by Nick Marshall scored a team-high 22 points, had five assists and three steals and Darius Lasley (Meskwaki) added 21 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds Thursday night to help lead Clarke University to an 88-78 Heart of America Athletic Conference home win over Mount Mercy University. Keith Johnson (SO/Dubuque, Iowa) tossed in 17 points and Josh Meier (JR/South Wayne, Wis.) added 11 for the Pride, who improved to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in league play.
Clarke jumped out to a fast start, hitting six of its first seven shots from the field and racing out to a 14-3 lead after less than three minutes of play. Clarke never trailed in the contest, led 43-32 at the break and led by as many as 26 points in the final 20 minutes of play.
Clarke shot 45.6 percent from the field and outrebounded the Mustangs, 46-33. Lasley, Marshall and Johnson each had three treys. Clarke hit 10 of 25 shots from beyond the three-point arc.
Mount Mercy hit just 41 percent of its field goal attempts. The Mustangs launched 40 shots from three-point range, draining 16 triples.
Dennis McKinney led Mount Mercy (5-4, 2-3 Heart) with 28 points.
Clarke will play at Peru State on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Peru State College and at Benedictine College on Saturday, Dec. 14 before wrapping up the 2019 portion of its schedule at home on Tuesday, Dec. 17 against Briar Cliff University.
