Mustangs Battled Hard But Fall To Eagles

FAYETTE, Mo. — Mount Mercy University (9-14, 5-11) faced a tough matchup against Central Methodist University (15-9, 10-6) on Saturday, falling 83-65 as the Eagles pulled ahead with a commanding third quarter. The Mustangs tallied 18 assists and received 30 points from their bench in the game.

Mount Mercy started strong defensively, leveling the score early with a layup from Sydni Morris, assisted by Taylor Rose. However, the Eagles took advantage of turnovers, opening a 7-point lead midway through the first period. The Mustangs answered with a 3-pointer by Aubrey Luvan at 3:09, trimming the deficit to five.

As the first quarter progressed, the Eagles widened their lead, reaching a 12-point margin with 1:35 left. The Mustangs closed out the quarter with solid plays inside the paint, with layups from Candace Baker and Morris, ending the quarter at 24-13.

In the second quarter, Mount Mercy exchanged baskets with Central Methodist, highlighted by another Morris layup set up by Luvan. Despite an early turnover, the Mustangs' defense rallied as Luvan's steal set up a scoring opportunity, and Jocelyn Ramos-Chears turned an offensive rebound into points.

Midway through the quarter, the Eagles pushed their lead to 16 points at the 5:14 mark. Mount Mercy responded with an offensive burst led by Sadie Struchen, who hit two key 3-pointers, narrowing the gap. Isabel Wallschlaeger played a crucial role, assisting multiple scoring plays. The Mustangs finished strong, cutting the deficit to 10 points with a late 3-pointer by Struchen, leaving the score at 42-32 in favor of Central Methodist.

The third quarter saw Mount Mercy making an effective scoring push, with the bench contributing nine points. Yet, the Eagles capitalized on turnovers for eight points and controlled the paint with 14 points inside. Baker provided a spark with a three-pointer at 4:52, but Central Methodist expanded their lead to 20 points by quarter's end.

Mount Mercy kept the third quarter competitive with 16 points, but Central Methodist outscored them with 26, extending their lead to 68–48.

In the fourth quarter, Mount Mercy showed resilience, driven by bench contributions totaling 13 points and defensive plays including two steals and a block. Struchen converted three free throws early, while Baker added both a three-pointer and a layup, cutting into the lead.

Despite Central Methodist widening the gap midway through the fourth quarter, the Mustangs continued to battle, with Halee Jackson closing with a jumper. Mount Mercy edged out Central Methodist in the final quarter, outscoring them 17-15, but the Eagles secured the win at 83-65.

Baker led the Mustangs with 18 points and five rebounds, pacing the team in field goals. Struchen added 14 points, hitting three of her seven attempts from three-point range. Morris contributed 11 points and three rebounds, while Wallschlaeger provided a defensive lift with three steals and a team-high eight assists.

Trishelle Porter paced the Eagles with 18 points, hitting four 3-pointers and adding two steals. Asnate Gerke contributed 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting, along with six rebounds and three steals. Kaitlyn Patke also added 15 points, shooting 6-of-9 and recording two blocks and two steals, highlighting Central Methodist's offensive and defensive strengths.

Mount Mercy stands at 9-14 overall and 5-11 in conference play. Central Methodist is 15-9 overall and 10-6 in conference action.

The Mustangs will next face Graceland at home on Wednesday, Feb. 11, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.