Metro Sports Report

Mount Mercy swept by Grand View

DES MOINES - The Mount Mercy men's volleyball team was swept by  second-ranked Grand View for the second time this season, 28-26,  25-16, 25-15, in a Heart of America Conference match in Des Moines  Thursday night.

Julian Armendano collected 10 kills for the Mustangs (5-5, 3-3).

Ben Ruggles had 21 assists and nine digs. Ben Steffen blocked seven shots.

Eagles bump off No. 5 DMACC for clutch win

The Kirkwood Eagles collected a huge victory at Johnson Hall Wednesday night and now the hot race for the conference title is up for grabs.

The 15th-ranked Eagles bumped off No. 5 DMACC, 77-68, to throw the ICCAC race into a three-team scramble with two weeks left in the season.

Kirkwood knocked DMACC out of first place, letting 10th-ranked Iowa Lakes climb into the lead with a 9-2 record. Kirkwood and DMACC are just a half-game behind Iowa Lakes at 8-2 in the 14-game campaign.

If the Eagles had lost Wednesday night, they would have fallen two games behind DMACC with just four games remaining. In other words, a loss would have been curtains.

"This team responded to the challenge of controlling their own destiny," said KCC Coach Tim Sandquist. "I was really proud of them. It was big to come out and win tonight."

No. 2 Eagles smother DMACC by 59

You don't see a team held scoreless for an entire quarter in a women's basketball game too often, but it happened Wednesday night at Johnson Hall.

The second-ranked Kirkwood Eagles pelted DMACC 31-0 in the third period and buried the Bears, 95-36, in an ICCAC contest.

Kemara Watson and Tatiana Hodges-Johnson scored 14 points apiece for Kirkwood (23-2, 10-1). Paige Bradford netted 13 points and Delani Harris added 12.

DMACC fell to 9-16 overall and 3-9 in the conference. The Bears launched 41 3-pointers in the 40-minute game and made four of them.

McKinney leads Mustangs to key victory

FAYETTE, Mo. - Dennis McKinney poured in 31 points Wednesday night as the Mount Mercy Mustangs trimmed Central Methodist, 73-70, in a key Heart of America Conference game in Missouri.

The victory lifted the Mustangs into a tie for ninth place in the conference with Central Methodist with 8-11 records, just one game out of eighth place with five games left. The top eight teams will make the league playoffs.

McKinney popped in five 3-pointers and also snared nine rebounds. Bailey Basala contributed 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Basala made two free throws with seven seconds remaining to give Mount Mercy a 73-70 advantage. Central Methodist missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds that could have tied the game and forced overtime.

RoyShawn Webb finished with six points, seven assists and eight rebounds. DJ Johnson pitched in with 10 points. The Mustangs trailed by 10 points at halftime, but rallied for the clutch victory.