Pride finish strong in 75-65 win at Mount Mercy

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Rounding up a three-game road trip against Mount Mercy University, the Clarke University men's basketball team picked up their second win in a row over the Mustangs by a final score of 75-65.

In a game that felt like it was consistently a one possession game, the Pride were able to take a 61-58 lead on an Anthony Eddy three-pointer with 6:14 left in the game and never looked back on their way to taking their largest lead of the game at 73-61 on another Eddy three to ice the game.

Eddy tied for the game high with 19 points with all but one of those points coming in the second half as the senior from Byron, Ill. went 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-7 from three-point range to power a 42-29 advantage in the second 20 minutes of the game.

Also scoring 19 points for CU was Biggie Luster as the sophomore neared his second-straight double-double with a 19-point, nine-rebound effort as he also addede three assists, three steals, and a blocked shot. Chandler Dean was the third and final player for the Pride in double figures as he finished with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocked shots manning the middle of the floor.

In the second half, the percentages flipped in the favor of Clarke as they went from shooting 39.4 percent from the field in the opening frame to an even 15-of-30 (50%) in the second half, including a 7-of-16 (43.8%) effort from three point range in the final 20 minutes.

Defensively the Pride held the Mustangs to just 10 makes from the field and a 38.5 percent shooting effort in the second half as CU won the turnover battle throughout the game with a 17-13 advantage while scoring 25 points off of those MMU turnovers.

Clarke men's basketball will return home to wrap up their pre-winter break schedule when they host Benedictine College at the Kehl Center for a 2:00 p.m. CT tip in Dubuque on Saturday afternoon.