Pride's late fourth quarter run squashes Mustangs' upset bid

DUBUQUE, Iowa - A late fourth quarter run by eighth-ranked Clarke was too much for the Mount Mercy women's basketball team to overcome in a Heart of America Athletic Conference road game. The Mustangs fell 84-66 at the Kehl Center on Wednesday evening. 

Clarke (19-2, 13-2 Heart) opened the game on an 11-0 run, not allowing Mount Mercy to score for the first five minutes. The Mustangs responded with an 11-4 run of their own, getting three consecutive 3-pointers from Madison Dreckman, Deja Antoine, and Sadie Struchen to make it a 15-11 game after ten minutes of play. The Pride started out strong in the second quarter too, extending their lead to as many as 15.

The Mustangs trailed 41-29 at the break, but outscored the Pride 20-11 in the third period to make it a one possession game, 52-49 going into the last quarter. Back-to-back jumpers from Sammy Mia and Antoine brought Mount Mercy within three, 63-60, and forced a Clarke timeout. The Pride ended the game the same way they started, going on an 21-6 run to fend off a feisty Mustang bunch. 

Dreckman led Mount Mercy with 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. She also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. Mia added 14, Antoine 13, and Annika Headington chipped in 12 points. Tina Ubl paced Clarke with 24 points and Mya Merschman added 17 off the bench.

After a tough road stretch, Mount Mercy (8-13, 4-11 Heart) is back at home on Saturday, Jan. 28 hosting William Penn (8-13, 5-10 Heart) in a Heart contest beginning at 2:00 pm inside Hennessey Rec. Center.