Park University's women's basketball program took on NAIA Top 25 opponent in No. 22 Grand View University on Wednesday night in Breckon Sports Center. The Pirates played a tough game, but in the end Grand View pulled out the road victory, 75-47.  

The Vikings came into the contest at 12-2 and 8-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, good for second place in the conference. They now improve to 13-2 and 9-2 in the Heart, while Park drops to 7-8 and 4-8 of the same.

Park managed to answer early on to the Vikings opening scores with a layup and made jumper by Angel Wiggins and Taylor Shelby for a 6-4 Grand View lead at 7:16. It was back-and-forth all the way to 10-8 in the game Grand View still out front at 5:18, but after a made three by the Vikings, it spurred on a 10-0 run for a 20-8 lead at 2:44. It was an even spread of points in the first quarter, but Wiggins was the only Park player to have multiple scores with four points in the first quarter. When the first quarter of play was up, Park trailed 25-12.

Emma Perry began the second quarter with a two-point bucket to get Park going, but an 8-0 run would soon be brought on by Grand View, 33-14 with 6:44 remaining. Off the bench, Kate Sokolova got going with four points in the second quarter. A 6-0 run by the Vikings in the last 1:27 of the first half gave them their largest lead at 23 points, but Perry came through with a three-pointer with time running out for an even 20-point deficit at the half, 44-24.

In the third quarter both teams traded four points apiece through the first 2:50 of the quarter. A 6-0 run by the Vikings in the next few minutes gave them another point swing for the 54-28 lead. Several new faces began to come in the game, including Jasmin Polk on her first appearance this year, and Julia Jurek and Allison Swank who came into this game for the first time. By the end of the quarter, Grand View secured a 60-32 lead.

Both teams were off to a slow start in the fourth quarter with a 3:10 scoring drought to begin play. Perry got Park on the board for the third straight quarter with four points, but Grand View immediately answered with a converted and-one between her baskets, 63-36. Through the first five minutes of play in the fourth quarter, Park outscored the Vikings, 6-5. At 4:36, Grand View made another three-pointer, while Sokolova answered by knocking down a three of her own, 68-41. Kemya Brown and Nancy Mario, two former Winnetonka HS teammates, entered in the fourth quarter. For Brown, she made her first appearance in a Pirate uniform in her freshman season. In the closing moments of the game, it was all said and done with Grand View winning it 75-47.

The three-point totals favored the Vikings throughout the game, making 7-of-23 for the game at 30.4-percent, while the Pirates were two-of-11 for 18.2-percent.

The Pirates were only 35.3-percent from the field, while the Vikings were an even 50-percent in field-goal percentage.

Park more than doubled the number of turnovers that the Vikings had 19 to eight, amounting to 21 points off turnovers for Grand View and only six for the Pirates.

Perry had her third straight game over 15 points with a 17 spot this evening. Wiggins and Sokolova were the next closest to double-figures with nine and seven points, respectively.
Makayla Artis and Iva Drobnjak were leading the way in rebounding with eight and six rebounds for the Pirates.

Park will be on the road on Saturday, January 13 in Canton, Mo. to take on Culver-Stockton College at 2pm. WATCH
Box Score