(Peru, Neb.) – The Peru State men's basketball team had a big second half during Monday night's game versus the Graceland (Iowa) Yellowjackets to help them earn their third conference win of the season.
 
The 'Cats won against Graceland at home with a score of 77-61 by outscoring the Yellowjackets 50-24 in the second half. The Bobcats improved to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North. The 'Jackets fell to 2-4 overall and 1-4 in the Heart North.
 
First Half Action

It was a slow start for the Bobcat team as Graceland jumped out to a quick 5-0 on Peru State before Craig Jordan (Compton, Calif.) got a layup to go in to make the score 5-2 with 17:24 left in the first half.

Brandon Fenner (Charleston, Ark.) made a three-point shot to fall in at the 13:24 mark off an assist from Henry Tanksley (Lincoln) to cut the Yellowjackets lead to two at a score of 8-6.

The Bobcats would go scoreless for nearly five minutes as the 'Jackets would go on a 12-0 before Amitai Afenjar (Los Angeles) stopped the scoring run with a two-point field goal at the 8:31 mark to make the score Graceland 22 Peru State 8.

The 'Cats would go on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to six. During the run the scoring came from Tanksley with two points, Skyler Wilson (Omaha) with four points, and Isaac Simpson (Papillion, Neb.) with three points to get Peru State within six at the 4:47 mark at 25-19.

At the 1:16 mark Graceland would have a lead of the 12 before Wilson made a three-pointer off an assist from Simpson.

Tanksley hit a layup to cut the lead to seven but Graceland answered with a three right before the half to make the halftime deficit ten at 37-27.

Second Half Action

The second half started off with a Tanksley made layup and Graceland answered after that. The scoring went back and forth before the 'Cats started rolling.

Jordan got the Bobcats run started when he made a three pointer off an assist from Afenjar. Tyrece Griggs (Omaha) hit a field goal off a pass from Wilson.

Jordan was back at it this time going inside has he made a layup. Tanksley hit a three off an assist from Wilson. Jordan came back with another three pointer with the pass coming from Wilson to give the Bobcats a two-point lead 44-42 with 15:40 remaining in the contest.

The 'Cats went on a 15-2 run during that time.

After the run the scoring was going back and forth again before Fenner made a long distance shot off an assist from DJ Fields (Omaha) to give Peru State a five-point lead.

Fields made back-to-back layups the first one came from Tyler Witt (Falls City, Neb.) and the second one came from Wilson to increase 'Cats lead to seven at 56-49 with 10:51 left in the game.
Witt made a layup off an assist from Fields to increase the 'Cats lead by two.

Peru State would go on another 9-2 run during that time to have a double-digit lead at the 9:15 mark with a score of 'Cats 63 'Jackets 51.

Griggs made a layup and Jordan was able to connect on two free throws as the Yellowjackets would only get as close as nine the rest of the game.

Witt made back-to-back buckets the first one came off of a pass from Griggs and the second came from Tanksley as the 'Cats would have a 15-point lead with just under three minutes to go in the contest.

The largest lead the Peru State would get to would be 17 when Witt made two free throws at the 2:02 mark. The score at the time was 75-58.

Wilson would be the final Bobcat to score as he made two free throws with just 49 seconds left on the clock.
 
GRACELAND GAME BOOK

Team Statistics
 
The 'Cats connected on 30 of 66 field goals for 45.5% which included making 9 of 23 for 39.1% from distance. At the free throw line, Peru State went 8 of 17 for 47%. Graceland connected on 23 of 53 for 43.3% which included 8 of 30 for 26.7% from long range. At the charity stripe, the Yellowjackets made 7 of 18 for 47.1%.
 
The 'Cats grabbed 44 rebounds – 13 of which were on the offensive end of the court. The 'Jackets grabbed 29.
 
The Bobcats handed out 16 assists as Graceland dished out 13. Peru State committed 13 turnovers as the 'Jackets committed 14.
 
Peru State blocked one shot with Graceland blocking three. The Bobcats recorded six steals while the Yellowjackets recorded seven.
 
Peru Individual Stats
 
Wilson had a game and season-high 17 points on a very efficient shooting day as he made 6 of 9 shots.
 
Three other Bobcats finished in double figures including Jordan-14, Tanksley-12, and Witt-11. This was a season high for Witt.
 
Jordan led the way with seven rebounds with two of them being offensive boards. Tanksley and Wilson each added six rebounds.
 
Wilson and Tanksley each dished out four assists. Fields and Witt each handed out two.
 
Simpson, Griggs, Tanksley, Wilson, Fenner, and Vinny Barron (Grand Prairie, Texas) were each credited with a steal in the contest. Griggs had the team's lone block of the game
 
Upcoming Contests

 
The 'Cats will travel to Clarke in Dubuque, Iowa, on Dec. 12 for a 4 p.m. tip-off time. The Pride is 3-3 overall and 2-2 in Heart play.
 
On Dec. 15, the Bobcats will travel to Graceland in Lamoni, Iowa for a 7:30 p.m. tip. The Yellowjackets are 2-4 overall and 1-4 in Heart action. This will be the second time playing the Jackets in the last three games.
 
To wrap up the year 2020, the 'Cats will be hosting a non-conference opponent. The Concordia Bulldogs will come from the tough Great American Plains Athletic Conference to play. The game is scheduled for Dec. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Al Wheeler Activity Center.
 
Starting in 2021 the Bobcats will be heading to Madison, S.D., to take on the Dakota State Trojans on Jan. 2 at 7:00 p.m.