(Peru, Neb.) – The start of the game was bleak for the Peru State women's basketball team as they trailed Graceland
(Iowa) 12-0 before the Bobcats scored. However, the 'Cats found their shooting touch and went on to a 103-75 rout of the visiting Yellowjackets.
Peru State picked up its first Heart of America Athletic Conference win of the season and is now 1-2 in the Heart and 2-6 overall. The Yellowjackets fell to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in conference action.
The last time Peru State scored 100 points or more was exactly five years ago as they defeated AIB of Iowa 101-75.
Jackie Beaugard scores the first
points of the game for Peru State.
Beaugard finished with 21. First Quarter Action Jackie Beaugard (Omaha) scored Peru State's first basket with 7:17 left in the first quarter off an assist from
Justice Daniel (Olathe, Kan.). With 6:12 left in the first,
Jackie Robles (Parlier, Calif.) hit a three off an assist from
Kiley Guerue (Morrill) to cut the deficit to 12-5. Beaugard later grabbed a steal and took it to the hoop to make it 12-7 Graceland.
With 4:08 left in the quarter,
Kealy Ensminger (Homer) hit a bucket and now the 'Cats were down just 12-9. Beaugard got another steal and went to the hoop and scored with 3:39 remaining and Peru State now trailed 12-11. The Yellowjackets broke the Bobcat run with a bucket of their own before Beaugard dished off an assist to Robles for two. Robles then came back with a three-pointer and Peru State led for the first time at 16-14 with 2:34 left in the first stanza.
Graceland tied it up with a pair of free throws at 16-16 at the 2:19 mark. Jolicoeur hit a trey coming off an assist from
Sydney Wilkinson (St. Joseph, Mo.). Graceland would eventually tie it at 19 apiece before Jolicoeur made a pair of free throws and then hit another bucket with 24 seconds left in the quarter to give Peru State a 23-19 at the first break. The 'Cats would never trail after that point.
Celine Jolicoeur goes for two of her
game-high 27 points. Second Quarter Action Beaugard would score the first points of the second quarter before the Yellowjackets would score five straight to cut it to 25-24 with 8:50 left in the quarter. That would be as close as Graceland would come during the rest of the game.
Madara Laure (Riga, Latvia) would hit a pair of free throws which by a basket by Daniel and the 'Cats were back up by five at 29-24 with 8:22 to go in the first half.
Peru State would take a 50-35 lead into the halftime break as Ensminger hit a three-pointer with three seconds left in the first half.
Third Quarter Action The Bobcats would stretch its lead to 20 at the end of the third period after leading by as many as 26 with 2:35 left in the quarter. Jolicoeur put Peru State ahead 73-47 at that point.
At the end of the quarter, the 'Cats led 77-57.
Justice Daniel shoots a three. She
finished with 15 points. Fourth Quarter Action Graceland cut into the Peru State lead at the start of the first quarter and trailed 79-65 with 6:22 left in the game. The Bobcats caught some fire after that point as went on to outscore the Yellowjackets 24 to 10 during the rest of the quarter on their way to winning 103-75.
GRACELAND GAME BOOK Team Statistics Peru State had one of its best shooting nights in a long, long, long time as they made 39 of 71 field goals for 54.9% which included making 12 of 26 free throws for 46.2%. The Bobcats were also hot from the charity stripe as they made 13 of 16 for 81.3%. The Yellowjackets made 28 of 57 for 49.1% and also had a better percentage from long range than the 'Cats as the made 5 of 10 three-point tries for 50%. At the free throw line, Graceland went 14 of 22 for 63.6%.
The 'Cats grabbed one more rebound than Graceland as they had 30 with the Yellowjackets having 29. The big difference in the game came in turnovers as the Yellowjackets committed 27 while Peru State had 17. The Bobcats grabbed 19 steals compared to ten for Graceland. The Bobcats blocked two shots while the Yellowjackets had one.
Jackie Robles scores two of her 20 points Individual Statistics Four Bobcats finished in double figures with three scoring more than 20. Jolicoeur had a game-high 27 points on 10 of 14 shooting including 5 of 7 from behind the arc. Beaugard and Robles had 21 and 20 respectively while Daniel added 15.
Jolicoeur added a game-high eight rebounds while Beaugard finishing with seven.
Beaugard and Daniel tied for game-high honors with five assists with Daniel having a game-high eight steals and Beaugard nabbing four. Jolicoeur was credited with the two blocked shots.
Upcoming Games Peru State will travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa, on Saturday to take on the William Penn University Statesmen at 2 p.m. The Statesmen are 4-5 overall and now 2-1 in the Heart after topping Grand View on Wednesday 53-51.
The Bobcats will play a pair of non-conference games next week. On Dec. 8 they will travel to face York College at 6 p.m. Currently, the Panthers are 4-4 overall and actually lost to Graceland 96-66 on Nov. 24.
On Dec. 9, the 'Cats will host the Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan at 6 p.m. in the Al Wheeler Activity Center. Nebraska Wesleyan is presently 3-3 on the season.
