Pioneers slip by Mustangs, take control of fourth place

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- MidAmerica Nazarene surged ahead of Mount Mercy in the third quarter, then slid in front of the Mustangs in the Heart of America Athletic Conference standings with a 76-68 victory on Saturday afternoon at Hennessey Recreation Center.

The Mustangs (15-9, 13-8 Heart) held a slim half-game lead on the Pioneers (14-10, 13-7 Heart) when the day started, but now find themselves in fifth place in the league with three regular season games to go. A lot can happen over the next two weeks as Mount Mercy hopes to overtake MidAmerica Nazarene and earn a home game in the Heart's postseason tournament.

The Mustangs trailed, 38-31, but scored the final nine points of the second quarter to lead the Pioneers, 40-38, at halftime. MidAmerica Nazarene turned the tide in the third quarter, outscoring Mount Mercy, 21-13, and then kept the Mustangs at bay over the final 10 minutes to gain the season sweep. The Pioneers also won, 79-67, in Olathe, Kan., in December.

Madison Dreckman, who went over the 1,000-point mark against fifth-ranked Clarke on Wednesday, led the Mustangs again on Saturday with game-highs of 17 points and 15 rebounds. Karlie Krogman added 13 points off the bench. Madison Skelton had 12 points and five boards, Annika Headington finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Four MidAmerica Nazarene starters were in double figures, led by 16 points from Bi'Anna Pettis. She also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and seven assists. Lydia Ostenson and Jordynn Gonzalez scored 15 points apiece, Arielle Sargent 14 to go along with seven boards.

The Mustangs are on the road for two games next week. They go to Canton, Mo., for a matchup with Culver-Stockton (9-15, 8-12 Heart) on Wednesday at 5:30 pm at Charles Field House, then move on to Atchison, Kan., for a Saturday contest against Benedictine (17-7, 15-5 Heart) at noon at Ralph Nolan Gymnasium.