The Park University women's basketball program rebounded in Breckon Sports Center on Saturday against Heart of America Athletic Conference opponent Mount Mercy University, ending in a Pirates victory 54-52.

The Pirates bump up to 10-7 and 7-6 in the Heart, while the Mustangs fall to 10-6 and 8-5 of the same. Park defeated Mount Mercy for the first time since joining the Heart in 2020-21 and Park held the Mustangs to their season low in points.

An opening three-pointer began the game for the Mustangs and they swung a 6-0 lead in the first 3:15 of the game. Makayla Artis scored Park's first bucket, followed by Emma Perry who sunk a jumper, but at this point Mount Mercy still led by five, 9-4. A pair of free-throws by Jordan Bianco and another basket by Perry closed the gap to 9-8. The quarter would end with a 5-3 scoring differential for Mount Mercy, but Marina Perdiguero's layup in the last possession of the quarter would put Park in a good position 14-11.

Both defenses played well to keep scoring to a premium. The second quarter would not have a score until 7:12 on the jumper by Park's Sa'Yere Banks. A Mount Mercy turnover would set up Park's first lead of the game on a Paige Scott triple at 6:53, 16-14. Both teams would joust for the lead as the second quarter winded down, but Perry's four points and a layup by Nadiyah Cooper would make for the fourth tie of the game, as the quarter expired 22-22. In all, the game was tied eight times and seven lead changes transpired.

A 7-0 start for Mount Mercy in the third quarter did not stir the Pirates and things started to shift after a three by Perry. That shot was the start of an 11-0 run with Perdiguero, Artis, and Bianco also getting in on the scoring. In the matter of minutes and two Mount Mercy turnovers, the lead went back to Park 35-31. Two three-pointers  came down for the Mustangs made for a tennis match with the lead and they went up 5 with 1:56 to go in the third quarter, 40-35. No field goals were hit by either side in the closing two minutes and the 40-35 led into the fourth quarter.

Two early turnovers by Mount Mercy, including a steal by Perry, opened the door for Nevaeh Spillman to make presence known with back-to-back layups. Cooper backed those makes up with two free-throws to take the 41-40 lead. After a bucket by Mount Mercy, Spillman gave her squad the lead again with a layup at 6:45. Both sides had their turnovers and the next score wouldn't be for nearly two more minutes as Artis hit a jumper to extend the Pirate lead to three. Park's five turnovers in the fourth quarter was not advisable, but the bigger mistakes came from the Mustangs with nine fourth quarter turnovers, where they had 10 turnovers in the previous three quarters. The game remained close down the stretch with neither side pulling away. Cooper hit two more free-throws to keep the lead at three, 49-46, but a big and-one by Mount Mercy with 59 seconds left tied the game, 49-49. The next possession with time running down on the shot clock, Perdiguero hit one of the biggest shots of the season for the Pirates from behind the arc to give Park a 52-49 lead with 33 seconds left. Good defense left the Mustangs without a field goal the rest of the game and only were able to get three free-throws, while Park made a free-throw by Perry and Perdiguero to seal it. With the final in-bounds with three seconds left, poetically the game ended on a Mustang turnover forced by Scott, as the Pirates held on 54-52.

For the game, Park shot 30-percent to Mount Mercy's 37-percent. The Mustangs had two extra makes from beyond the arc, but neither side impressed from range, five-of-21 for Mount Mercy and three-of-18 for Park.

In free-throws, Park had the slight edge at nine-of-15 to Mount Mercy's seven-of-13.

The Pirates had 10 more rebounds than Mount Mercy, including seven second half offensive rebounds to only three by the Mustangs.

Mount Mercy had 10 points off of 12 Park turnovers, while the Pirates had the edge with 14 points off of 19 turnovers by Mount Mercy.

The Pirates earned seven more second chance points and five more fastbreak points, while points in the paint and bench scoring was relatively even.
No one had a lead larger than seven in the game and the Pirates never led by more than four points.

Perry led Park with 14 points and also contributed six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

It was a balanced effort by the rest of the squad, nine points by Cooper, and a pair of eight-point performances by Artis and Perdiguero.

Artis rebounded an even seven offensive and defensive rebounds for 14 on the game, nearly reaching a double-double. The senior from Eikton, Kent. has worked hard off the glass each season and is up to 828 rebounds for her career.

Perdiguero and Cooper also joined Perry with six rebounds in the game, while Artis and Bianco also matched Perry with three assists.

The Pirates head to Des Moines, Iowa for their next conference matchup with Grand View University at 5:30pm. WATCH
Box Score