(Peru, Neb.)—The Peru State women's basketball team lost 81-71 Saturday afternoon against the MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers in Olathe, Kan. The Bobcats fall to 8-11 and 3-7 in the Heart (North). The Pioneers improve to 9-9 overall and 6-4 in the Heart (South).

In the first quarter of action, the Bobcats and the Pioneers traded buckets for about the first five minutes. Later in the first quarter the Bobcats would go on 5-0 run making the score 16-8 with just under two minutes to play. The Bobcats would not score again in the first quarter but would lead 16-11 after the first ten minutes.

In the second quarter, the Bobcats would stretch the lead to seven a few times early making the score 18-11 and then 22-15. The Pioneers would cut the lead to three on a three-point jumper. The Bobcats would stretch out their lead to eight midway through the quarter.  

The Pioneers would end the half on a 7-1 run closing the eight-point gap to one. The Bobcats in the second quarter had a lead for the entire second quarter but they let the lead dwindle all the way down to 28-27 right before the half.
After the break the Pioneers stormed out of the gates going on a 12-1 run making the score 39-29 with 6:14 play in the third. The Bobcats cut the lead down to six before a three-point jump shot for the Pioneers put them up 42-33.
For most of the third quarter the Pioneers would keep the Bobcats at length as they had a ten-point lead for the majority of the third quarter. The Pioneers exploded for 27 points in the third quarter while the Bobcats scored 17. The Pioneers would take the 54-45 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

In the beginning of the fourth quarter the Bobcats cut the lead to four from a three-point jump shot from Maddy Duncan (Hamburg, Iowa) making the score 54-50 with just over nine minutes to play. The Pioneers would then stretch their lead to seven before the Bobcats would make another run, the Bobcats would cut the lead to one after a 6-0 run making the score 61-60. The Bobcats would cut the lead one more time down to three points making the score 69-66 before faltering late and would end up losing the game 81-71.

Here's what head coach Ian Holleran had to say about the game.

"I thought we played really well, said head coach Ian Holleran. "I thought we put ourselves in a position to win the game. Unfortunately, they made a few more plays than we did down the stretch. I give credit to their players and coaches on their performance."

"I told the team I was proud of how they played and that this could be something we could build off of," continued Holleran. "Obviously, everyone in that locker room was really upset that we lost. I am not a fan of moral victories at all, but if we play with that energy and effort for 40 minutes every game, we will have a chance to win any game that we play. I am really excited to get back practicing these next few days to prepare for William Penn on Wednesday."
 
The Bobcats had three players in double-figures as Duncan led the way with 22 points. Samantha Stewart (Mount Ayr, Iowa) and Hailey Ingram (Omaha) rounded out the double-figure scoring with 13 points each.
Both teams shot the ball well as Peru State was 21-of-58 from the field shooting at 36.2% clip, the Bobcats shot lights out from beyond the arc as they were 7-of-13 for 53.8% clip. They also shot 22-of-29 from the stripe good for 75.9%.

The Pioneers shot well from the floor as they were 27-of-60 for a 45% clip, and they were 7-of-20 from the three-point line shooting 45%. From the charity stripe the Pioneers were 20-of-28 for 71.4%.
Stewart nearly finished with a double-double as she led the team with nine rebounds. Keisha Snyder (Winnebago) came off the bench and grabbed six boards while scoring eight points.

Next up for the Peru State women's basketball team is a home tilt with William Penn (2-20 overall, 2-9 Heart North). Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 26.