(Peru, Neb.) – The Peru State women's basketball team won their second-straight game by topping Culver-Stockton Monday night 71-65 in Peru. This was the first time this season the Bobcats have won two straight and the last time since December 2015.
 
Peru State jumped to a 13-point lead at halftime and held on for the win.
 
The Bobcats improved to 6-15 on the season and 4-14 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart). The Wildcats fell to 8-14 on the year and are now 6-12 in the Heart.
 
First Quarter Action
 
Jackie Beaugard (Omaha) scored the first bucket of the game off an assist from Deandra Williams (Rosenberg, Texas). After forcing a turnover, the same duo combined for a three-pointer to put the Bobcats up 5-0 with less than a minute off the clock.

 
Peru State would extend its lead to 11 at 17-6 with four minutes left in the quarter when Williams hit a bucket coming off the assist from Deja Cato (Pontiac, Mich.). The Wildcats would then go on a 13-point run to take the lead at 19-17 with 13 seconds remaining. Jackie Robles (Parlier, Calif.) would grab the offensive rebound and with one second left on the clock, put the ball up and in to knot the game at 19-19 at the end of the quarter.
 
Second Quarter Action
 
Stevie Lone Dog (Mission, S.D.) would score the first bucket of the second quarter off an assist from Abigail Niebrugge (Omaha) to put the Bobcats up 21-19 with 8:30 left in the half. Peru State would not trail after that point in the second ten minutes.
 
With 5:03 left in the half, Williams gave the Bobcats their largest lead to that point at 33-21 when she completed an old-fashioned three-point play coming off an assist from Beaugard.
 
With 44 seconds left in the second quarter, Niebrugge put the Bobcats up by 13 at 39-26 after she hit a pair of free throws. The Wildcats would get a bucket, but Kiley Guerue (Morrill) would make a pair of free throws with one second on the clock for the 41-28 Peru State halftime lead.
 
Third Quarter Action
 
Peru State maintained its double-digit lead until the 4:02 mark when Culver-Stockton closed the game to 46-38. The Wildcats later would get back to within three at 50-47 with 47 seconds left in the quarter. Williams would make one of two free throws to make it 51-47 Peru State after three stanzas.
 
Fourth Quarter Action
 
A bucket by Robles, followed by one by Williams, put the Bobcats up by eight at 55-47 with 9:13 left in the contest.
 
The largest lead Peru State would have in the quarter would be nine points. Robles would hit a trey on an assist from Beaugard to make it 61-52 with 3:52 left in the game.
 
The Wildcats would be as close as four points as late as 17 seconds left trailing 67-63. But, Culver-Stockton would have to foul and Peru State would convert most of the charity tries in route to their 71-65 victory.

CULVER-STOCKTON GAME BOOK
 
Team Statistics
 

The teams had similar shooting percentages for the game. Peru State made 25 of 62 field goals for 40.3% including hitting 7 of 17 from behind the arc for 41.2%. At the free throw line, the Bobcats made 14 of 19 for 73.7% - one of their best nights at the line. Culver-Stockton connected on 25 of 61 field goals for 41%. From long range, the Wildcats made 7 of 15 for 46.7%. At the charity stripe, Culver-Stockton made 8 of 13 for 61.5%.
 
The Wildcats had a slight rebounding advantage as they grabbed 37 boards compared to 33 for Peru State. The Bobcats dished out 14 assists while Culver-Stockton finished with 12. The Wildcats had 22 turnovers compared to 15 for the Bobcats.
 
Peru State blocked three shots and grabbed 13 steals while Culver-Stockton finished with nine steals.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Three Bobcats finished in double figures with Williams leading the way with a game-high 16 points while Niebrugge added 15 on 5 of 7 shooting. Robles contributed 13, including hitting two treys in the final quarter.
 
Williams just missed a double-double as she grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Lone Dog added eight boards with Beaugard contributing five.
 
Beaugard and Niebrugge each dished out three assists while Williams, Kennedi Cooper (Long Beach, Calif.), and Destany Ross (Gretna) each adding two. Beaugard blocked two shots with Lone Dog credited with one.
 
Niebrugge had a game-high four steals with Lone Dog and Beaugard each nabbing two.
 
Upcoming Games
 
The Bobcats will have two more games this week. On Thursday, Peru State will travel to Des Moines to take on Grand View at 5:30 p.m. The Vikings have won back-to-back games and are now 11-11 on the season and are 8-10 in the Heart. Grand View defeated Peru State 78-57 in Peru on Dec. 1.
 
Peru State will host Benedictine (Kan.) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. The Ravens are on a ten-game winning streak and presently have a 17-5 overall mark. In the Heart, the 15^th-ranked Ravens are 16-2 and tied for first with Baker (Kan.).
 
On Saturday, it will be the National Alumni Association's Annual Chili Feed. The chili feed will begin at 2:30 p.m. and will be a freewill donation for Foundation scholarships. At halftime of both games, the Fantastic Flyers of Gary's Tumbling in Glenwood, Iowa, will perform. Between games, the athletic department will recognize its cheer, women's basketball, and men's basketball seniors. Following that presentation, Peru State will honor its fall student-athletes who received either athletic and/or academic honors.