Box Score (Peru, Neb.) – A stellar performance by Samantha Stewart (Mount Ayr, Iowa) was not enough to propel the Peru State women against Culver-Stockton (C-SC) Wednesday night in Canton, Mo.
 
Stewart had a season-high 27 points on 10 of 15 shooting, but the Bobcats still fell to the Wildcats 67-54.
 
C-SC improved to 9-8 on the season and 3-5 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North. Peru State fell to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in conference play.

 
First Quarter Action
 
Maddy Duncan (Hamburg, Iowa) gave the Bobcats an early 3-0 lead as she drained a trey off the assist from Adreal Bell (Independence, Mo.) with 19 ticks off the clock.
 
Later, after the Wildcats had scored a bucket, Stewart scored the first of her points with a layup at the 7:32 mark.
 
Culver-Stockton would eventually knot the score at 7-7 after a pair of made free throws with 5:17 left in the quarter. Stewart would break that tie only to see C-SC tie it again at 9 each.
 
A 4-0 Wildcat run would give C-SC the lead for the rest of the game. Culver-Stockton would lead 18-15 after the first ten minutes.
 
Second Quarter Action
 
After the Wildcats extended their lead to five, Julie Miller (Easton, Kan.) hit a jump shot to pull the Bobcats back within three at 20-17.
 
C-SC would score six straight forcing a Bobcat timeout with just under five minutes left in the first half as the Wildcats led 26-17.
 
Out of the timeout, Stewart hit a jump shot on the assist from Duncan. Later, Miller fed Duncan an assist as she put up a three-pointer to make it 26-22 with 3:59 on the clock.
 
That would be as close the Bobcats would be as Culver-Stockton led 33-24 at halftime.
 
Third Quarter Action
 
Jescenia Mosely (Shenandoah, Iowa) hit a layup to start the second half off the assist from Miller.
 
Later, a pair of free throws and a bucket by Stewart off the assist from Mosely put the Bobcats within two at 34-32 at the 8:10 mark.
 
After the Wildcats hit a bucket, they called a timeout. Stewart would make one of two free throws as Peru State closed the gap to three. Unfortunately, that would be as close as the Bobcats would be as Culver-Stockton would lead by a dozen at the break, 49-37.
 
Fourth Quarter Action
 
After the Wildcats hit a bucket to start the quarter, Stewart hit a layup after a minute was gone in the final stanza.
 
The final period was played almost evenly as Culver-Stockton went on for the conference win 67-54.
 
Team Statistics
 
The Wildcats had a slight shooting edge as they made 40.3% of their field compared to 36.4% for the Bobcats. Peru State did make 12 of 15 free throws for 80%.
 
C-SC outrebounded the Bobcats 43-34 and dished out five more assists as they finished with 15.
 
Peru State committed 20 turnovers in the contest resulting in 21 Wildcat points.
 
Individual Statistics
 
Stewart finished with a game-high 27 points while Duncan was the only other Bobcat in double figures as she added 13.
 
Mosely had a game-high nine rebounds with Stewart and Miller each grabbing six.
 
Bell and Miller each dished out two assists while Bell and Stewart each grabbed three steals.
 
Miller was credited with one block.
 
Upcoming Contests
 
Peru State will be hosting the next two contests. On Saturday, the Park Pirates will be the opponents at 2 p.m. The Pirates are 7-6 overall and 1-6 in the Heart South. They have lost three in a row including a forfeit Wednesday evening.
 
There is a slight change of schedule for next week as the Bobcats will host Mount Mercy on Thursday instead of Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The Mustangs are 8-11 on the year, but have a 5-3 mark in the Heart North.