OSKALOOSA - The Mount Mercy men's basketball team got off to a  terrific start against William Penn Thursday night with a 14-point  lead in the first half, but it went downhill from there.

The Mustangs lost to the second-ranked Statesmen, 99-79, in a Heart of  America Conference game at Penn Gymnasium.

Mount Mercy faced a monumental assignment with two of its top players  - Mychael Brawner-Henley (suspended) and Bailey Basala (injury) - not  in uniform, but the Mustangs raced to a 32-18 lead with 9:48 left in  the first half despite being short-handed.

William Penn recovered and outscored the Mustangs 26-8 the rest of the  first half for a 44-40 lead at halftime. The Statesmen outscored the  Mustangs 55-39 in the second half for the 20-point victory.

Antwain Strong popped in five 3-pointers and tallied 21 points for  Mount Mercy (9-7, 4-6). Christian Reischauer scored 18 points, Dennis  McKinney 15 and Mohammed Albagami 13.

Abrian Edwards scored 23 points for William Penn (15-1, 9-1). The  Statesmen pounded the Mustangs on the backboards, 51-28.

MOUNT MERCY (79): McKinney 7 0-2 15, Evans 1 1-2 3, Strong 7 2-5 21,  Villagrana 2 0-0 5, Albagami 4 2-4 13, Kelley 0 0-0 0, Reischauer 7  3-4 18, Johnson 2 0-0 4, Kehinde 0 0-1 0. Totals 30 8-18 79.

WILLIAM PENN (99): Sherman 7 3-5 17, Johnson 5 0-0 12, Edwards 8 5-5  23, Bailey-DeCoteau 2 2-2 7, Alcindor 2 1-2 6, Pender 4 0-0 8, Thomas  0 0-0 0, Cager 5 3-6 14, Daley 1 0-0 2, Wheeler 3 0-0 8, Manuel 1 0-2  2. Totals 38 14-22 99.

Halftime - William Penn 44, Mount Mercy 40. 3-point goals - Mount  Mercy 8 (Strong 5, McKinney 1, Villagrana 1, Reischauer 1), William  Penn 9 (Johnson 2, Edwards 2, Wheeler 2, Bailey-DeCoteau 1, Alcindor  1, Cager 1).