Mustangs drop season opener at St. Ambrose

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The home team won each quarter as St. Ambrose slowly put away Mount Mercy, 70-56, in a women's basketball season opener on Saturday night at Lee Lohman Arena.

Cold shooting from beyond the arc and at the free throw line didn't help Mount Mercy's cause. The Mustangs were just 3-for-22 from 3-point range (13.6%) and 5-for-11 at the charity stripe (45.5%). Rebounding was dead even as both teams pulled down 45 boards and turnovers were nearly equal as well. Mount Mercy (0-1) finished with 13, the Bees (1-0) committed 12.

Sammy Mia led three Mustangs in double figures with a game-high 21 points. Madison Dreckman added 11 points and 13 rebounds, Sassy Coleman 10 points and seven boards. Annika Headington finished with eight points, a team-best four assists and two steals.

There were three Bees in double digits as well. Mel Stewart tallied 14 points, Shayne Smith 13, and Kyle Wroblewski 11. Wroblewski also led St. Ambrose with nine rebounds. Smith pulled down seven boards and dished out four assists.

Mount Mercy is at Viterbo on Wednesday for a 5:30 pm tip-off at R.W. Beggs Gymnasium in La Crosse, Wis., before a rematch with St. Ambrose on Nov. 6 at 6:00 pm at Hennessey Recreation Center in Cedar Rapids.