The Park University women's basketball program put on a clinic in Breckon Sports Center on Wednesday night in their 90-58 win over the Yellowjackets of Graceland University.
Park moves above .500 on the year at 6-5 with a 2-4 Heart of America Athletic Conference. Park's second Heart win in a row comes at the expense of the Yellowjackets, who are now 1-11 and 0-6 in Heart play.
The Yellowjackets had the upperhand in the first quarter, starting with an 8-2 run to start the game.
Nevaeh Spillman,
Elizabeth Boehm, and
Nadiyah Cooper got the Pirates going with a 6-0 run to tie, but 10-2 run by Graceland put them up to a 18-10 lead. Cooper made some plays down the stretch with a layup and three-pointer in back-to-back possessions to salvage a four-point deficit against the Yellowjackets, 21-17.
The second quarter is when a flood of and-ones came in for the Pirates. Spillman started the quarter with a three-point play and then gave Park with a lay-in soon after. Cooper dropped in another three for a 27-21 lead. There were three and-ones by the Pirates and then
Jordan Bianco lined up for another three-pointer to push Park to a 42-24 lead. In all, the Pirate defense only allowed five points in the second quarter and outscored Graceland 25-5, as the quarter ended 42-25.
The Pirates kept their foot on the accelerator for a 90-52 win in the second half, the Yellowjackets unable to come close down the stretch. This is the most points scored in a game this season for Park and Spillman led the Pirates with her career-high of 24 points. Her double-double with 13 rebounds was also impressive with eight rebounds off of the offensive glass.
Park shot 43-percent on the game to Graceland's 32-percent. Park shot five-of-16 from three, while the Yellowjackets were at a similar four-of-18.
Free-throw attempts were matched at 29 and Park shot at a slightly better percentage at 21-of-29 compared to 18-of-29 for the Yellowjackets.
The offensive rebounding was a big difference in the game for Park with 25 offensive boards to 12 for the Yellowjackets, which equated to 35 second chance points.
Graceland had 26 turnovers on the game to Park's 17
The Pirates also were efficient with their takeaways, scoring 39 points off turnovers to 11 for the Yellowjackets.
Park lived in transition with 20 fastbreak points, while only two were registered in transition for Graceland.
Aside from Spillman, Cooper and Boehm were both above 15 points with 19 and 16-point performances, respectively.
Cooper nearly reached a triple double in steals and rebounds with eight and seven.
Meanwhile Boehm and
Charleece Davis got the offense rolling with four and three assists apiece.
Marina Perdiguero joined Spillman with a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds. She was the only other Pirate to have five offensive rebounds as well.
Four different Pirates made a three-pointer, including Cooper, Bianco,
Rhiannon Blackburn, and
Sheridan Curley.
Park travels to Hesston, Kan. on Saturday for a 1pm matchup with the Larks of Hesston College.
WATCH
BOX SCORE
#ParkUNation
