DUBUQUE - The Mount Mercy women's basketball team lost to Clarke, 80-63, Wednesday night in the Heart of America Conference opener in Dubuque.

Brianna Thomas led the Mustangs (3-1, 0-1) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Sharice Kawakami scored 16 points.

Clarke (5-0, 1-0) had a balanced attack with five players in double figures. Faith Begin led the way with 14 points. Tina Ubl and Makenna Haase had double-doubles for the winners. Ubl finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Haase had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Clarke crushed Mount Mercy on the backboards, 52-32.

MOUNT MERCY (63): Moffett 2 1-2 6, Kinnaird 0 0-0 0, Kawakami 6 2-2 16, Thomas 7 3-5 19, Sheck 0 2-2 2, Goodman 0 0-0 0, Blowers 1 0-0 3, Hampton 2 0-1 4, Mulumba 1 0-2 2, Lampe 3 0-0 9, Brown 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 8-14 63.

CLARKE (80): Haase 4 4-4 12, Ubl 5 2-3 13, Begin 3 7-8 14, Ramirez 3 2-2 9, Pitz 4 0-2 10, Culbertson 2 0-0 5, Adames 1 0-0 2, Liddicoat 1 0-0 3, VanZeeland 4 3-3 12, O'Neil 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 18-22 80.

Halftime - Clarke 38, Mount Mercy 32. 3-point goals - Mount Mercy 9 (Lampe 3, Kawakami 2, Thomas 2, Moffett 1, Blowers 1), Clarke 8 (Pitz 2, Ubl 1, Begin 1, Ramirez 1, Culbertson 1, Liddicoat 1, VanZeeland 1).