Second half slide dooms Pride in road loss to Mount Mercy

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Entering the final week of the 2025-26 season, the Clarke University men's basketball team dropped their second matchup of the season to Mount Mercy University by a final score of 85-66.

The Pride led 40-39 at halftime but were only able to muster 26 points in the final 20 minutes of play on 10-of-33 (30.3%) shooting from the field including an 0-for-9 half from three point range, compared to MMU going 16-for-30 (53.3%) from the field and 5-for-13 (38.5%) to outscore CU 46-26 in the half.

In the second half, the game stayed within a possession over the first six minutes of the period before the Mustangs took a 51-49 lead and went on a 17-3 run over the next 4:30 of game time to lead 68-52 where MMU would maintain that double digit lead for the remaining nine minutes of the game.

Mount Mercy finished with all five of their starters in double figures led by a 20-point game from Aidan Yamilkoski with Bryason Laube adding 18, Aiden Price scoring 12 and both Jaxson Fried and Jordan Willis producing double-dobules as Fried had 17 points and 10 rebounds, then Willis went for 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Clarke's leading scorer was Lovre Stanovic, who had 16 points, 11 of which came in the first half, with Jonovan Howard scoring 12, and both Carson Lindauer and Nick Bryant finishing a rebound away from a double-double at similar stat lines of 11 points and nine rebounds while each adding a steal and Lindauer blocking a shot.

Jordan DiBenedetto finished with six points in just seven minutes to lead a bench scoring unit that also included Joe Brow scoring four then Bryce Luster and Desmond Jones adding two points apiece.

Pride men's basketball will play their final game of the season on the road when they travel to Canton, Mo. for a Saturday, Feb. 21 matchup against Culver-Stockton College for a scheduled 4:00 p.m. CT opening tip.