Mustangs Fall to Peru State to Start 2025

PERU, Neb. – The Mustang men's basketball team fell to Peru State, 81-74, in a Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup on Tuesday evening. The Mustangs dropped to 2-12 overall and 1-9 in conference play.

Aidan Yamilkoski paced Mount Mercy with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Yamilkoski also added four rebounds, three assists, and four steals in a complete two-way performance. Elijah Ward would contribute 15 points, going 7-of-12 from the field.

Mount Mercy's offensive execution improved significantly in the second half, as the Mustangs shot 50.0% from the floor after a 37.5% effort in the first half. The team's 85.0% success rate from the charity stripe (17-of-20) kept the game within reach.

Peru State (11-2, 7-2 Heart of America) was led by Carlos Hines, who scored a game-high 26 points, hitting 9-of-9 free throws. Forward Devin Tomlinson recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, anchoring the Bobcats on both ends of the court.

The Mustangs trailed by one at halftime, 35-34, but the Bobcats outscored Mount Mercy 46-40 in the second half. The Bobcats' ability to capitalize on second-chance opportunities, outscoring Mount Mercy 10-1 in that category, proved decisive.

Mount Mercy returns to the court on Saturday, taking on Central Methodist inside the Hennessey Rec Center in Cedar Rapids, with tipoff slated for 2 p.m.