The Park University women's basketball program finished off the season with their first appearance in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals on Tuesday, February 25 in Atchison, Kan. against (RV) Benedictine College.

At 17-12 on the season and 14-10 in conference play, the Pirates have turned in their best season in the Heart since 2021 and this marks the third most wins Head Coach Norman Cooper Jr. has earned in a season, only trailing his first two seasons in 2011 and 2012.

The Pirates averaged 63.7 points per game in 2025, the most for the program since the 2017 season where they scored 63.9 points per game. The last post-season appearance for Park came the year prior in the 2015-16 season in the American Midwest Conference.

The Pirates by all means played with, and then some, against the Ravens, in a 16-14 deficit at the half. Emma Perry came through in the first quarter with a three-pointer to put Park within one-point of Benedictine at 5:34, 8-7. Park tied the game four more times in a back-and-forth quarter before the Ravens made two last second free-throws for the 16-14 lead.

A block by Makayla Artis, turned into a layup by Nevaeh Spillman to tie the game, but immediately afterwards Paige Scott picked up a steal that led into a Perry three for a 19-16 lead for Park with 8:16 on the clock. Nadiyah Cooper, a Heart Second Team All-Conference performer, went on a 6-0 run in the next couple minutes and Park led 25-16 with 6:44 to go. It was an extremely cold start for the Ravens in the second quarter and they were held without a basket until 4:58 on a three-pointer to make it 25-19. The Ravens got it within one-point at 2:12, 28-27, but a free-throw by Scott and a big three-pointer by Jordan Bianco sent Park to halftime with a 5-point lead, 32-27.

Within five minutes in the third quarter, the Ravens battled back to tie the game at 37-37. A 10-0 run would be a huge momentum shift though, as Benedictine led 47-37 with 1:46 to play in the third. Only seven points scored by Park in the third quarter would be an 18-point swing in the quarter to put the Ravens on top, 52-39.

There was really no stopping the Ravens at this point on their home court and another 25-point quarter put the game out of reach for Park, as Benedictine took the game 77-52.

Park's three-point shooting was shutdown in the second half, as two three-pointers by Perry and one by Bianco all came in the first half.

Park shot 30.8-percent from the field, while the Ravens were at 42.9-percent.

Park was three-of-18 from beyond the arc, while Benedictine was seven-of-21.

From the line, both teams were knocking down free-throws at 17-of-24 for Park and 10-of-13 for Benedictine.

Park had 21 turnovers in the game, which amounted to 32 points off turnovers. Park made the most of Benedictine's 12 turnovers with 15 points from them, but a margin of 17 points made a big difference.

Eight more second chance points and 14 more fastbreak points were also telling in this contest.

Cooper led Park with 15 points and another Heart Second Team All-Conference recipient, Perry, was in double-figures with 11 points. Cooper nearly reached a double-double with eight rebounds.

Leading the rebounding effort was Artis with nine boards. Fitting for Artis, as we estimate she now reigns as Park women's basketball's all-time leading rebounder with 933 for her career. She will also go out, as a four-time Heart All-Conference Honorable Mention award winner.

Another senior, Kate Sokolova had good contributions as well with eight points, on a three-of-five night from the field.
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