[Men's Basketball] Warriors hand Mustangs their first loss

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Midland (Neb.) got a game-high 25 points from Donald Jones and ended Mount Mercy's school-record, eight-game winning streak to start the season, holding off the Mustangs, 81-78, on Sunday at Hennessey Recreation Center.

Mount Mercy didn't have an answer for Jones, who was 9-of-11 from the floor and also had five rebounds and five assists. Despite being outrebounded, 40-29, the Warriors (5-3) shot nearly 51 percent from the field and forced 22 turnovers. The Mustangs (8-1) knocked down 48 percent of their field goal attempts, but were just 13-of-21 from the free throw line.

Senior forward Sam Kenyi was nearly unstoppable for the Mustangs as well. He finished with 19 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, which ranks fifth on Mount Mercy's single-game list. After a slow start, junior forward Chad Underwood ended up with 19 points before fouling out with six minutes left. Senior guard David Campbell had 17 points, junior guard Markus Cocroft 14 points and career-high 11 assists.

Alex Knobbe and Zach Rosenboom added 11 points apiece for the Warriors.

Mount Mercy opens Midwest Collegiate Conference play against Grand View on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Des Moines. After that, the Mustangs are home for a pair of MCC games, hosting William Penn on Wednesday, Dec. 7 and Clarke on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 3:00 p.m. at Hennessey Rec Center.