Big
comeback gives Mustangs a split at Grand View Classic
Posted
11/3/07 6:34 PM
Jessie Dirks |
Chelsie Patik |
DES MOINES,
Iowa -- Trailing by 15 points with eight minutes to go, the Mount
Mercy College women's basketball team ended the game with a 23-7
run to defeat Missouri Valley College, 63-62, on day two of the
Grand View College Classic on Saturday.
The Mustangs
(1-1) were down by just two points at halftime, but found themselves
trailing, 55-40, with 8:18 remaining in the game. Sparked by junior
guard Jessie Dirks' three 3-pointers, Mount Mercy scored 17 of
the next 20 points to cut the deficit to one, 58-57, with 4:27
left.
After Missouri
Valley's Jessica Francka's trey gave the Vikings a four-point
advantage, back-to-back buckets by senior forwards Chelsie Patik
and Addie McCreedy tied the contest at 61-61 with 54 seconds on
the clock. Missouri Valley's Theresa Gittens hit a free throw
with 28 seconds to go to make it 62-61 before McCreedy came through
again moments later.
Junior guard
Kelli Dabroski's layup was blocked by Francka, but McCreedy grabbed
the loose ball and was fouled. She nailed both free throws with
nine seconds remaining to put Mount Mercy up, 63-62. The Mustangs
dodged a final bullet when the Panthers' Bonnie Johnson missed
two foul shots with five seconds left, giving Shawn Stimmel his
first victory as Mount Mercy head coach.
Dirks, who
was named to the all-Classic team along with Patik, finished with
six triples and a game-high 30 points for the Mustangs. She also
collected four rebounds and five steals. Patik joined her in double
figures with 14 points to go along with seven boards. McCreedy
ended up with six points and team-high 10 rebounds, Dabroski dished
out five assists, and freshman forward Emilie Warren contributed
five boards in 10 minutes off the bench.
On Friday,
the Mustangs battled William Jewell College (Mo.) before falling,
61-46, to the NAIA Division II fourth-ranked Cardinals. Mount
Mercy, which only trailed by four points at intermission, limited
William Jewell to 37 percent shooting from the field, but managed
to connect on only 30 percent of its field goal attempts in the
contest. Patik led the way for the Mustangs, scoring 13 points
while grabbing five rebounds and four steals. Dabroski chipped
in nine points and eight boards, Dirks nine points and three rebounds,
and McCreedy six points and a team-best seven boards.
Next up for
Mount Mercy is a trip to Joliet, Ill., to face the University
of St. Francis (Ill.) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. After that, the Mustangs
go to Upper Iowa University on Thursday, Nov. 15, for a 7:00 p.m.
tip in Fayette, Iowa.
