Mustangs Fall to Morningside to Close Opening Weekend

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - Mount Mercy fell 93-75 to Morningside on Saturday afternoon at Allee Gymnasium, despite a strong second-half push and a balanced scoring effort led by Jaxson Fried's 21 points. The Mustangs shot 43.9% from the field but couldn't overcome Morningside's 55.7% shooting clip, which included 14 made 3-pointers.

After falling behind 48-30 at halftime, Mount Mercy improved offensively in the second half, hitting 45.7% of its shots and converting 10 of 13 free throws. Fried paced the offense with 17 of his points after intermission, while Aidan Yamilkoski added 17 points and seven rebounds overall. Brayson Laube scored 14 points and grabbed seven boards, and Jordan Willis chipped in eight points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Mount Mercy found success on the glass, outrebounding Morningside 43-30, including 17 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points. However, the visitors struggled to defend the perimeter, as Morningside connected on nearly half of its attempts from long range. The home Mustangs also capitalized on Mount Mercy's 12 turnovers, converting them into 18 points.

Kaden Johnson provided steady play at the point with seven points and three assists, while Cameron Williams led the team with four assists off the bench. Despite those contributions, Mount Mercy's 5-for-24 performance from beyond the arc limited its ability to close the gap.

For Morningside, Caleb Dreckman led all scorers with 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including five 3-pointers. Daniel Brocaille added 22 points and six rebounds, and Alex Wilcoxson recorded 14 points and seven assists.

The Mustangs will next faceoff on the road against Waldorf, with that matchup taking place on Tuesday.