Graceland Battles Back in Narrow Loss to Mount Mercy, 62–58
LAMONI, Iowa — Despite a valiant second-half comeback, the Graceland University Yellowjackets women's basketball team dropped a tightly contested 62–58 matchup to Mount Mercy on Wednesday evening at the Morden Center. The defeat halts Graceland's two-game winning streak and moves their record to 3-17 overall and 2-10 in Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) play.
Mount Mercy improved to 9-9 overall and 5-6 in the conference with the victory.
Graceland trailed 44–21 at halftime, struggling to find rhythm offensively while Mount Mercy shot a scorching 55.6 percent from the field in the second quarter alone. However, the Yellowjackets flipped the script in the final two periods, outscoring the Mustangs 37–18 behind a surge led by senior forward Ianara Morbidoni and junior guard Oliviya Tinoco.
Morbidoni recorded a double-double, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Tinoco added 18 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc and 6-of-8 from the line.
"This was a tough one," said Graceland head coach Willie Scott. "But I'm proud of our fight. We were down big at the half, and our players didn't quit. That's a testament to our growth and resilience. It's not about the scoreline right now—it's about building a team that competes for all four quarters, and tonight we showed that."
After a first half in which the Yellowjackets shot just 33.3 percent from the field and were out-rebounded 20-11, they regrouped defensively, holding Mount Mercy to just 27.3 percent shooting in the fourth quarter. Graceland also forced seven second-half turnovers and converted them into transition opportunities.
Graceland cut the deficit to just four points with under a minute remaining after a clutch three-pointer from Kayloni Smolley—her only field goal of the game. The Yellowjackets had another possession with a chance to tie, but a final shot attempt rimmed out.
The Yellowjackets held Mount Mercy to nine points in each of the final two quarters, thanks in part to defensive pressure applied by Julianna Penn, who also added three rebounds and a steal in 35 minutes of action.
While Graceland's bench was held scoreless, the starters carried the load, particularly Morbidoni and Tinoco. Smolley and Brooklyn Davis also contributed key buckets during the comeback effort. Davis finished with 4 points, and her assist late in the fourth fueled a final surge that brought the crowd to its feet.
Mount Mercy was led by Sadie Struchen, who scored 17 points, including five three-pointers, and Taylor Rose, who controlled the glass with 13 rebounds and added 7 points.
Despite the loss, the Yellowjackets' effort continues a positive trend after enduring a 13-game losing streak earlier this season. Back-to-back wins last week injected confidence into the locker room, and Wednesday's gritty performance only further emphasized the program's trajectory under Coach Scott.
"I told our players in the locker room—games like this are going to turn in our favor very soon," Scott added. "If we keep bringing this energy and discipline, we'll start closing these out."
Graceland shot 36.8 percent from the field and 61.1 percent from the free throw line, a notable improvement from early-season struggles. The Yellowjackets also limited Mount Mercy to just 3-of-7 from the line, winning the free throw battle despite the outcome on the scoreboard.
UP NEXT:
Graceland will return to action on Saturday, January 24 at 2:00 p.m. CST, when they travel to Olathe, Kansas to take on MidAmerica Nazarene University in another HAAC contest. The game will be played at Cook Center.
For more information on Graceland women's basketball and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.