Pride start strong, cool off Mustangs

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Clarke was strong from the opening tip, building a 17-point halftime lead en route to a 77-57 defeat of Mount Mercy in Wednesday's Heart of America Athletic Conference women's basketball matchup at Hennessey Recreation Center.

The Mustangs (10-13, 7-5 Heart) entered having won two straight games and six of seven in the new calendar year, but they were no match for the 10th-ranked Pride, who extended their winning streak to 18 games and moved to 21-2 overall and a perfect 12-0 in the Heart.

Sammy Mia scored 15 points and Sassy Coleman added 11 for Mount Mercy. Annika Headington chipped in seven points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. The Mustangs faced a huge deficit on the boards as the Pride held a nearly 2-to-1 advantage on the glass, 54-28.

Clarke placed four players in double figures, led by 15 points from Emma Kelchen. Skylar Culbertson had 11 points, Nicole McDermott and Tina Ubl 10 each. Ubl also had a game-high 10 rebounds, Kelchen and Culbertson pulled down eight boards apiece. Culbertson and Ubl also finished with five assists each.

Mount Mercy is on the road for two straight, traveling to Missouri Valley (12-9, 6-6 Heart) for a noon tip on Saturday in Marshall, Mo., and William Penn (3-20, 3-9 Heart) for a 5:30 pm start on Wednesday in Oskaloosa.