Park University's women's basketball program traveled to Olathe, Kan. on Tuesday night for a matchup with No. 20 MidAmerica Nazarene University. Park came to play and took down the Pioneers by nine points, 50-41.

Park is back up to 3-3 and earned their first Heart of America Athletic Conference win of the season at 1-2. The Pioneers drop to 2-2 on the year and match Park at 1-2 in conference play.

Park outscored the Pioneers in all but the third quarter and held them to their lowest shooting percentage of the season at 27.7-percent from the field. Beyond the arc was dismal for MidAmerica at two-of-17 or 11.8-percent. Park had the advantage at 30.2-percent from the field and five-of-15 from deep or 33.3-percent.

MidAmerica Nazarene got up to a 4-0 run early and then maintained a four-point lead at 8-4 through the first 3:35 of play. A 7-0 run for Park ensued to regain the lead 11-8, where the quarter ended. It was a bit of a dry spell for both teams from 4:48 to 2:14 with no points scored until a Marina Perdiguero bucket off of her own offensive rebound.

It was a slow start out of the second quarter and Park struck first with an Emma Perry three-pointer at 7:52 for a 14-8 lead. For MidAmerica Nazarene, they did not score for an entire 8:48 elapsed ranging from the first quarter into the second quarter. The Pioneers committed eight turnovers in that span compared to Park's four. MidAmerica Nazarene cut it to 14-12 at 5:49, but Taylor Shelby dashed the MidAmerica Nazarene momentum with a three-pointer to regain a five-point lead 17-12. Park controlled the rest of the quarter with a 4-0 run to build up a 23-16 lead going into halftime.

With 6:43 to go in the third quarter, the Pioneers were threating once more with a bucket to come within one-point, 23-22. Shelby again knocked down an important set of shots including another three for a 5-0 run at 5:44. The best MidAmerica Nazarene could do though was tie the game at 31 as Shelby again came through with two-point and three-point baskets to set Park up at 36-31 going into the final quarter. Shelby led Park with 13 points on three-of-seven from three and five-of-13 from the field. She added five rebounds to her numbers as well.

Perry and Nevaeh Spillman combined for a six-point run to begin the third quarter and Park was quickly up 11 points, 42-31. Perry hit another three-pointer for Park's largest lead of 12 at 4:51, 45-33. Perry was second in scoring for Park with 11 points. Time at this point was working against the Pioneers who could never catch up, especially once they had to resort to fouling to put Park at the free-throw line. There was no drama late as Park casually captured the 50-41 NAIA Top 25 victory.

Artis had nine rebounds, while Iva Drobnjak and Shelby had five rebounds each. The Pirates also had double the offensive rebounds of the Pioneers, 18 to nine.
Park benefitted off of great defense with 27 points off of 24 turnovers. On the flip side, MidAmerica Nazarene earned 12 points off of 20 Pirate turnovers.

Park's last victory over MidAmerica Nazarene came in the 2011-12 season.

The Pirates will enjoy this win going in to Thanksgiving and comeback to Breckon Sports Center on Saturday, November 25 at 2pm against Cottey College. WATCH
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