(Peru, Neb.) – For the first 25 minutes of the ballgame, the Peru State women's basketball team had maintained the lead, including still leading 50-39 with 15:02 to go in the game. However, the visiting Missouri Valley College Vikings were not discouraged by the lead as they came back to take a 68-60 win over the Bobcats on Saturday.
With the win, Missouri Valley moved into a tie for fourth in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) with Benedictine College with an 8-6 mark. Overall, the Vikings are 16-10.
Peru State fell to 6-19 overall and is in a tie for seventh in the HAAC with a 4-10 mark with Evangel University. However, the 'Cats own the tie-break with Evangel having swept the Crusaders this season, so they hold the seventh spot in the ten-team league. The top eight teams will go to post-season play after the final four regular season games are completed.
Game Action
Shelbie Hess (Phoenix) hit a trey to start the game on an assist from
Jasmine Tate (Fayetteville, N.C.) at the 19:39 mark of the first half. The Vikings came down the court and countered with a three of their own, giving Mo Valley their only tie of the first half.
A bucket by
Karlee Stuart (Las Animas, Colo.), which came off an assist from
Brittany Peterson (Orem, Utah) put Peru State on top at 5-3, giving the Bobcats a lead they would not relinquish until the second half.
The teams battled back and forth throughout the next ten minutes finding the Bobcats up 20-19 before
Sydney Young (Omaha) hit a trey on an assist from
Leslie Kirkland (Rock Port, Mo.). This started a Bobcat run with 6:45 left in the first half.
Peru State would lead by as many as 12 at 34-22 after
Brianna Madrid (Glendale, Ariz.) hit a field goal forcing a Viking timeout with 3:37 remaining in the first 20 minutes. The Vikings would cut it back to nine on two different occasions before a three-point bucket by
Rachel Blair (Hubbard) put the 'Cats back up by 12 at 39-27 with 39 seconds left.
The Vikings would get a bucket off an offensive rebound to cut the lead to ten at halftime at 39-29.
Missouri Valley scored the first six points of the second half to make it 39-35 with 17:21 to go in the game.
A three-pointer by Kirkland on an assist from Tate made it 42-35. Hess and Peterson each followed with a two-pointer, giving the 'Cats another double-digit lead at 46-35 with 16:07 remaining.
After Stuart hit a bucket later making it 50-39, the Vikings went on a 19-1 run gaining a 58-51 lead with 7:58 to go in the game.
A free throw by Tate and two by Stuart pulled the Bobcats back within four at 58-54 with 6:55 left. Peru State was still within four at 61-57 before Mo Valley extended its lead to 67-58 with 2:26 remaining. The Bobcats could not cut substantially into that lead and the Vikings ended up winning 68-60.
Team Statistics
The teams almost had identical shooting percentages with Missouri Valley holding a very slight edge. The Vikings hit 22 of 54 field goals for 40.7% including 4 of 12 from behind the arc for 33.3%. At the free throw line, Mo Valley made 20 of 31 for 64.5%.
Peru State hit 22 of 56 field goals for 39.3%. From three-point range, the Bobcats were 5 of 16 for 31.3%. At the charity stripe, the 'Cats were 11 of 17 for 64.7%.
The Bobcats' rebounding helped keep them in the game as they grabbed 42, compared to 30 for Missouri Valley. Peru State had trouble handling the ball as they committed 23 turnovers while the Vikings only had 13. Both teams had nine steals.
Individual Statistics
Two Bobcats finished in double figures and were led by Hess with 20 points. Peterson finished with ten points while Kirkland added eight.
Peterson had a career night rebounding as she had a game-high 23 rebounds. The mark for Peterson was just three short of a single-game record set by Patti Collins back in 1975.
Tate led the team in assists with three while Stuart, Peterson, and
Sydney Wilkinson (St. Joseph, Mo.) each dished out two. Stuart had a game-high four steals while Tate had two.
Peterson and Young were each credited with one block.
MISSOURI VALLEY BOX SCORE
Upcoming Games
The Bobcats will have two games in each of the next two weeks to finish the HAAC season. On Thursday, Peru State will be hosting MidAmerica Nazarene University at 5:30 p.m. The 13
th-ranked Pioneers are 12-2 in the HAAC and 20-3 overall.
On Saturday, the Bobcats will be traveling to Canton, Mo., to take on Culver-Stockton College at 2 p.m. Currently, the Wildcats are on the bottom of the HAAC with a 1-13 mark and are 4-18 overall. Ironically, the lone conference win for Culver-Stockton was an upset of MidAmerica Nazarene.
