[Men's Basketball] Mustangs hold on for win over Statesmen

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- An 11-point lead evaporated over the final 1:37, but Mount Mercy hung on for an 86-82 Midwest Collegiate Conference men's basketball victory over William Penn on Saturday at Hennessey Recreation Center, snapping an eight-game home losing streak to the Statesmen.

William Penn (11-12, 3-7 MCC) led a low-scoring game at the half, 28-26, but both teams heated up after the break. The Mustangs (15-8, 8-3 MCC) improved from 38.7 percent shooting in the first period to 54.8 percent after intermission, while the Statesmen went from 35.7 percent to 50 percent from the floor.

A 3-pointer by senior guard Jimmy Scroggins gave Mount Mercy its largest lead of 15 points, 64-49, with 8:21 to go in the game. Six straight points by William Penn's Huzie Hambrite quickly brought the Statesmen within nine less than a minute later. The Mustangs maintained control of the contest and took a 77-66 lead on a pair of free throws by junior guard LeTerrious Thomas with 1:37 remaining.

Mount Mercy began to self-destruct, and the Statesmen took advantage. It was 79-69 after junior guard David Campbell hit a pair of free throws with 1:04 left. Blake Walker nailed a trey for William Penn to cut the lead to seven, and after a quick shot and then a turnover by the Mustangs, the Statesmen were within three, 79-76, with 33 seconds on the clock.

Senior forward Marty Tope hit 1-of-2 free throws, but Mount Mercy was called for a loose ball foul on the miss. Nick Coffey made the first foul shot and missed the second, but the Statesmen rebounded the miss and nailed a jumper to make it 80-79 with 28 ticks left.

Senior guard Jerome Campbell knocked down both of his free throws moments later, then sophomore forward Chad Underwood blocked a 3-point attempt by Weibe Goodyk, leading to a pair of foul shots by Scroggins that put the Mustangs up, 84-79, with 18 seconds to go. He hit two more with six seconds remaining to seal the deal. It's Mount Mercy's first victory over the Statesmen at home since Feb. 17, 2003.

Three-point shooting had been Mount Mercy's Achilles heel for the past four games, but it was a key component in Saturday's win. The Mustangs were 8-of-15 during their 60-point second half and finished the game 10-for-26 from beyond the arc. David Campbell knocked down five of those treys while pouring in a game-high 22 points.

Scroggins finished with 14 points, Jerome Campbell had 13, and Thomas scored 11. Underwood pulled down six rebounds. Thomas, senior forward Josh Watznauer, and junior forward Sam Kenyi each grabbed five. Watznauer, Underwood, and Jerome Campbell each handed out four assists.

Hambrite and Brandon Beasley had 18 points apiece to lead the Statesmen. Goodyk and Alan Douglas finished with 11 points each, while Douglas also tallied 11 rebounds and five assists.

Mount Mercy remains in second place in the MCC, a game-and-a-half behind 14th-ranked Iowa Wesleyan (17-2, 9-1 MCC). The Mustangs are on the road at Waldorf (7-14, 2-8 MCC) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hanson Fieldhouse in Forest City. Mount Mercy beat the Warriors, 67-54, on Jan. 5 in Cedar Rapids.