Cedar Rapids, Iowa - In a game held in Cedar Rapids Iowa, Central Methodist men's basketball team fell in the closing moments to Mount Mercy University, 79-72 Sunday afternoon.
With the defeat, Central stands at 14-6 and 5-4 in the Heart, while the Mustangs improve to 13-6 and 6-3 in conference action.
Mount Mercy jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead in the opening 4:02 of the first half, and led by as many as 13 points. Trailing 27-14, the Eagles went on a 23-9 scoring run in the final 9:32 of the half, taking a 37-36 lead into the locker room.
Both teams exchanged leads throughout the duration of the second half, before an 8-2 scoring run by Central gave the Eagles the 67-61 advantage with 7:28 remaining in the game.
Mount Mercy's offense responded with a run of their own, scoring 11 straight points, six which came via the charity stripe. Stingy defense and timely free throws for the Mustangs in the closing minutes gave Mount Mercy the victory.
Sophomore guard Jonathan Brown played all 40 minutes for the Eagles, recording a team-high 21 points including three three-point baskets. The native of London, England also tallied four rebounds, three assists, and a block. Trent Lyles scored 16 points on 50-percent shooting from the floor. He also added seven rebounds, a game-high six assists and two steals in 28 minutes off the bench.
Jayden McGrew was the third Eagle to land in double figures with 13 points while Isaiah May added 10 to make it four Eagles in double figures.
As a team, Central just edged Mount Mercy on the glass, grabbing 45 rebounds compared to 43 for the Mustangs. The difference in the game came from the charity stripe, as the Mustangs converted 21-of-29 free throws for 72.4-percent. CMU finished the evening shooting just 11-of-19 from the free throw line.
CMU returns home to host Baker University Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. inside Puckett Field House. Central claimed victory over the Wildcats in the first matchup between the two sides by a score of 86-55 back on Jan. 5 in Baldwin City.
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