(Peru, Neb.) – After trailing for most of the first half, the Peru State women's basketball team nearly doubled the score on Grace University in route to their second win of the season.  The Bobcats trailed 36-35 at halftime, but ended up winning 96-68 in Omaha on Wednesday night.
 
With the win, Peru State improved to 2-8 on the season while the Royals fell to 2-12.
 
Game Action
 
Grace jumped to a 5-0 lead before the Bobcats got on the scoreboard with a bucket by Karlee Stuart (Las Animas, Colo.) on an assist from Sydney Wilkinson (St. Joseph, Mo.).   Another field goal by Stuart cut the lead to 5-4 before Wilkinson would tie it at 5-5 with 16:12 left in the first half as she made one of two free throws.

 
The rest of the first half was back and forth with Grace having leads of six on several occasions, including leading 36-30 with less than two minutes to go in the first 20 minutes. 
 
Shelbie Hess (Phoenix) hit four consecutive free throws to make it 36-34 and then Heather Brekke (Sunrise, Fla.) made one of two free throws to make it 36-35 at halftime.
 
A bucket by Wilkinson to start the second half gave Peru State a 37-36 lead and the 'Cats never looked back with 19:29 left in the game.
 
Hess would score the next seven points of the game to put the Bobcats up 44-36 with just under 16 minutes remaining.  Brianna Madrid (Glendale, Ariz.) followed with a field goal to give the 'Cats a double-digit lead.
 
After going five minutes without scoring, the Royals would hit a bucket which was immediately countered by a hoop by Brittany Harward (Orem, Utah) to make it 48-38.  Grace would hit a trey and Brekke followed with a three-pointer for Peru State. 
 
The teams would trade buckets and after the 12:35 mark, Peru State would continue to pull away and led by double figures the rest of the game.
 
A Harward hoop on an assist from Hess was the final score of the game as the 'Cats won 96-68.
 
Team Statistics
 
The Royals actually shot better than Peru State; however, they took 32 fewer attempts.  Grace made 24 of 58 field goals for 41.4% while the Bobcats were 36 of 90 for 40%.  From behind the arc, the Royals were 6 of 12 for 50% compared to Peru State's 8 of 24 for 33.3%.  At the free throw line, Grace was 14 of 20 for 70% while the 'Cats were 16 of 27 for 59.3%.
 
One of the biggest differences in the game came on the boards as Peru State grabbed 63 rebounds, including 36 offensive compared to the Royals' 36 total boards.

 

Grace committed 18 turnovers while the Bobcats had 13.  Both teams blocked two shots.  Peru State had 11 steals and the Royals had seven.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Four Bobcats finished in double figures and were led by Hess who had a game-high 23 points.  In addition, Hess finished with a double-double as she grabbed 13 rebounds.
 
Brekke had a career-high 19 points while Stuart added 18.  Harward finished with 12 points. 
 
All ten Bobcats scored in the game.  Others scoring were:  Madrid – 6, Sydney Young (Omaha) – 5, Wilkinson – 4, Jennifer Ostrowski (Kankakee, Ill.) – 4, Elizabeth Bowman (West Point) – 4, and Madara Laure (Riga, Latvia) – 1.
 
Stuart and Harward were also close to double-doubles as Stuart had nine rebounds with Harward grabbing eight.
 
Wilkinson dished out a game-high six assists with Stuart adding five.  Wilkinson also had a game-high six steals with Brekke adding two.
 
Harward and Stuart each had one blocked shot.

GRACE BOX SCORE
 
Upcoming Games
 
Peru State will take off nearly two weeks before resuming practice late in December.  Their first action after the break will be in 2015.
 
On Jan. 2 and 3, the 'Cats will participate in the Coyote Classic hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kan.  On the 2^nd, the Bobcats will face McPherson College (Kan.) at 2 p.m.  Currently, the Bulldogs are 2-12 and also will not play until the teams meet on Jan. 2.
 
Then, on Jan. 3, the Bobcats will play the tourney hosts at 4 p.m.  The Coyotes are currently 8-4 and will play York College on Jan. 2.