(Peru, Neb.) – Trailing by ten with 17 minutes left in the game did not deter the Peru State men's basketball team on Saturday at the Al Wheeler Activity Center. The Bobcats outscored the visiting Central Methodist (Mo.) (CMU) Eagles 43-24 over the course of the final 17 minutes to win 87-78.
 
With the win, Peru State snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Eagles fell to 3-3 and also are now 1-1 in the Heart.

 
First Half Action
 
After CMU hit the first bucket, Corday Sims (Chicago) hit trey off an assist from Jeff Neverson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) with 18:18 to go in the first half. The Eagles hit a trey of their own which was followed by a bucket by Riak Bol (Omaha) to tie it at 5-5.
 
CMU would jump out to a nine-point lead at 16-7 before Sims hit another trey, this time off an assist from Quantice Hunter (Chicago). Hunter then came back with a trey of his own off an assist from Darwin Ellis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and the Bobcats were just down 16-13 at the 13:07 mark. Later, Ellis hit a bucket to get the 'Cats within one at 16-15.
 
The Eagles would maintain the lead and would stretch it to six points on a couple of occasions with the last at 33-27 with 7:07 remaining in the half. Peru State would eventually tie it at 36-36 when Sims would hit another trey at the 4:43 mark in the first half.
 
CMU would finish the half on a 12-6 run to lead 48-42 at halftime.
 
Second Half Action
 
Neverson started the second half with a bucket for the 'Cats, but CMU came back with six straight lead by ten at 54-44 with 17:16 left in the game.
 
It was at this point that Peru State slowly started to claw their way back into the game. Over the course of the next eight minutes, the Bobcats would outscore CMU 18 to 7 and led 62-61 after Hunter dished off an assist to Sims who drained a trey at the 9:34 point in the second stanza.
 
Over the course of the next six minutes, the game would be tied five different times with the last tie coming at 77-77 with 2:44 to go. Bol would hit a pair of free throws to give the Bobcats the lead for good at that point and then would also score the final two points of the game on another pair of free throws.
 
Team Statistics

 
Both teams shot the ball reasonably well with the Bobcats making 29 of 59 field goal tries for 49.2% which included making 15 of 32 threes for 46.9%. At the charity stripe, Peru State was 14 of 18 for 77.8%. CMU made 25 of 58 field goals for 43.1% and made 50% of their three-point shots as they hit 8 of 16. At the free throw line, the Eagles made 20 of 29 for 69%.
 
Rebounding was nearly even as the Eagles grabbed one more than Peru State, 29 to 28. The Eagles committed just ten turnovers while the 'Cats had 15. CMU had two blocks while the Bobcats were credited with just one.

CMU GAME BOOK
 
Individual Statistics
 
Sims had a game-high 30 points to lead Peru State on 9 of 16 shooting which included making 7 of 10 from behind-the-arc. Two other Bobcats finished in double figures with Ellis adding 16 and Hunter contributing 13 while coming off the bench.
 
Sims also led the team with six rebounds with Bol and Josh Varney (Cape Coral, Fla.) each grabbing three. Hunter dished out seven assists with Ellis adding another five.
 
Connor Dukes (Plattsmouth) and Varney each had one steal with Varney also being credited with one block.
 
Upcoming Games
 
The Bobcats will be traveling to Topeka, Kan., Tuesday night to take on the NCAA DII Washburn University Ichabods in an exhibition game. Currently, Washburn is 2-1 having lost Saturday to Rockhurst University.
 
Peru State will then head to Minnesota for games Friday and Saturday against two more NCAA DII opponents. On Friday, the 'Cats will take on Minnesota State – Mankato in an exhibition at 6 p.m. The Mavericks are presently 3-1 and on a three-game winning streak.
 
Then, on Saturday, the Bobcats will head to St. Paul and take on Concordia-St. Paul at 7 p.m. The Golden Bears are 1-2 having won their first game on Saturday.