Mustangs control tempo, win second straight

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Ryan Bartley and Anthony Horton Jr. combined for 24 of the Mustangs' 34 first half points, leading the Mount Mercy men's basketball team to their second straight Heart of America Athletic Conference win and their first at home. The Mustangs defeated Culver-Stockton (Mo.) 61-52 at Hennessey Rec. Center on Wednesday evening. 

A 9-0 run highlighted by Bartley's back-to-back 3-pointers in a 26 second time span followed by an Horton Jr. triple forced a Wildcat timeout as they couldn't wait any longer for the media. A Cody Westcott layup put the Mustangs up ten, 30-20. Mount Mercy held a nine point advantage going into halftime. 

The Mustangs got off to a slow start in the second half, only scoring five points in the first six minutes, but their lead prevailed thanks to defensive stands and cold shooting from the Wildcats. Mount Mercy created their biggest lead, 49-37, after a Horton Jr. jumper. Culver-Stockton hung around, making it a two possession game, 56-50, with just over 90 seconds to play. Out of a timeout, Jakari Bradley's layup gave the Mustangs some breathing room and forced the Wildcats to rush shots. Mount Mercy avenged an earlier season 71-68 loss with the win. 

Despite being off from behind the arc (5-for-23), Mount Mercy found another way to win by sharing the basketball, assisting on 14 of their 25 field goals. The Mustangs outscored the Wildcats 32-22 in points in the paint, while shooting at a 39.1 percent clip (25-for-64). Bartley totaled a game-high 18 points and Horton Jr. finished with 14 points and four assists. Bradley pulled down a team-best nine rebounds. Robert Fry II led Culver-Stockton (8-16, 4-15 Heart) with 18 points, Seth Larson added 11. 

Mount Mercy (7-17, 4-15 Heart) is back on the road on Saturday, Feb. 11 for a Heart matchup against Central Methodist (Mo.) (15-9, 12-6 Heart) at 4:00 pm in Fayette, Mo.