CEDAR RAPIDS – Iowa Wesleyan College went through an ice cold second half in which it made just three field goals and saw a substantial lead dissolve in a 58-50 loss to Mount Mercy College Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers made just three field goals in the second half, including none during a span of nearly 17 minutes, and the Mustangs handed IWC its first loss in Midwest Collegiate Conference play. Wesleyan also saw its nine-game winning streak snapped and fell to 11-7 overall (4-1 MCC).
All seemed fine for the game’s first 25 minutes until IWC went through a nightmare stretch like it hasn’t all season. The Tigers built a 15-point lead in the first half and led 33-24 at halftime. The lead was still nine points when Lindsee Bachicha (Jr.-Brighton, Colo.) hit one of two free throws to make it 38-29 with 15:38 remaining in the game.
Wesleyan would score just one point over the next 11:42, though, as Mount Mercy outscored the Tigers 23-1 over that time to turn a nine-point deficit into a 52-39 lead. Catalina de la Quintana did much of the damage by herself for the Mustangs, scoring 12 straight points in one stretch and in all totaling 28 points in the game, 21 in the second half.
IWC finally broke the ice when Jill Ginder (Jr.-Olney, Ill.) hit two free throws with 3:56 left in the game, but the Tigers played from behind the rest of the way. Wesleyan got within five points in the final minute when Bachicha scored to snap a 16:36 field goal drought and then followed up a miss by Anna Jones (So.-Cornell, Ill.) four seconds later after Jones stole the inbound pass. The Tigers got another turnover on the next inbound play but missed a three-pointer and would not score the rest of the way.
Wesleyan shot 3 for 25 in the second half (12%) and finished 14-for-51 for the game (27.5%). The Tigers also were 0-for-12 from three-point range in the second half and hit 2 of 20 from beyond the arc in the game (10%). Jones led IWC with 13 points and was the only to score in double figures, while Sheray Brown (Jr.-Detroit, Mich.) led the Tigers with 12 rebounds.
Mount Mercy shot just 22.6% in the first half (7-for-31) but made 10 of 20 in the second half (50%) to finish at 33.3% for the game. The Mustangs won their fourth straight and improved to 11-7 overall, 3-1 in conference play.
IWC will face another tough opponent on Wednesday when it hosts Grand View University at 5:30 p.m. at Ruble Arena. The Vikings are currently ranked #20 in NAIA Division II. The game will be broadcast live on KILJ Radio FM 105.5 in Mount Pleasant and online at www.kilj.com.
For more information regarding the IWC basketball programs or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
Box score MMC 58 IWC 50
