Turnovers prove costly for Mustangs

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Mount Mercy went toe-to-toe with Briar Cliff for most of the first period, but five turnovers sparked a 14-0 run by the Chargers to close the half, and Briar Cliff rolled to an 86-72 victory over the Mustangs at Morningside's Mustang Holiday Classic at the Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center on Thursday.

Mount Mercy (6-9) had 22 miscues in the opening period and finished with a season-high 37 turnovers. Briar Cliff (10-7) wasn't much better, turning the ball over 26 times, but the Chargers held a huge advantage at the free throw line. Briar Cliff converted 30-of-51 attempts, while the Mustangs were just 12-of-17 from the foul line.

Junior guard Emily Greiner led the way for Mount Mercy, pouring in 18 points to go along with four assists. Junior forward Bria Fields added 19 points and nine rebounds, senior forward Tonya Davis 12 points. Junior guard Mackenzie Skay contributed five points and seven boards off the bench for the Mustangs.

Megan Salcedo and Kelsey Evans had 15 points apiece to lead the Chargers. They were joined in double figures by Kela Cihak with 12 points and Michelle Determan with 11. Morgan Brown grabbed nine rebounds and Salcedo eight, while Determan and Evans each had four assists.

Next up for Mount Mercy is a rescheduled league matchup with Clarke on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at the Kehl Center in Dubuque. The game was postponed from Dec. 11 due to inclement weather.