Park University's women's basketball program went head to head with Baker University on Wednesday evening in Breckon Sports Center, outlasting the Wildcats 65-53.

The Pirates are now tied in the Heart of America Athletic Conference standings with Central Methodist at 6-9 and are currently in ninth in the conference with a 9-10 season record. Baker drops to 3-13 and 3-17 on the season.

This is the second win over Baker for the Pirates this season. Their last contest was a four-point win on November 29, 64-60.

It was a back-and-forth start to the game, featuring Angel Wiggins with two scores off a jumper at the top of the key and a transition bucket as well. Baker scored in between Wiggins' shots to tie it 4-4. Following this exchange at the 7:04 mark, Makayla Artis got involved with an early and-one and layup in the paint directly after, 9-4. This was just the beginning of a greater 8-0 run for a 12-4 lead at 4:48 remaining. Baker benefited off of two Park turnovers to create a 7-0 run and got within one-point at the 2:24 mark, 12-11. Park was able to control the remaining minutes for a 16-11 end to the first quarter though.

Baker started off the second quarter with a made three-pointer to get the score to 16-14. Kate Sokolova for the Pirates immediately answered with a three-pointer of her own to prevent the Baker run. Instead, the Pirates would go on a 7-0 run courtesy of Taylor Shelby and Marina Perdiguero made layups, 23-14. After two sets of made Baker free-throws, Sokolova again contributed with a steal and assist to a wide-open Nevaeh Spillman in transition, 25-18 with 3:02 remaining.   Both teams alternated baskets in the last 1:33 in the second quarter, finishing at 27-22 with Park in the lead. Wiggins led the charge in the first half with seven points on three-of-four shooting.

It took 1:54 to score a bucket in the third quarter, coming from the Wildcats to come within three points, 27-24. A floating jumper by a former Pirate and now Wildcat Jaelyn Two Hearts then put the Wildcats within two points at the 7:34 mark, 28-26.There would then be a scoring dry spell by both sides for the next 2:58, until Two Hearts made another layup to tie at 4:36, 28-28. Baker took the lead on a 6-0 run by Two Hearts, 30-28. Perry delivered the lead back to Park with a converted and-one with 3:17 left in the quarter, 31-30. Shelby and Artis tacked on another four points to give the Pirates a 35-30 lead with 2:11 remaining. Baker continued to battle though and cashed in on a made and-one Baker with 53 seconds to go, 37-35. Perry hit a big shot to restore a 5-point lead almost instantly though with 43 seconds left and was where the quarter ended, 40-35.

The Wildcats scored the opening bucket in the fourth quarter, but a technical foul on Baker allowed Perry to go to the line for two made free-throws with 8:09 left in the game, 42-37. The Pirates used the momentum to gain the next six points and went up 48-37 with 6:02 left. Perry gave the Pirates their largest lead of 12 points with a made three-pointer at the 4:41 mark, 51-39. The Pirates from this point on stayed in the driver's seat and outlasted the Wildcats, 65-53.

The Pirates shot 37-percent from the field, while the Wildcats were at 40-percent.

From three, the Pirates and Baker each knocked down four three-pointers, while the Pirates were at 33-percent and Baker was at 21-percent.

The Pirates were 23-of-32 from the line and the Wildcats were at a higher clip, but were only seven-of-nine.

Five more turnovers were forced by Park, 22 overall for Baker and 17 turnovers by the Pirates. Park took advantage of that with 23 points off turnovers to only 12 by Baker.

Perry had a great performance with 18 points. She was the leader from beyond the arc with a three-of-seven shooting night. This is also Perry's seventh straight double-digit scoring performance. She was joined by Tanner Collins in tonight's Pirate Post-Game interview.

W??, Emma Perry got going with a team-leading 18 points in tonight's win over Baker! Hear her Pirate Post-Game with @Tannerxcollins! pic.twitter.com/OasnFASrH2

— Park Pirates (@ParkPirates) January 25, 2024

Joining in double-figures was Wiggins and Shelby, as each had 15 spots. Wiggins had a stellar night distributing the ball as well with five assists.

Just outside of 10 points was Artis with nine points and a team-leading 13 rebounds. Perdiguero was the second highest rebounder with six.

More Pirate basketball is to come this Saturday, January 27 at 2pm in Lamoni, Iowa against Graceland University. WATCH
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