The Mount Mercy women's basketball team was sitting on a 10-point lead in the third quarter Saturday afternoon, but then disaster struck.

Benedictine scored 16 straight points and posted a 69-65 victory over the Mustangs in a Heart of America Conference game at the Hennessey  Recreation Center.

Mount Mercy led 50-40 with five minutes left in the third quarter, but Benedictine rode its 16-0 spurt to a 56-50 advantage with seven minutes remaining in the ballgame. The Mustangs were never able to  take the lead again.

Aurianna Hampton led a balanced attack for Mount Mercy with 16 points and seven rebounds. Brianna Thomas scored 13 points, Sharice Kawakami scored 12 and Audrey Mulumba had 11.

Natalie Smaron topped Benedictine with 14 points. The visitors won the rebound battle, 40-28.

Mount Mercy fell to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference. Benedictine raised its records to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the league.

BENEDICTINE (69): G.Brzozowski 2 1-2 6, Staley 3 3-6 9, Baumgartner 5  2-2 12, Maul 1 0-0 2, Canbaz 3 0-0 6, Brennan 0 1-2 1, Pennefather 0  0-0 0, Neill 0 4-4 4, Nelson 0 0-0 0, Smaron 6 2-3 14, Washington 5  1-1 11, A.Brzozowski 1 2-2 4. Totals 26 16-22 69.

MOUNT MERCY (65): Moffett 0 2-2 2, Kawakami 4 0-0 12, Thomas 5 0-0 13, Sheck 0 0-0 0, Lampe 1 1-3 4, Goodman 0 0-0 0, Blowers 2 0-0 5, Hampton 6 4-10 16, Mulumba 4 1-2 11, Brown 0 2-2 2. Totals 22 10-19 65.

Halftime - Mount Mercy 38, Benedictine 32. 3-point goals - Benedictine  1 (G.Brzozowski 1), Mount Mercy 11 (Kawakami 4, Thomas 3, Mulumba 2,  Lampe 1, Blowers 1).