Mustangs Narrowly Fall to No. 20 Graceland on the Road

LAMONI, Iowa — Mount Mercy University suffered a tough loss to 20th-ranked Graceland, falling 94-87 in an overtime battle on Wednesday night at the Morden Center. The Mustangs, now 9-10 overall and 4-7 in conference play, held an 11-point lead in the second half, but the Yellowjackets, now 17-3 overall and 10-1 in conference, clinched the win with clutch free-throw shooting.

The Yellowjackets were the first on the board, as Deundra Roberson sank two free throws for an early 2-0 lead. Brayson Laube answered with a three-pointer, assisted by Jaxson Fried, giving the Mustangs a 3-2 edge. Fried was a key player for Mount Mercy, quickly adding a layup and a three-pointer, pushing their lead to 14-12 with 12:53 left in the first half. The Mustangs stretched their lead to 34-24 when Aiden Price hit a jumper at 5:59. The Yellowjackets closed the gap, tying the game at 37-37 with Carson Busch's layup at 1:08. Caden Schroeder's layup in the final 40 seconds of the half gave Mount Mercy a 39-37 lead at the break.

The second half was a back-and-forth contest. Aiden Price and Fried contributed significant points for the Mustangs, with Fried extending the lead to 11 with a three-pointer at the 9:40 mark. Graceland's Busch and Aaron James Jr. countered with timely baskets, knotting the game at 67 with 5:29 to go. Despite Mount Mercy's efforts, Graceland's Micah Lamberth hit a crucial jumper, leading to a 79-79 tie at the end of regulation.

In overtime, Graceland took control, outscoring the Mustangs 15-8. Josh Sanderson hit a pivotal three-pointer, assisted by Busch, at 4:28 to push Graceland ahead. Price fought back with a layup at 3:53, but the Yellowjackets maintained their momentum. Busch added another three-pointer at 2:08, widening the gap. Key free throws by Sanderson and Runey Hernandez in the closing seconds sealed the game for Graceland.

Fried was outstanding for Mount Mercy, leading with 33 points, including four 3-pointers, and pulling down seven rebounds. Price added 22 points, six assists, and eight rebounds. Laube chipped in with 15 points and two steals, converting 7 of 10 free throws. Dimitrije Nikolic contributed seven points and two steals.

For the Yellowjackets, Busch led with 30 points, hitting four 3-pointers and going 8-for-12 from the line. He also added three assists and a block. James Jr. tallied 14 points with three 3-pointers and two assists. Sanderson also scored 14 points, making four 3-pointers, with two assists. Hernandez was a force on the boards with 13 rebounds, scoring 12 points and providing four assists. Lamberth was perfect from the field, scoring 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds.

Mount Mercy will look to bounce back as they head to Des Moines for a game against Grand View on Saturday, January 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.