Mustangs Roll Past St. Ambrose for Second Consecutive Win

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Mount Mercy secured a decisive 88-74 victory over St. Ambrose on Wednesday night at Hennessey Recreation Center, using an efficient first-half performance and balanced offensive attack to even its record at 2-2 on the season.

The Mustangs opened the contest on a 9-0 run and never trailed, shooting 52.9% from the field in the first half and 49.2% overall. Mount Mercy's perimeter efficiency helped build a 50-36 halftime advantage, as the team hit nine of its 19 attempts from beyond the arc before intermission.

Jaxson Fried paced Mount Mercy with 23 points, adding seven assists and nine rebounds in 39 minutes. Aidan Yamilkoski matched him with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting, including 7-for-13 from 3-point range. Brayson Laube contributed 20 points, connecting on 7 of 15 attempts, while Kaden Johnson added 10 points and six boards.

Mount Mercy's offense maintained control throughout, committing just nine turnovers while assisting on 16 field goals. The Mustangs also outrebounded the Fighting Bees 41-37, converting 12 second-chance points and going 12-for-17 (70.6%) from the line.

Despite a 25-point outburst from St. Ambrose's Ignacio Dacunda, Mount Mercy's defensive rotations limited the Bees to 26.9% from 3-point range and just five made free throws. St. Ambrose (1-2) closed the gap to single digits midway through the second half, but Yamilkoski's perimeter shooting and steady ball control sealed the win.

The Mustangs' bench contributed nine points, led by Caden Schroeder's six, while their starters accounted for the bulk of the offense.

The Mustangs continue the opening homestand with a matchup against Columbia on Saturday at 2 p.m.