Warriors Basketball

Spring semester games and MLK tournament

Welcome back, Warrior fans! With the new year, the Warriors basketball teams are starting fresh with a new semester of games across the Midwest.

Over Christmas break, the Warriors sacrificed some of their time at home to return to Nebraska and play some ball. Both the men’s and women's teams traveled to Dubuque, IA to play Emmaus University on January 8. Both teams fought hard, but both lost. The men came close, losing by only eight points. On January 10, the women played another game against Calvary University, and on January 13, both teams played against Faith Baptist Bible College. Those three games were also tough losses, but it hasn’t stopped the Warriors from pushing forward. 

Over the MLK weekend, the Warriors participated in the annual MLK tournament to play basketball with some of our sister schools. This tournament is always held over MLK weekend, and this year it was hosted by Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, TX. Union, Kansas Christian College, and Andrews Adventist University all traveled down to Texas for a two-day friendly competition. Union arrived late Thursday night, and the women were up early Friday morning to play the Andrews women’s team. Our girls worked their way through the game quarter by quarter, winning the small battles on the court that added up to their first win of the season! The rest of the games (Union women vs. SWAU women, Union men vs. Andrews men, and Union men vs. SWAU men) all ended in losses, but they put their best out on the line and left with lessons to succeed later on. On the way home, the Union men played Barclay College. Even after a full weekend of events, our Warriors snagged the win for a victorious bus ride back to Lincoln, NE. 

An important part of the MLK tournament is the bonds that it builds within our Adventist community and between teammates. After each game, there were smiles, hugs, and handshakes shared between the athletes. Old friends reconnected and the rivalry on the court was forgotten for a time. Union attended vespers on Friday night, and after, crowded into the SWAU student center with the rest of the student athletes for snacks and fellowship. On Sabbath, the Essex family, who are strong supporters of Union, graciously hosted the Warriors for a big Sabbath lunch. Along with a worship talk given by Mr. Essex and good conversation all around the house, some of our athletes decided to partake in a somewhat strange kind of team bonding. Most of the men's team jumped into the Essex’s ground pool for a cold plunge. With the water temp at around 55 degrees, the boys stayed in for five and half minutes. Hailey Orian and Jovanna Maldonado, the only two girls brave enough to enter the frigid pool, beat the boy’s time by five seconds.

Mark your calendars for January 30, February 2, and February 6 for the next few Warrior home games! We look forward to seeing you in the Thunderdome.

By Sami Hoffer