[Men's Basketball] Warriors hang around, steal road win

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Waldorf trailed for nearly 38 of the game's 40 minutes, but made the plays when it mattered and handed Mount Mercy its third straight league loss, 73-69, in a Midwest Collegiate Conference men's basketball game on Saturday at Hennessey Recreation Center.

The Mustangs (16-9, 7-7 MCC) shot the ball well in the first half (51.6%), but cooled off dramatically after the break (30.3%) and saw a 12-point lead disappear. The Warriors (11-10, 7-7 MCC), who hadn't led since it was 6-4 just two minutes into the game, took the lead for good on a pair of free throws by Eddie Taylor-Boyce with 1:48 left in the contest.

Junior Alex Coleman hit 1-of-2 free throws with 34 seconds to go that cut Mount Mercy's deficit to 71-69, but Waldorf extended its lead to 72-69 on a foul shot by Brian Tollette seconds later. Mount Mercy missed a layup and turned the ball over on its next two possessions, then Sean Chennault knocked down the clinching free throw with 11 seconds on the clock.

Senior forward Sam Kenyi and junior guard Markus Cocroft were Mount Mercy's only double-digit scorers with 21 and 13 points, respectively. Coleman and junior forward Chad Underwood added nine points each. Kenyi grabbed eight rebounds. Underwood snagged seven boards and had a career-high five blocked shots.

Taylor-Boyce led the Warriors with 13 points. Chennault finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, Mitch Barrett-Burrell chipped in 10 points and six boards.

The Mustangs host league-leading St. Ambrose (18-8, 12-2 MCC) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Hennessey Rec Center. Mount Mercy is the last team to beat the 19th-ranked Bees, who have won eight straight since an 82-69 loss to the Mustangs on Jan. 11 in Davenport.