Mt. Mercy Women's Basketball

Mount Mercy teams survived big changes

The members of the Mount Mercy men's and women's basketball teams were summoned to a surprise meeting last October and told their world was being turned upside down.

The men's coach was now the athletic director. The women's coach was now the men's coach. And the women's assistant coach was now the women's head coach on an interim basis.

This was just a few days before the start of the season.

There were a few bumps during the year as everyone absorbed the changes and adapted to new leadership, but both clubs have enjoyed successful campaigns and have a legitimate shot of reaching the NAIA basketball tournament.

The next step is the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) tournaments that will be held at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The 17th-ranked Mount Mercy men's team (22-7) is the No. 1 seed in their bracket. The Mount Mercy women (16-13) are the No. 4 seed, but they've played their best basketball during the second half of the year.

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NAIA hoops tourney set for C.R. this weekend

Mount Mercy University was delighted when it was admitted into the Heart of America Conference last year, but their basketball teams will not start competing in the league until next season.

That left the Mustangs as a basketball orphan this season. That led to them joining the Association of Independent Institutions, which is an informal conference that's administered by the NAIA for schools that need a league and teams to play.

And that led Mount Mercy to acting as the host for the AII men's and women's basketball tournaments that will be held at the U.S. Cellular Center this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in downtown Cedar Rapids.

If you see a lot of tall people walking around Cedar Rapids this weekend, you'll know why.

There are eight teams in both tournaments, which will be held morning, afternoon and night at the Cell Center. Mount Mercy received an automatic spot in the tournament as the host, but the Mustangs earned their way into the tournament anyway with successful campaigns.

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Mount Mercy women down Viterbo

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Alisa Weiland scored 17 points and Makenzie Zeitler grabbed 14 rebounds as the Mount Mercy women’s basketball team cruised past Viterbo on Saturday at R.W. Beggs Sr. Gym.

The Mustangs, already leading 39-27 at halftime, went on a 23-7 run in the third quarter to put the game away.

Abby Herb and Ashley Dolan each scored 10 points for Mount Mercy (16-13).

Bailey Klaas led Viterbo (6-22) with 11 points.

MOUNT MERCY (74): Weiland 7 1-2 17, Herb 3 4-4 10, Dolan 5 0-3 10, Thompson 4 0-0 9, Zeitler 3 2-3 8, Blowers 2 0-0 6, Harmon 1 2-2 4, Lampe 2 0-1 4, Jordan 1 0-0 2, Keating 0 2-2 2, Lehman 1 0-0 2, Goodman 0 0-0 0, Sexton 0 0-0 0, Valadez 0 0-0 0, Seelman 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 11-17 74.

VITERBO (51): Klaas 3 5-6 11, Busse 1 4-6 7, Hanson 3 0-0 6, Hattamer 2 0-2 4, Hofschild 0 2-4 2, Geiser 3 2-4 9, Huebner 2 0-0 5, Klaas 2 0-2 5, Wahl 1 0-0 2, Mendoza 0 0-2 0, Lorenz 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 13-26 51.

Halftime – Mount Mercy 39, Viterbo 27. 3-point goals – 5 (Weiland 2, Blowers 2, Thompson), Viterbo 4 (Busse, Geiser, Huebner, Klaas).

Mount Mercy women dumped by Ozarks

The fourth-ranked College of the Ozarks proved to be too much for the Mount Mercy women’s basketball team in a 60-37 loss Friday at the Hennessey Recreation Center.

The Lady Cats jumped to a 17-7 lead and put the game away with a 28-15 advantage in the second half.

Lakin Simmerman scored 13 points and Kelsie Cleeton had 12 points and nine rebounds for College of the Ozarks (24-3).

Makenzie Zeitler scored nine points with 12 rebounds for Mount Mercy (13-13). Abby Herb and Ashley Dolan each scored eight points.

COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS (60): Uchtman 4 0-0 8, Roberts 0 0-0 0, Wisdom 1 0-0 2, McMenamy 2 3-4 7, Simmerman 4 5-7 13, Brethower 1 4-4 7, Cleeton 5 0-0 12, Wells 0 0-0 0, Johnson 2 2-2 8, Underdown 0 0-0 0, Bovard 0 3-4 3. Totals 19 17-21 60.

MOUNT MERCY (37): Herb 3 2-2 8, Dolan 4 0-1 8, Weiland 1 2-3 4, Zeitler 4 0-2 12, Thompson 1 0-0 2, Blowers 0 0-0 0, Sexton 0 0-0 0, Harmon 0 2-2 2, Lampe 1 0-0 3, Lehman 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 6-10 37.

Halftime – College of the Ozarks 32, Mount Mercy 22. 3-point goals – College of the Ozarks 5 (Cleeton 2, Johnson 2, Brethower), Mount Mercy 3 (Zeitler, Thompson, Lampe).