proud of our team," Tighe said. "Especially our six seniors."