[Men's Basketball]

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The St. Ambrose men's basketball team dealt a blow to Mount Mercy's conference title hopes on Wednesday, holding on for a 65-57 victory over the Mustangs in a Midwest Collegiate Conference matchup at Lee Lohman Arena.

While the Mustangs can still obtain a share of the MCC regular season title, they would need some help. Mount Mercy (17-9, 10-4 MCC) is three games back of Iowa Wesleyan (20-2, 12-1 MCC) in the loss column with a week to go. The Mustangs need to win their final two games and would need the ninth-ranked Tigers to drop their last three. The two teams square off next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hennessey Recreation Center.

Mount Mercy had an opportunity to get its ninth road win of the season on Wednesday, but couldn't hold on to a three point lead with less than five minutes to go. The Mustangs led, 55-52, until a 3-pointer by Bren Gillespie tied it up with 4:16 remaining. Junior guard David Campbell put Mount Mercy back in front with a pair of free throws on their next possession, but the Mustangs went scoreless over the final four minutes while the Bees rattled off the game's final 10 points to earn a split of the season series.

Only two Mustangs reached double digits as the Mustangs were held to their second-lowest point total of the season. Senior forward Josh Watznauer totaled 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Sophomore forward Chad Underwood tallied 10 points, five boards, and three steals. Senior guard Jimmy Scroggins added nine points and eight rebounds.

Mike Kennedy, the leading scorer in the MCC at better than 20 points per game, topped St. Ambrose (19-7, 8-5 MCC) with 15 points and nine rebounds. Gillespie finished with 14 points. Bryce Davis chipped in nine points, Chris Donnelly eight points, eight boards, and four blocked shots.

Mount Mercy wraps up the regular season with a pair of home games, including Wednesday's showdown with Iowa Wesleyan at 7:30 p.m. at Hennessey Recreation Center. The Tigers escaped with a 75-73 victory over the Mustangs in their first meeting on Jan. 19 in Mount Pleasant. Viterbo (Wis.) visits Cedar Rapids for Seniors Day on Saturday, Feb. 19, at 3:00 p.m.