Mustangs Pull Away Late in Overtime to Down Fighting Bees

DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Mount Mercy University men's basketball team secured an 89-87 overtime victory against St. Ambrose University on Tuesday evening at Lee Lohman Arena, improving to 7-7 on the season. The Mustangs completed the nonconference road win following a contested 45-minute game that featured eight ties and 13 lead changes.

Mount Mercy trailed 36-32 at halftime after shooting 37.8 percent from the field in the opening period. The Mustangs were limited to 2-of-16 from 3-point range in the first half but remained within reach through offensive rebounding and points in the paint. Aiden Price led Mount Mercy at the break with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

St. Ambrose opened the game with early perimeter scoring and led by as many as six points in the first half. Nolan Deitrich and Guillermo Narbona combined for multiple 3-point field goals to help the Bees maintain an edge heading into intermission.

The Mustangs responded in the second half by increasing efficiency on the offensive end. Mount Mercy shot 53.6 percent from the field after halftime and converted 7-of-15 from beyond the arc. Jaxson Fried and Aidan Yamilkoski each connected on multiple perimeter attempts as the Mustangs erased the deficit and took several second-half leads.

Mount Mercy led 70-60 with 4:53 remaining following a layup by Price, but St. Ambrose closed regulation on a 16-6 run. Narbona tied the game at 76 with a jump shot in the final seconds, sending the contest to overtime.

In the extra period, Mount Mercy shot 6-of-7 from the field and committed one turnover. Fried accounted for six points in overtime, including the game-winning layup with one second remaining after a steal. Kaden Johnson and Price each added key field goals to counter multiple St. Ambrose 3-point attempts.

Price finished with a game-high 34 points on 15-of-21 shooting to go with four rebounds and three assists. Fried totaled 21 points, including 13 in the second half and six in overtime. Yamilkoski added 13 points and six rebounds, while Johnson scored eight points and Jordan Willis contributed nine rebounds.

Mount Mercy finished the game shooting 48.6 percent from the field and scored 46 points in the paint. The Mustangs recorded 19 points off turnovers and limited St. Ambrose to 18 turnovers. Mount Mercy committed 13 turnovers and held a 34-38 rebounding margin.

St. Ambrose was led by Narbona with 30 points and six assists. Ignacio Dacunda recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Deitrich added 16 points. The Bees shot 50.0 percent from the field and 45.2 percent from 3-point range but were outscored 13-11 in overtime.

The Mustangs will return to action versus Missouri Baptist at Hennessey Rec Center on Sat., Jan. 3, starting at 2 p.m.