OSKALOOSA, Iowa -- It was a two possession game with six minutes to go when Mount Mercy erupted for 18 of the next 19 points to rout William Penn, 93-70, in Midwest Collegiate Conference men's basketball at Penn Gymnasium on Saturday.
The Mustangs led, 70-58, on a 3-pointer by junior guard James Henderson with 7:35 remaining. After William Penn got within six on a pair of free throws by Joel Stout with 6:04 left in the contest, a jumper by junior forward Jaime Crim and two foul shots by freshman guard Jordan Ask pushed Mount Mercy's lead back to double digits at 74-64.
Moments later, Caleb Stout knocked down 1-of-2 free throws, but the Statesmen wouldn't score again until Stout's layup with 2:05 remaining. In between, the Mustangs put up 14 straight points, including eight by freshman forward Chad Underwood, to put William Penn in the rearview mirror and avenge a 95-85 loss to the then ninth-ranked Statesmen on Jan. 16 in Cedar Rapids.
Mount Mercy improved to 20-8 overall and 8-6 in the MCC, the first 20-win season for the Mustangs since 1996-97. The victory also keeps them in the hunt to host a first-round playoff game in the MCC Tournament. Mount Mercy is currently in a three-way tie for fourth in the league with William Penn (19-9, 8-6 MCC) and St. Ambrose (16-11, 8-6 MCC).
Henderson's game-high 28 points on Saturday included five 3-pointers. He also had four assists. Senior forward Keith Kuenstling nearly had another double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds. Underwood tallied 16 points, grabbed five boards, and blocked three shots.
Four Statesmen reached double digits, led by Joel Stout's 22 points. Nick Coffey and Jesse DeGeest added 12 points apiece, Kris Miller 11 points and five assists. Caleb Stout snared seven rebounds.
Mount Mercy wraps up the regular season at home next week, beginning with league-leading Grand View (22-6, 11-4 MCC) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hennessey Recreation Center. The 16th-ranked Vikings defeated the Mustangs in overtime last month in Des Moines. Mount Mercy hosts Ashford (18-10, 9-5 MCC) on Seniors Day on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 3:00 p.m.
