Tigers
throttle Mustangs in MCC quarterfinals
Posted
2/29/08 1:02 AM
Jessie Dirks |
MOUNT PLEASANT,
Iowa -- The
Mount Mercy College women's basketball team, limited by its worst
shooting performance of the year and a huge rebounding deficit,
saw its season come to an end at the hands of a familiar foe in
the quarterfinals of the 2008 Midwest Collegiate Conference Tournament
on Thursday at Ruble Arena.
Third-seeded
Iowa Wesleyan College defeated the sixth-seeded Mustangs, 77-36,
ending Mount Mercy's season for the third year in a row in the
MCC tournament. The Tigers led, 43-21, at halftime after Mount
Mercy went 0-for-5 from 3-point range and 8-for-30 (26.7%) overall
in the first period. Things didn't get any better for the Mustangs
after the break. They were 1-for-12 beyond the arc and just 5-for-32
(15.6%) from the field over the final 20 minutes to finish at
21 percent from the floor for the game.
Junior guard
Jessie Dirks was the lone Mustang in double figures, finishing
with 11 points and a team-high six rebounds. Freshman guard Kadie
Carman added eight points off the bench, one shy of her career
high. Senior forwards Chelsie Patik and Addie McCreedy tallied
five points apiece in their final game at Mount Mercy, which finished
the season at 10-20 overall.
Kayleigh Epps
led all scorers with 19 points for the Tigers (19-8). Brittney
Wilson had 13 points and Rachel Mitchell 11. Brooke Newton chipped
in 10 points and hauled down 17 rebounds, leading Iowa Wesleyan
to a massive 57-30 advantage on the glass. Brittany Okland chipped
in eight points, nine boards, and game-high five assists.
The Tigers
travel to second-seeded Grand View College (20-11) for a Saturday
semifinal, thanks to a 66-52 Viking win over seventh-seeded William
Penn University (15-16). Top-seeded St. Ambrose University (26-5)
also cruised into the semis with a 91-45 defeat of eighth-seeded
Ashford University (10-21). The NAIA Division II 15th-ranked Queen
Bees host fourth-seeded Waldorf College (18-12) after the Warriors
beat fifth-seeded Viterbo University (Wis.), 68-58.
The higher
seed also hosts the MCC title game on Monday, with the winner
earning an automatic berth in the national tournament. The 2008
NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Championships are Wednesday-Tuesday,
March 12-18, at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
