[Women's Basketball] Mustangs back in a big way

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Maybe the Mount Mercy women's basketball team needed to get back on the road. Or maybe they just like wearing their blue road uniforms. Whatever the reason, the 15th-ranked Mustangs snapped out of a three-game offensive slump and pounded Clarke, 86-68, in a Midwest Collegiate Conference matchup on Wednesday at the Kehl Center.

Mount Mercy has been one of the top offensive teams in the league and in the nation this season. But during their recent struggles at home, a squad that had been averaging nearly 74 points per game failed to score more than 61 in losses to Iowa Wesleyan, Viterbo (Wis.) and 10th-ranked Grand View. Things turned around tonight, thanks in large part to a career night from Laura Lippert.

The senior guard made 12-of-15 shots from the floor, including four of her five 3-point attempts, en route to a career-high 34 points. She also tallied four rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. As a team, the Mustangs (16-7, 8-3 MCC) shot 50 percent from the field and were 13-of-33 from beyond the arc.

Senior guard Emily Greiner added 12 points and knocked down three more triples. She has 72 this season, just 10 shy of her single-season best. It's also the seventh-highest single-season total in school history and has her in second place all-time with 232 treys. Karen Smith holds the career record with 260 3-pointers from 1991-95.

Sophomore forward Amanda Frost came in off the bench to score 12 points, while junior guard Brooke Quigley finished with 11 points, three boards and a game-high four assists. Senior guard Micha Mims and freshman guard Paige Last scored six points apiece, and Mims and senior guard Becca Lampe each collected three steals.

Anna Hahn made all 12 of her free throws during a 22-point night for the Crusaders (5-17, 2-9 MCC). She was joined in double figures by Brianne Boals with 12 points, Amanda Hamilton with 11 and Brittany Collier with 10. Collier also had seven rebounds and Hahn and Hamilton had three steals apiece.

Another road test is coming up this weekend for Mount Mercy, which goes to Oskaloosa to face William Penn (8-14, 6-5 MCC) at 1:00 p.m. at Penn Gym. The Lady Statesmen have won four straight and are looking to avenge an 82-71 loss to the Mustangs on Dec. 7 in Cedar Rapids.