The Park University women's basketball program was in a difficult environment for the Heart of America Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Game of the Week on Wednesday evening. In Atchison, Kan. the (RV) Benedictine College Ravens were comfortable in a 96-60 win over Park.

Facing two top teams in the conference the last three games, Park is 1-2 in their last three games, but still hold the No. 5 spot in the conference with a 11-8 conference record and 14-9 overall record. The Ravens are only trailing the Pioneers in the Heart standings at 15-3 and 18-4 of the same.

The Pirates were not backing down to start the game with a good pair of baskets by Nadiyah Cooper to give the Pirates their first lead at 6-4. The game would be three more times in the quarter and under four minutes, Cooper picked up a steal that led to Jordan Bianco hitting to from the free-throw line for a 12-10 lead with 3:55 to play. After a Raven three-pointer to give them the go ahead points, Bianco struck again with a layup and Paige Scott hit a three-pointer to give Park a 17-13 lead. The Ravens managed to get off a three before the quarter was out and Park led 17-16.

There were five lead changes in the opening three minutes of the second quarter and Emma Perry got in on the shots from distance with a trey of her own. After a 4-0 run by the Ravens, Nevaeh Spillman got inside for a layup to cut the lead down to one, 25-24. After a Park timeout at 6:27, Cooper added four points to her team's total and kept them within a possession of the Ravens, but a 6-0 run lifted the Ravens their largest lead to this point with a 36-28 advantage. Cooper and Perry closed out the quarter with a combined four points, but the Ravens kept building up their lead at 44-32 to end the half.

With 30 points in the third quarter to only 14 for Park, this game soon became out of reach and the Ravens went on to a 96-60 win.

Park shot 39.3-percent from the field, while the Ravens soared up to 63.3-percent. Park in their own right had a good night from behind the arc at eight-of-20, but the Ravens also had the upper hand at 12-of-23.

In free-throws, both teams shot an identical eight-of-14.

Park managed to force 12 turnovers by the Ravens that led to 11 points, but the Ravens also showed good defense with 17 Park turnovers and 22 points as a result.

The Ravens controlled the paint with 42 points compared to just 18 for the Pirates. There was a difference in production from the non-starters as well, as 38 points came in from the Ravens' bench to nine for Park.

Cooper had her second most points scored in a game this season at 23, while Scott was next in line with 18 points on a season-high six made three-pointers.

Perry managed seven points for the night, but led Park with five assists.

Makayla Artis and Alexus Woodard led Park in rebounding with only five for the game.

The Pirates will have Senior Day on Saturday, February 8 against Graceland University. The Senior Day Ceremony is set to start five minutes before the 2pm game time. WATCH
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