Wildcats recover, hand Mustangs tough road loss

CANTON, Mo. -- Mount Mercy held Culver-Stockton to just two points in the first quarter, but the Wildcats recovered in a big way to defeat the Mustangs, 65-51, in Wednesday night's Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup at Charles Field House.

Each of the first three quarters were lopsided. After trailing, 10-2, at the end of the first period, Culver-Stockton (13-12, 7-9 Heart) outscored Mount Mercy (12-15, 9-7 Heart), 20-10, in the second and 30-14 in the third to pull away. The Mustangs won the fourth quarter, 17-13, but by then the deficit was too much to overcome.

Mount Mercy's point total on Wednesday was its lowest since a 58-51 defeat at the hands of 13th-ranked Central Methodist on Jan. 16. Sammy Mia scored 12 points while Madison Dreckman, the reigning Heart of America Player of the Week, joined her in double figures with 10. Dreckman also grabbed eight rebounds and tallied three assists. Sassy Coleman pulled down a game-high 11 boards. Annika Headington added seven points, nine rebounds, and three assists.

Katie Webb led a balanced Wildcat attack with 12 points. Aaliyah Ortiz and Kiana Ortiz had 11 points each while Laken Hugenberg finished with 10. Kaysie Newsom had eight rebounds and Nya Taylor six boards.

Mount Mercy has two of its final three games at home during its push to reach the postseason. The Mustangs host MidAmerica Nazarene on Saturday at 2:00 pm at Hennessey Recreation Center.