Mustangs pull away late as Tiger men again slip down stretch

CEDAR RAPIDS ? Mt. Mercy University went on a 13-4 run in the final minutes and the Iowa Wesleyan College men?s basketball team again saw a game slip away late in a 73-65 loss Wednesday night in a Midwest Collegiate Conference game.

The Tigers once again were in a game late but went cold from the field and couldn?t get key stops defensively in the final minutes. IWC also was out-rebounded heavily in the second half and lost its fourth straight game, dropping to 8-7 overall and 3-5 in the MCC.

The game was tied at 57-57 with 4:51 left after Jeff Harper made one of two free throws. The Tigers were still down just two when Jon Umoren made a heavily contested layup to make it 63-61 with 2:55 left.

The Mustangs (14-5 overall, 5-3 MCC) would score seven straight points over the next two minutes to seize control, as IWC missed two shots, turned it over once and gave up two offensive rebounds. Markus Cocroft and Alex Coleman made back-to-back layups and Mt. Mercy converted three free throws to put the game away.

The final minutes spoiled another solid effort on the road for Wesleyan, which led much of the first half and hung tough in the second half as the game?s pace slowed to a grind. The Tigers trailed just once briefly in the first 20 minutes and led by as many as 11 points on the way to a 43-40 halftime lead. IWC shot 55.2 percent in the first half led by Kyle Warner and Jeremy Simmons combining for 21 points, and the Tigers also got contributions off the bench, including two three-pointers from Derrick Nillissen.

Wesleyan scored just one point in the first 7:38 of the second half but remained in striking range, even getting into a tie after Harper?s free throw. The Tigers shot just 36 percent (nine of 25) in the second half, though, and were out-rebounded 26-13 after halftime as Mt. Mercy finished the game with a 41-30 rebounding margin.

Simmons finished with 14 points to lead IWC, while Warner added 13 points and team highs of seven rebounds and three steals. Umoren also added six assists. The Tigers finished shooting 46.3 percent (25 of 54) but missed all seven shots from three-point range in the second half.

Sam Kenyi led Mt. Mercy with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Cocroft also added 18 points and seven assists. The Mustangs shot 45.2 percent (28 of 62).

The Tigers look to snap their skid Saturday when they travel to Davenport to face St. Ambrose University. Game time is set for 3 p.m.