(Peru, Neb.) – After having their senior night ruined on Thursday, the Peru State women's basketball team turned the tables on Central Methodist University (CMU).  On Saturday, the Bobcats spoiled the Eagles' senior night by defeating CMU 76-68 in Fayette, Mo.
 
With the win, the 'Cats improved to 10-19 overall and 6-12 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and claimed sole possession of seventh place in the league.  This was a three-step better finish than where the coaches had expected Peru State to finish in the pre-season coaches' poll. 
 
By winning and claiming the seventh seed, the Bobcats will host Avila University Monday night, March 2, at 7 p.m. in the Al Wheeler Activity Center. 
 
With the loss, the Eagles fell to 14-14 overall and 5-13 in the Heart to finish eighth in the league.

 
Game Action
 
For the first part of the first half, the game was close as there were four ties in the first ten minutes – 5-5, 7-7, 9-9, and 19-19 with CMU having a lead of four points at one point while the 'Cats led by two at 19-17.
 
After the 19-19 tie, the Eagles rattled off the next 11 points before Karlee Stuart (Las Animas, Colo.) made one of two free throws to stop the run with 5:53 left in the first half. CMU would go on to stretch their lead to 13 at 36-23 before Peru State would go on a run of their own.
 
Sydney Wilkinson (St. Joseph, Mo.) started things off with a bucket in the paint to make it 36-25 with 2:51 to go. After Rylie Bowser (Holton, Kan.) grabbed an offensive rebound, Wilkinson hit another bucket to close the gap to nine.
 
Wilkinson grabbed a defensive rebound next which led to a three-point bucket by Bowser on an assist from Stuart to make it 36-30 with 1:11 to go in the first 20 minutes. After the Eagles made one of two free throws to go up 37-30, Bowser drained another three-pointer, this time on an assist from Shelbie Hess (Phoenix) with 36 ticks left until halftime.
 
Wilkinson then stole the ball and took it to the Bobcats' end and scored to cut the deficit to two at halftime with CMU leading 37-35.
 
The Eagles did score the first bucket in the second half to increase their lead to four at 39-35. Bowser scored the first field goal of the second half for the 'Cats after grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it back in.
 
Hess would next go to the line and made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 39-39 at the 18:36 mark in the second half. On Peru State's next possession, Stuart drained a trey on an assist from Hess and the Bobcats took the lead for good with 17:41 remaining in the game.
 
CMU kept it close, but the Bobcats did stretch their lead to 14 at 72-58 after Wilkinson hit a pair of free throws at the 5:46 mark in the second twenty minutes.
 
 

The Eagles would get only within seven points with just over a minute left in the game with Stuart making one of two free throws to seal the 76-68 victory.
 
Team Statistics
 
Both teams shot the ball well during the contest. The Bobcats finished the game making 28 of 61 for 45.9% which included hitting 8 of 22 from long range for 36.4%. At the charity stripe, the 'Cats went 12 of 18 for 66.7%.
 
CMU made 27 of 57 for 47.4%, but did struggle from behind the arc as they made just 3 of 20 for 15%.  From the free throw line, the Eagles were 11 of 15 for 73.3%.
 
Peru State won the rebounding battle by one, 36 to 35.  The Bobcats committed 15 turnovers while the Eagles finished with 20.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Four Bobcats finished in double figures with Wilkinson leading the way with a career-high 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting from the floor and 6 of 8 at the free throw line.
 
Stuart and Hess each had 17 points with Bowser adding 16. Brittany Harward (Orem, Utah) was the only other Bobcat scoring as she had eight points.
 
Bowser had a game-high nine rebounds with Hess and Wilkinson each grabbing six boards.
 
Wilkinson dished out five assists with Hess contributing four. Bowser led the team with four steals with Stuart, Hess, and Wilkinson each nabbing two. Harward was credited with the team's only blocked shot.

CMU GAME BOOK

 
Upcoming Game(s)
 
Peru State will host the Eagles of Avila University on Monday night.  The Eagles finished the season with a 3-15 conference record and were 8-18 overall.  Peru State and Avila split their games this season with the teams winning on each other's home courts.  The Eagles are presently on a nine-game losing streak.
 
With a win, the Bobcats would have an opportunity to play a quarterfinal game at Benedictine College on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. in Atchison, Kan. The 25^th-ranked Ravens finished the season with a 22-8 overall record and were second in the Heart with a 15-3 record. Benedictine swept the season series over Peru State; however, the Bobcats played the Ravens close losing 66-58 late in January at home.
 
The conference tournament is played at the higher seeds for each successive contest.