Mount Mercy University - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mustangs ranked 19th in men's hoops

The Mount Mercy men's basketball team is ranked 19th in the NAIA Division II poll this week for the first time since the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

The Mustangs have won five straight games and nine of their last 10, raising their record to 12-3. Mount Mercy is scheduled to begin the Midwest Collegiate Conference season Wednesday night at Clarke.

Mount Mercy was ranked 16th at the end of the 2012-13 campaign after finishing with a 27-6 record and making the national tournament.

Indiana Wesleyan (15-1) is ranked No. 1 in the nation this week.

Balanced Mustangs knock off Luther

The Mount Mercy men's basketball team has a nice melting pot of players on the squad this year.

There are guys from Chicago, a pair from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, a shooter from Australia, a versatile player from Brazil and six guys from Iowa, including a quartet from Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

It's an effective mix and they produced an 82-67 victory over Luther in a non-conference game at the Hennessey Recreation Center Saturday afternoon.

Alex Houston, a 6-foot-4 forward from Chicago, led the charge for Mount Mercy (12-3) with 16 points and nine rebounds. James Boonstoppel, the shooter from Australia, popped in two 3-pointers during a 12-0 run as the Mustangs broke things open in the second half.

Kyle Lamaak, one of the Kennedy grads who joined the Mustangs this season after two years as a regular student at Northern Iowa, muscled in 11 points in 16 minutes despite operating with a sore ankle. Matos, a 6-5 senior from Brazil, showed his versatility with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

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Mount Mercy women fall, 96-84

Technically speaking, it was not a good day for the Mount Mercy women's basketball team.

Mount Mercy Coach Aaron Jennings and star player Abby Herb were both slapped with technical fouls Saturday and the Mustangs were ambushed by Luther, 96-84, in a non-conference game at the Hennessey Recreation Center.

Herb was called for an offensive foul with 18:09 left in the game, and when she voiced a mild objection she was called for a technical foul as well. Those were her fourth and fifth fouls of the contest and sent her to the bench for the rest of the day with her team trailing 49-34.

Jennings got his technical with 12:06 remaining when he thought a foul should have been called against one of Luther's players on a shot attempt by Makenzie Zeitler, but the official did not appreciate his advice.

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Zeitler helps Mustangs top Dakota State

Makenzie Zeitler had a big double-double Friday night with 15 points and 17 rebounds as Mount Mercy dumped Dakota State, 82-63, in a women's basketball game at the Hennessey Recreation Center.

Zeitler shot 5-for-7 from the field and was 5-for-6 at the foul line. She grabbed 13 defensive rebounds and snared four rebounds off the offensive boards.

Abbie Herb tossed in 22 points to lead Mount Mercy in scoring. She also had six rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal as the Mustangs raised their record to 9-8.

Sharee Galbraith scored 15 points for Dakota State (6-8).

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