Mount Mercy University - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Herb helps Mustangs top Clarke

Abby Herb collected a double-double for Mount Mercy Wednesday night with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but the 6-foot sophomore from Cedar Rapids was not entirely satisfied with her performance.

"I want to give myself a B-minus, because I missed a lot of shots I should have made," she said, "But then I got out of that funk and really started getting in my groove."

Herb and the Mustangs put together an 11-0 streak late in the game and trimmed Clarke, 58-53, in a Midwest Collegiate Conference game at the Hennessey Recreation Center.

Herb made only 2-of-9 shots during a painstaking first half, then sharpened in the second half when it counted.

"I got more focused in the second half," said Herb, a Washington grad. "My teammates came up to me at halftime and said, 'Abby, we need you,' and they really helped me get prepared for it."

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Mount Mercy waiting, hoping for good news

Mount Mercy University has answered their questions, supplied the necessary documents

and made the strongest case it can for membership in the Heart of America Conference or the North Star Conference.

Now it's up to those leagues to extend an invitation and give the Mustangs a new home.

"Right now it's up to them. And then obviously - hopefully - we would have a choice to make if both were to accept us," Mount Mercy athletic director

Scot Reisinger said Monday. "Then we would have to make some decisions."

The Midwest Collegiate Conference will disband after the 2014-15 school year, with the seven current members heading their separate ways (or in some cases, together). Grand View and William Penn already have been accepted into the Heart of America. St. Ambrose will be joining the Chicagoland Conference. The AIB College of Business apparently will be swallowed up by the University of Iowa.

Mount Mercy, Clarke and Viterbo need a place to land. Clarke has applied to the Heart of America - just like Mount Mercy - and is hoping they'll join that league for the 2015-16 school year.

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Mount Mercy men edge Ashford, 62-61

Dondre Osborne made two free throws with six seconds left  the clock to give the 14th-ranked Mount Mercy men’s basketball team a 62-61 win over Ashford on Saturday at the Hennessey Rec Center.

James Boonstoppel led the Mustangs with 12 points. Ben Struss scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Ian Matos had 10 points.

It was the 12th consecutive win for Mount Mercy, which is 19-3 overall and 6-0 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference.

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Mount Mercy escapes in 2 OTs

DES MOINES - James Boonstoppel's long 3-pointer with 38 seconds left in the second overtime put Mount Mercy ahead for good, allowing the Mustangs to escape with a thrilling 103-100 win over Grand View on Wednesday night.

The Mustangs (18-3, 6-0 Midwest Collegiate Conference) rallied from a 41-32 halftime deficit and appeared to have the game won in regulation but a 3-point basket from Kerry Green at the buzzer forced overtime.

Grand View looked like it would get the win in the first overtime. With the score tied at 89, the Vikings' Ron Waller was fouled with 2 seconds remaining. He missed both free throws sending the game to a second extra session.

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