Mustangs fall at top-ranked William Penn

OSKALOOSA, Iowa -- Top-ranked William Penn scored 59 points in the first half, then kept the Mount Mercy men's basketball team at bay over the final 20 minutes to defeat the Mustangs, 112-94, in a Heart of America Athletic Conference contest on Wednesday night at Penn Gymnasium.

Despite the loss, Mount Mercy (15-9, 8-6 Heart) remains in a tie with Grand View (13-8, 8-6 Heart) for third place in the Heart with five regular season games left. The Mustangs are a half-game back of second-place Evangel (15-7, 8-5 Heart) and host Benedictine (13-9, 7-6 Heart) on Saturday at 2:00 pm at Hennessey Recreation Center, where they are 10-1 this season.

Melvin Lee was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and led the Mustangs with 19 points off the bench on Wednesday. Ryan Bartley had 16 points, Bailey Basala 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Brandon Jackson added 11 points in a reserve role.

Karmari Newman scored 24 points and Kevion Blaylock finished with 22 points and seven rebounds for the Statesmen (22-1, 13-1 Heart). Also in double digits were Chanze Cruesoe with 11 points and Josh Watkins with 10.