Pankey sets career-high in loss at Peru State

PERU, Neb. - Riley Pankey netted a season and career-best 20 points for the Mount Mercy men's basketball team's 101-70 defeat against Peru State (Neb.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference game Thursday night at the Al Wheeler Activity Center. 

The Mustangs and Bobcats were all notched up at 13 just five minutes in before a 9-0 spark allowed Peru State (14-5, 9-4 Heart) some separation. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Cole Hrubes and Pankey made it a one possession game, 30-27, with just over seven minutes to play in the first half. Mount Mercy (4-14, 1-12 Heart) would get within two on multiple occasions, but the Bobcats held strong for a 47-40 halftime advantage. The second half was all Peru State. The Bobcats came out firing, going 5-for-9 from behind the arc and shooting 67.7 percent overall in the final 20 minutes. Mount Mercy shot it at a 45.2 percent clip in the first half, knocking down eight treys to stay in the game, but cooled off in the second half, shooting just 38.2 percent overall with three 3-pointers. 

Pankey was 7-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-8 from long range and 2-for-2 from the free throw stripe. He also dished out four assists to lead the Mustangs and collected five rebounds. Ryan Bartley added 18 and Landen Sullivan 11. In his first action of the season, Jackson Tegeler pulled down a team-high eight boards. 

Mount Mercy rounds out the three-game week with a trip to MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (14-4, 9-3 Heart) on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 pm at the Cook Center in Olathe, Kan.