The Park University women's basketball program had their season high in points in Peru, Neb. on Saturday against Peru State College, defeating the Bobcats with a big number 82-71.

The Pirates move to 5-5 on the season with a 3-4 Heart of America Athletic Conference record. The Pirates have rebounded after a tough stretch with back to back games against the top in the Heart and Top 25 in the NAIA, No. 23 Benedictine College and No. 24 MidAmerica Nazarene University. The Bobcats are taken back to 4-7 and 2-5 of the same.

Peru State looked to be comfortable at home with a 7-0 run to begin the game. Emma Perry and Paige Scott were key early on with three-pointers to bring Park back within reach at 10-8 with 7:15 to play in the quarter. Two Peru State turnovers opened the door for Scott to capitalize on another three-pointer with the steal and assist coming from Perry. There would be a scoring lull in the game, until Nadiyah Cooper made the two-point jumper to gain a 13-12 lead with 4:08 to play. The play would be tight with two more lead changes, but with 1:04 left, Perry drained a deep ball followed by a pair of Scott free-throws for a 22-18 lead.

A 6-2 scoring run began the second quarter, courtesy of Nevaeh Spillman, Makayla Artis, and Cooper. The Pirates led by eight points, until a three-pointer came down for the Bobcats at 8:19, 28-23. Cooper and Perry went to work to combine for an 8-0 run, while Peru State went 0-3 in that stretch on the other end. Park stayed in control and with 1:03 to go in the half, the Pirates widened the gap to 14 points on account of Destiny Hines' pair of free-throws, Spillman's free-throw, and Perry's three off of the offensive rebound of the second free-throw. Perry's third three-pointer of the half capped off the 6-0 run and Park led 48-34.

No big runs to mention in the third quarter, as both teams held their ground. Neither side leaned heavily on three-point shooting in the second half, as Peru State one-for-six from deep in the final two quarters, while Park was two-for-five.

13 points separated the teams in the fourth quarter and that number stayed true until the 7:15 mark when the Bobcats had a 9-0 run all the way to 4:25 on the clock to bring it within four points, 68-64. A key fourth quarter three-pointer by Scott was the answer Park needed at 4:05 to end the run. Another 3-0 run for the Bobcats was responded to by Scott with a lay-in with 1:44 to play. Perry would do the same under a minute, but converted an and-one to give Park a 7-point lead, 76-69. The Pirates were five-of-seven in the last minute from the charity stripe, while the Bobcats had three turnovers in the last 32 seconds of play to end the game 82-71 for Park.

Park outshot Peru State, 43.8-percent from the field to 34.3-percent. Again from three-point range, 46.7-percent to 21.4-percent, while the Bobcats were more effective in free-throws at 20-of-25 compared to Park's 19-of-27.

Peru State took care of the ball for the most part with only 12 turnovers and were under 10 turnovers for the game until the last 32 seconds. The Pirates had 22 turnovers that translated to 11 more points for the Bobcats.

Both teams were even at 21 second chance points. Peru State had success in the paint with 40 points in the paint and 19 offensive rebounds.

Scott and Perry were over 20 points for the game, Scott with 22 and Perry at 20. All seven of Park's three-pointers came from this duo.

Cooper and Artis were in double-figure scoring as well with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

It was nearly even across the board on rebounding numbers, as Artis and Bianco had seven, Spillman, Cooper, Perry had six, and Scott had five.

Cooper and Artis were able to find openings in the defense with five and four assists each.

Credit Peru State with a solid defensive effort with nine blocks as a team, led by Kylie Diaz with six.

The next action for Park will be at Breckon Sports Center on Wednesday, December 11 at 5:30pm, as Park takes on Central Methodist University. WATCH
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