(Peru, Neb.) – A 17-2 start to the game propelled the Peru State men's basketball team to a 95-69 win over the visiting Mount Mercy Mustangs Saturday afternoon in the Al Wheeler Activity Center.
 
The 'Cats led by as many as 27 later in the first half in route to their eleventh win of the season against seven losses. Peru State also improved, more importantly, to 5-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North Division.
 
Mount Mercy fell to 9-8 on the year and dropped to 4-3 in the Heart North.

 
First Half Action
 
LJ Westbrook (Salem, Ore.) scored the first bucket of the game just 19 seconds into the contest. At the 17:48 mark Quantice Hunter (Chicago) added a bucket to make it 4-0 before Mount Mercy would score their first field goal one minute later.
 
Peru State would then score the next 13 points with Westbrook scoring off the fast break to make it 17-2 with 12:26 left in the first half. After the Mustangs scored a hoop, Westbrook would complete an old-fashioned three-point play to put the 'Cats up 20-4.
 
The Bobcats' first 20-point lead came at the 10:31 mark as Hunter hit a bucket off an assist from Westbrook to make it 24-4 Peru State.
 
Later, Peru State would lead 42-15 after Hunter hit a hoop on the fast break with 3:07 left in the first half.
 
A pair of free throws by Andre Frazier-Stanley (Los Angeles) would end the first half with the Bobcats leading 44-20.
 
Second Half Action
 
Peru State would lead by double digits for the entire second half while most of the time leading by 20 or more.
 
Mount Mercy pulled within 17 at 54-37 before Nolan Cass (Spring, Texas) hit a trey which was followed by a bucket by Hunter to again put the 'Cats up by 22 at 59-37 at the 14:19 mark.
 
With 10:31 on the clock, Cass hit another trey, this time off an assist from Terry Moore Jr. (Kansas City, Kan.) to give the 'Cats a 71-44 lead. Moore Jr. would then make a pair of free throws to put the Bobcats up by 29 – their largest lead of the game.
 

The Mustangs would again chisel away at the lead and got as close as 17 again at 81-65 with 5:37 left, but a bucket by Hunter stopped their run.
 
The Bobcats would finish the game on a 14-4 run to gain the 26-point win.

MOUNT MERCY GAME BOOK
 
Team Statistics
 
Peru State was hot as they made 34 of 65 field goals for 52.3% which included making 7 of 15 from three-point range for 46.7%. At the free throw line, the Bobcats made 20 of 27 for 74.1%. The Mustangs made 23 of 73 field goals for 31.5% and connected on 8 of 31 from behind the arc for 25.8%. At the charity stripe, Mount Mercy went 15 of 25 for 60%.
 
The Bobcats held a significant rebounding edge as they grabbed 48 boards compared to 32 for Mount Mercy. Peru State dished out 15 assists compared to 13 for the Mustangs.
 
The "Cats finished with 15 turnovers while Mount Mercy had 11. Both teams blocked four shots and each team had six steals.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Four Bobcats finished in double figures and were led by Hunter who had a game-high 22 points on 9 of 16 field goals. Westbrook had 17 while Cass added 14. Frazier-Stanley contributed 12 points.
 
Marley Biyendolo (Melbourne, Australia) led all rebounders as he grabbed ten boards. Westbrook almost had a double double as he had nine rebounds. Frazier-Stanley added seven boards with Hunter grabbing six.

 
Westbrook dished out a game-high seven assists while Hunter and Moore Jr. each handed out three. Frazier-Stanley blocked two shots with Dominique Bell (Houston) and Anthony Richardson (Schenectady, N.Y.) each blocked one. Hunter led the team with two steals.
 
Upcoming Contests
 
Peru State will be on the road Wednesday night when they face Culver-Stockton in Canton, Mo., at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats are 4-14 on the year and are 1-6 in the Heart North. Culver-Stockton has lost their last two, but did upset MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) on Jan. 6 – a team to which the Bobcats lost earlier in the season.
 
Then, on Saturday, Jan. 20, the 'Cats will host Evangel at 4 p.m. in the AWAC. The Crusaders are 4-14 on the year and are 2-5 in the Heart South. Evangel had lost six in a row before upsetting Grand View (Iowa) Saturday on the road.