The Park University women's basketball program gave Breckon Sports Center a show on Wednesday evening and has won their second straight game after the 74-63 victory over the Baker University Wildcats.
Park has liked the feel on Claude English Court this season with a 7-4 record at home, and improve to 12-8 and 9-7 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play. The Wildcats are at 3-15 on the year with a 2-14 conference showing.
The Wildcats got a 3-0 lead to begin the first quarter, and a couple of layups by
Emma Perry and
Nadiyah Cooper cut the lead to 5-4 at 7:31.
Makayla Artis would then give the Pirates their first lead with a score in the paint at 6:35, 6-5. Capping off the 6-0 run was
Nevaeh Spillman, who sunk the jumper to go ahead 8-5. A 5-0 run by Baker was answered by a
Paige Scott there-pointer at 2:07 to regain the lead, 11-10. It remained tight 14-11 Park at the end of the quarter.
Baker rallied early in the second quarter and came within one point at 16-15, but Scott came through with a three to keep the Wildcats at four points, 19-15. Baker was hitting on their deep shots to keep them close. Layups by Cooper and Spillman put Park up six, but a three by the Wildcats cut the lead in half with 3:59 remaining, 26-23. After a lay-in by Cooper, another three by Baker made it a 28-26 game. Both Perry and Scott made shots from beyond the arc to regain the momentum and an eight-point lead with 1:04 left, 34-26. A 3-0 run ended the second quarter for Baker, 34-29.
The third quarter started off with a bang, as Artis took on the defense for an and-one. A larger 8-0 run would grow for the Pirates with Spillman and Perry contributing a pair of layups, and the Pirates lead swelled to 42-29. It remained back and forth in the next several minutes, but a 3-0 run on a Spillman free-throw and Cooper layup gave Park its largest lead to this point of 14 points with 3:15 to go, 49-35. A 9-0 run would bring some life to the Baker bench only down five at the end of the third quarter, 49-44.
Spillman hit a free-throw to begin the fourth quarter, but a timely three by Perry advanced the lead to nine, 53-44. Baker continued to score in waves and made it a 54-49 game with 6:47 to play, but the combo of Spillman at the line and Cooper driving the lane extended the lead back to 10 with 4:20 to play, 59-49. For the second time the Wildcats came within five points at 3:14, but they could not get any closer as a 6-2 run for Park would get back to a nine point lead with 1:04 to play, 67-58. The Pirates sank their free ones from the stripe under a minute with seven-of-eight makes to capture the home court victory, 74-63.
Park shot 40-percent for the game, while Baker was five points behind at 35.8-percent.
Three point shooting was about spot on, four-of-22 for Baker and five-of-22 for Park. Free-throws were exactly spot on though for both sides at 21-of-31.
Baker's pitfall was the 19 turnovers to 13 for Park. The Pirates cashed in on 20 points on turnovers compared to only six for the Wildcats.
The starters got the majority of the points, as only one bench point was registered by Baker and six by Park.
Four Pirates were in double-digit scoring. Cooper and Perry led with 16 points, while Spillman had 15 points with 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Scott was the deep threat today with three made three-pointers for 13 points.
Artis was close behind Spillman with eight boards, while both of these powerful forwards generated nine offensive rebounds for Park.
Perry and Scott had sticky fingers with four and three steals each.
Jordan Bianco led Park with three assists, while Cooper and Perry each had two.
Park will compete in Breckon Sports Center on Saturday, January 25 at 2pm against Peru State College. A Season Ticket Holder Reception will be held on Saturday as well.
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