(Peru, Neb.) – The 15
th-ranked and undefeated MidAmerica Nazarene University Pioneer women remained unbeaten as they built a 12-point halftime lead and then held off a late charge by Peru State to win 73-64 in Peru.
In both teams' first Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) action, MNU improved to 8-0 overall and 1-0 in the HAAC. The Bobcat women dropped to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Game Action
Peru State got on the board first with a hoop by
Jasmine Lockwood (Sunrise, Fla.). Then
Courtney Ward (Bartlesville, Okla.) hit a field goal on the assist from
Karlee Stuart (Las Animas, Colo.). Stuart, on the assist of
Ayana Smith (Colorado Springs), made a basket of her own, giving PSC a 6-0 with less than 90 seconds off the clock.
The Pioneers were able get on the board with a pair of free throws before Ward put the lead back to six at 8-2 at the 18:16 mark. The teams traded buckets until MNU eventually knotted the score at 15-15 with 11:34 on the clock in the first half.
MNU went on an 18-7 run to build a lead of 11 points at 33-22 with just less than four minutes remaining in the half. The Pioneers maintained that lead and increased to 12 at halftime at 40-28.
For the first eight-plus minutes of the second half, it was back and forth in terms of trading buckets before MNU had its largest lead of the game at 53-38 with 11:25 remaining in the game.
The Bobcats eventually cut it to nine on a couple of different occasions, including being down 59-50 following a bucket by Aduago Osuala
(Lakewood, Colo.) with 6:47 left in the game. MNU had a 13-7 run to grab its largest lead of the game at 73-57 with 1:16 left before PSC closed out the game with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to single digits, before falling 73-64.
Game Statistics
The biggest difference in the game was in the free throw shooting as MNU made 28 of 34 for 82.4% while PSC only made eight of 15 for 53.3%. The Bobcats were whistled for 25 fouls compared to 17 for the Pioneers.
Field goal shooting was much closer as MNU made 40.7% of their shots while PSC hit 37.5%. From behind the arc, PSC was better making two of seven for 28.6% while MNU only made one of nine for 11.1%.
The taller Pioneers out-rebounded PSC 39-30, but committed more turnovers than Peru State, having 23 miscues compared to the Bobcats' 18. Both teams had three blocked shots.
Individual Statistics
Ward finished with another double double making 19 points and grabbing a game-high ten rebounds. In addition, Ward finished with two blocks and had one steal. With her first block coming around the 16-minute mark in the first half, Ward became Peru State's all-time career blocked shots leader with 136. Ward bested the mark of 135 set by Tonya Volk, who played in 1999-2001.
Osuala and
Natasha Moss (Indianapolis) also finished in double figures with 12. Osuala seized a game-high five steals.
MNU BOX SCORE
Upcoming Games
Peru State will continue conference action on Saturday when they travel to Fayette, Mo., to face the Central Methodist University Eagles. Game time with the 8-1 Eagles, who lost their HAAC opener on the road at Evangel, 63-57, is 2 p.m.
Then, on Monday, the 'Cats will be out of conference, when they host Rogers State University from Claremore, Okla., beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Hillcats are 7-1 and will be playing Northwest Missouri State University on Saturday before heading to Peru.
On Saturday, Dec. 8, the 'Cats will host HAAC foe, Culver-Stockton College, in the AWAC beginning at 2 p.m.
