Metro Sports Report

Mustangs roll up 106 points in win

The Mount Mercy Mustangs are healthy, hungry and headed in the right direction again.

The Mustangs dumped Evangel, 106-81, in a Heart of America Conference game at the Hennessey Recreation Center Saturday as they chase a favorable seed in the league tournament.

Mount Mercy climbed within a half-game of fourth place in the conference standings with five games left in the regular season, sitting at 14-11 overall and 9-10 in the league.

The Mustangs are deeper and stronger than they've been all season, especially with Mychael Brawner-Henley back after missing nine games due to a school suspension.

Mount Mercy struggled with a 3-and-6 record without Brawner-Henley for four weeks, but the Mustangs have won both of their games since he returned this week.

Brawner-Henley, who averages 13.5 points, scored 17 points in 13 minutes off the bench Saturday. Dennis McKinney led the way with 25 points, Bailey Basala had 18 and DJ Johnson pitched in 16.

No. 1 Eagles nixed by NIACC

MASON CITY - The Kirkwood men's basketball team moved to the top of the national rankings this week, but it did not help the Eagles in their first game as the new No. 1 team in the land.

The 12th-ranked NIACC Trojans dumped the Eagles, 95-81, in their showdown for first place in the ICCAC conference standings Saturday.

The Trojans moved into first place with a 9-1 record in the league. The Eagles are now in second place by a half-game with an 8-1 mark in the 14-game campaign.

Kirkwood hammered NIACC, 83-65, in their first meeting on Jan. 19 in Cedar Rapids, but the Trojans returned the favor in the rematch. NIACC raced to a 48-31 lead at halftime.

No. 2 KCC women fall at NIACC

MASON CITY - The Kirkwood women's basketball team committed 31 turnovers Saturday afternoon and lost its conference showdown with NIACC, 68-62, in Mason City.

The outcome left the second-ranked Eagles and the fifth-ranked Trojans with identical 10-1 records in the ICCAC Conference with five games left in the regular season.

Kirkwood topped NIACC by six points when they met in Cedar Rapids on Jan. 19, and now NIACC has topped Kirkwood by six points in the rematch between two of the premier teams in the country.

NIACC launched 48 3-pointers on Saturday and hit 14 of them for 42 of its 68 points. Kirkwood made just three 3-pointers.

Natalie Tomaszewski led Kirkwood in scoring for the first time this season with 12 points and seven rebounds. Ju Gaston scored 11 points for the Eagles. Leah Robinson collected a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Haley Mullinnix also scored 10 points.

Vander Poel wins 600 for Mustangs

CRETE, Neb. - Kathryn Vander Poel of Mount Mercy captured the 600 meter run at the Heart of America Conference indoor track meet Saturday.

Vander Poel won the race in 1 minute, 38.32 seconds. She also finished second in the 800 meter run (2:21.55) and helped the Mustangs place second in the distance medley (13:21.19) with Kelsi Huhndorf, Mady Roth and Andrea Ertz.

Vanessa Cortes finished second in the 3,000 meter run (10:54.18) and Ertz placed third in the 1,000 meter run (3:10.30).

The Mount Mercy women finished in fourth place out of 11 teams in the standings.