(Peru, Neb.) – The Bobcat men's basketball team raced to a 47-21 halftime lead in route to an 87-60 win over the home team Culver-Stockton Wildcats in Canton, Mo., Tuesday night. Peru State hit 53% of their field goals in the win.
 
With the win, Peru State improves to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart). The Wildcats fell to 1-6 overall and are still looking for their first conference win against three losses.
 

First Half Action
 
Marley Biyendolo (Melbourne, Australia) hit the first bucket of the game at the 19:42 mark. The Wildcats came back with a trey to go up 3-2. Rashad Brackeen (Oakland, Calif.) made a bucket in the paint off the fast break to put the Bobcats up 4-3 with 17:11 left in the half.
 
With 15:32 remaining in the first 20 minutes, Culver-Stockton went back up 5-4 which ironically would be their last lead of the game. On the next possession, Matej Delinac (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) would nail a three-pointer and with 15:14 left in the half, Peru State took the lead for good.
 
Brackeen and Lyle Hexom (Omaha) would hit back-to-back threes and the Bobcats would be up 13-5 before Culver-Stockton would get back on the board.
 
With 6:18 left in the half, Hexom nailed another trey, this time coming off an assist from Brackeen, and the Bobcats had their first 20-point lead at 30-10. The teams would literally trade buckets the rest of the half until Peru State's Van Merbin (Melbourne, Australia) would hit a trey on an assist from Brackeen and then Brackeen would hit a jumper with two seconds left to give the Bobcats the 47-21 halftime lead.
 
Second Half Action
 

Peru State would move their lead to 30 at 51-21 when Brackeen made a bucket with 18:31 left in the game. The Bobcats would increase their lead to 36 later at 61-25 when Brackeen dished the ball to Brandon Eboigbodin (Nashville) who hit a bucket in the paint at the 14:29 mark.
 
The Bobcats would have their largest lead of the game of 39 after Noah Vasa (Nebraska City) hit a three-pointer off an assist from Anthony Richardson (Schenectady, N.Y.) with 7:44 left in the contest. Peru State led 76-37.
 
The Wildcats would cut the deficit down to 24 near the end of the game which ended with a Merbin trey off an assist from Vasa.

CULVER-STOCKTON GAME BOOK
 
Team Statistics
 
Peru State hit an outstanding 53% of their field goals as they made 36 of 66 attempts which included making 14 of 25 from long range for 56%. The Bobcats did struggle at the free throw line as they only made three of eight. The Wildcats made 23 of 64 field goals for 35.9% while making 9 of 23 from behind the arc for 39.1%. Culver-Stockton connected on five of seven free throws for 71.4%.
 
The Bobcats held a big edge in rebounding as they grabbed 46 caroms compared to 30 for Culver-Stockton. Peru State dished out 20 assists while the Wildcats had 14.
 

The turnovers were nearly even as Peru State had 16 and Culver-Stockton committed 15 miscues. The Bobcats blocked six shots while the Wildcats had three blocks. Both teams had six steals.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Four Bobcats finished in double figures. Brackeen had a game-high 22 points while making 9 of 17 field goals including 4 of 8 from long range. Hexom added 11 while Biyendolo and Vasa each had ten points. For Vasa, this was his Bobcat career high. Delinac was just one point shy of double figures as he added nine points.
 
Eboigbodin had a game-high 11 rebounds while Hexom, Brackeen, and Paulius Sakinis (Klaipeda, Lithuania) each grabbed six boards.
 
Brackeen dished out a game-high six assists while Eboigbodin had five assists. Hexom blocked five shots with Vasa credited for one.
 
Eboigbodin and Biyendolo each grabbed two steals.

 
Upcoming Games
 
Peru State will play an exhibition contest on Friday in Sioux Falls, S.D., against the Augustana Vikings. The NCAA DII team is currently 4-1 on the year with their only loss being to Northwest Missouri State. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 
On Monday, Nov. 28, the Bobcats will host the NAIA's third-ranked William Penn Statesmen at 7:30 p.m. Currently, the Statesmen are 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the Heart having lost at Baker (Kan.) last weekend. William Penn will play two games this weekend before heading to Peru.
 
On the first day of December, Peru State will host Grand View (Iowa) at 7:30 p.m. The Vikings are off to a 4-2 start overall and are 3-1 in Heart action.