(Peru, Neb.) – It is always a little easier when you enter a break with a win. That is the case for the Peru State women's basketball team as they ended their 2020 portion of their season with a 72-62 win over Graceland Tuesday night in Lamoni, Iowa.
 
The Bobcats snapped a seven-game losing streak and improved to 4-9 overall on the season and more importantly went to 2-7 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North Division.
 
Graceland fell to 2-7 on the year and 1-6 in the Heart North.
 
First Quarter Action
 
The 'Cats scored first as Julie Miller (Lansing, Kan.) hit a bucket in the paint off an assist from Samantha Stewart (Mount Ayr, Iowa) at the 7:59 mark. Stewart followed with a bucket of her own off an assist from McKenzie Witt (Falls City).

 
Peru State maintained the lead until the Yellowjackets tied the game at 5 apiece with 5:45 left in the first quarter.
 
Graceland scored the next five points to lead 10-5 before Libby Baumert (Plattsmouth) hit a trey off an assist from Maddy Duncan (Hamburg, Iowa) with 3:54 on the clock. The 'Jackets would score six straight to go up 16-8 with 2:22 left in the quarter.
 
A Stewart bucket from Mackenzie Shupe (Lenexa, Kan.) stopped the run. After Graceland scored a bucket, Witt hit a trey off an assist from Dayna Dewitt (Mansfield, Texas) to put the score at 18-13 Yellowjackets at the end of the first ten minutes.
 
Second Quarter Action
 
Duncan started the second quarter scoring with a three-pointer off an assist from Witt with 37 seconds gone in the quarter. Witt later fed Shupe who hit a bucket at the 7:19 mark to knot the game at 18.
 
A bucket by Stewart temporarily put the 'Cats in the lead before Graceland tied the score at 20 with 5:36 left in the first half.
 
Back-to-back buckets by Miller and Stewart gave Peru State a four-point lead only to see the 'Jackets come back to tie it at 24 with 3:28 remaining in the second quarter.
 
After the game was tied at 26, Shupe hit a three off an assist from Dewitt and the Bobcats would hold onto the lead for the rest of the half. Shupe would later hit another trey, this time off an assist from Dewitt with one second left to put the 'Cats in the lead at 34-30 heading into halftime.
 
Third Quarter Action
 
Dewitt hit a bucket to start the second half with a bucket off an assist from Duncan to give Peru State its largest lead of the contest at that point of 36-30.
 
Graceland would go on an 11-0 run to lead 41-36 with 4:43 left in the third stanza.
 
Peru State would come back and eventually go back on top with a bucket by Ellie Bream (Waverly) off an assist from Duncan. The 'Cats led 42-41 with 3:21 to go in the quarter.
 
After the 'Jackets led 43-42, another trey by Shupe put the 'Cats back on top for the rest of the quarter. Later, Stewart would end the scoring in the period with a bucket to make it Peru State 52-45.

 
Fourth Quarter Action
 
Stewart would find Duncan open to start the final ten minutes with a three-pointer to give the Bobcats their largest lead at that point.
 
However, Graceland did not go away. With 3:42 left in the game, the Yellowjackets had knotted it up at 60. Bream would break the tie with a bucket off an assist from Miller.

Stewart followed with a two-pointer and then Bream extended the lead to six after putting back up an offensive rebound.
 
Another bucket by Stewart was followed by a pair of free throws by Duncan and once again, Peru State led by ten at 70-60 with 69 ticks left on the clock.
 
Graceland broke the 10-0 run with a bucket. Bream ended the game with the final points off an assist from Stewart.
 
GRACELAND GAME BOOK

Team Statistics
 
The Bobcats had one of their better shooting nights of the year as they made 27 of 60 field goals for 45%. This included making 7 of 18 from behind the arc for 38.9%. At the free throw line, Peru State went 11 of 17 for 64.7%. Graceland was 20 of 62 in field goals for 32.3% which included hitting 5 of 17 from long range for 29.4%. At the charity stripe, the 'Jackets were 17 of 22 for 77.3%.
 
The Bobcats held a big rebounding edge as they grabbed 43 rebounds compared to 30 for the Yellowjackets. Peru State dished out 18 assists while the 'Jackets finished with 11.
 
Peru State did finish with 19 turnovers compared to just 12 for Graceland. The Yellowjackets had one more block than the Bobcats as they finished with three. Graceland also finished with nine steals compared to five for the 'Cats.
 
Peru Individual Statistics
 
Peru State had four players finish in double figures and were led by Stewart who had a game-high 18 points on 9 of 15 shooting. Bream came off the bench as did Shupe to score 14 and 12 respectively. Duncan finished with 11 points.

 
Stewart finished with a double-double as she tied for game-high honors in rebounding with Miller as they both grabbed ten boards.
 
Duncan and Witt each dished out four assists while Stewart and Shupe each dished out three.
 
Miller was credited with two blocked shots.
 
Shupe led the team with four steals while Baumert was credited with one.
 
Upcoming Contests
 
Peru State will take a little break and will not play again until 2021. On January 4, the Bobcats will host Bellevue in a non-conference game at 5 p.m. Presently, the Bruins are 3-4 and will play a game on Dec. 30 before heading to Peru.
 
The Bobcats will then play the rest of the season against Heart competition. The first contest will be on the road in Des Moines, Iowa, at January 13 at 5:30 p.m. The Vikings are off to a 10-2 mark and are 6-1 in the Heart North. In the most recent NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, Grand View is now receiving votes and would 31^st in the voting.
 
The first home game of 2021 for the 'Cats will be on Saturday, January 16, at noon when they host Clarke (Iowa).