#20 Graceland Outlasts Mount Mercy in OT for Second-Straight Extra Period Win

LAMONI, Iowa — For the second time in five days, the #20 Graceland Yellowjackets men's basketball team found themselves in an overtime battle — and once again, came out on top. Behind key plays in clutch moments and a late-game surge, Graceland (17-3, 11-1 Heart of America Athletic Conference) defeated Mount Mercy (9-10, 4-7 Heart), 94-87 in overtime, Wednesday night at the Morden Center.

In a matchup that featured eight ties and three lead changes, the Yellowjackets trailed by six with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. Then, as head coach Todd Lorensen put it, "they just kept chipping away."

"That's three in a row that have come down to the final play of regulation," Lorensen said. "Thankfully, we were able to be on the right side again. Micah's shot was a big one to send it to overtime, but the offensive rebound by Kaamil on the free throw was just as big of a play to give us that opportunity."

Graceland's offensive output was led by Carson Busch, who finished with 30 points on 9-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-12 from beyond the arc and 8-of-12 at the free-throw line. Aaron James Jr. added 14 points off the bench, knocking down 3-of-6 from deep and finishing 4-of-8 overall. Josh Sanderson also contributed 14, including two three-pointers in overtime, while Runey Hernandez recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

But the heroics belonged to Micah Lamberth, who knocked down the game-tying jumper on a shot that circled the rim multiple times before falling at the regulation buzzer to force overtime at 79-all. Moments earlier, Kaamil Domingo collected a critical offensive rebound on a missed free throw, keeping the possession alive and setting up Lamberth's clutch shot. Lamberth finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and a block.

"We certainly showed some resiliency at points in the second half when things weren't looking great," Lorensen said. "Downtown midway through, down six with a couple of minutes to go, they just kept trying to get a great shot and make it challenging on them offensively."

Mount Mercy came out shooting 45.5% in the first half, while Graceland countered with 40.6% from the field. Despite shooting just 4-of-20 from three in the opening 20 minutes, Graceland remained within striking distance, trailing 39-37 at halftime.

Busch set the tone early, scoring 13 of his 30 points in the first frame. Hernandez added 4 points and 5 boards, while James hit two triples to spark the Yellowjackets off the bench.

The Mustangs got a first-half boost from Aiden Price (10 points) and Jaxson Fried (15 of his game-high 33 points in the first half). Mount Mercy capitalized on second-chance looks and Graceland's turnovers to edge ahead at the break.

In the second half, Graceland improved their shooting to 46.4%, behind contributions from Sanderson, Busch, and Lamberth.

The Yellowjackets battled back after trailing by as much as 11. A crucial stretch came when Josh Sanderson connected on a three-pointer with 5:29 left to tie the game at 67. Busch followed with another triple on the next possession.

Defensively, Graceland tightened up in the final minutes. A steal by Micah Lamberth and a block from Dre Roberson down the stretch helped stifle Mount Mercy's offense and fuel the comeback.

"Defensively, we had a couple of really big possessions down the stretch," Lorensen noted. "Micah's steal late and then Dre's block that led to our securing of the possession — those were both big plays."

Price and Fried continued to pace Mount Mercy, combining for 55 of their 87 points, but Graceland's bench — particularly James Jr. and Domingo — helped bridge gaps throughout the half.

Graceland seized momentum immediately in overtime with a 5-0 run. Sanderson's three-pointer at the 4:28 mark put the Yellowjackets ahead 84-79. From there, Mount Mercy never regained the lead.

Busch and Sanderson were both perfect at the line in overtime, and Hernandez added four points and two free throws in the final minute to seal the win. Graceland shot 60% (3-of-5) from the field in the extra session and 70% (7-of-10) from the line, compared to Mount Mercy's 3-of-8 shooting.

"Once we got to overtime, I obviously felt the momentum had swung our direction," Lorensen said. "When we were able to get that 5-0 start it really propelled us."

The game was the third straight that came down to the final play of regulation for Graceland. Last Wednesday, the Yellowjackets dropped their first conference game of the season on a buzzer-beater to William Penn, but have since responded with back-to-back overtime victories, including Saturday's 84-81 win at Baker.

Lorensen praised his team's toughness, particularly highlighting the return of Aaron James Jr., who had missed time due to injury.

"His performance tonight was impressive for a multitude of reasons," Lorensen said. "He's been out for multiple weeks without even being able to practice, so only two practices in — to be able to have the stamina as well as maintain his habits without reps shows how locked in he's been mentally. It was great for our team, but I'm just so happy for Aaron."

James played 25 minutes, finishing with 14 points, 2 assists, and a steal.

Lorensen also noted the increasing intensity as the season winds down:

"It won't get any easier as we head on the road. We have eight regular season games left and my gut says they're all going to come down to the last few minutes, so we have to get comfortable being in these stressful situations."

Team Stats Snapshot

• Graceland (17-3, 11-1 Heart) shot 44.6% from the field, 28.9% from three, and 65.8% from the free-throw line

• Mount Mercy (9-10, 4-7 Heart) shot 43.7% overall, 30.0% from deep, and 72.7% at the line

• Graceland outrebounded Mount Mercy 42-35, including 18 second-chance points

• Graceland committed 11 turnovers to Mount Mercy's 7, but converted those into 15 points off turnovers

• Bench scoring: Mount Mercy 22, Graceland 0

Graceland continues Heart play on the road this Saturday, January 24, when the Yellowjackets travel to face MidAmerica Nazarene. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. CST at the Cook Center in Olathe, Kansas.

For more information on Graceland men's basketball and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.