(Peru, Neb)—On Valentine's Day the Peru State women's basketball team lost in heartbreaking fashion in the final seconds to Missouri Valley College. The Vikings won the game 59-57, as they improve to 17-9 overall and 11-6 in conference play, the Bobcats fall to 10-16 overall and 5-12 in conference play.

In the first quarter of action, it looked as if Missouri Valley was going to run away with the game as they jumped out to a 21-4 lead. The only two Bobcats to score in the quarter were Julie Miller (Easton, Kan.) and Samantha Stewart (Mount Ayr, Iowa) both women were vital in the comeback effort.

The second quarter is when the Bobcats settled into the game and bowed up defensively as they held the Vikings to just three points for almost seven minutes of the second quarter. The Bobcats went on a 10-3 run from a Miller jumper to cut the lead to ten 24-14.

The Vikings then went on an 8-2 run to close out the half as they would take a 32-16 lead into the break.

After trading a couple of threes in the first part of the third quarter, the Bobcats cut the lead to ten from a bucket by Miller and a three-point shot from Maddy Duncan (Hamburg, Iowa) 35-25 with six minutes to play.

The Bobcats held the Vikings to four points for the rest of the quarter. The Bobcats trimmed the lead all the way down to four heading into the final quarter of play. In the third quarter the Bobcats held the Vikings to seven points.

The Vikings hit a quick three to start the fourth to extend their lead to seven. Then Hailey Ingram (Omaha) answered with a three of her own to cut the lead back down to four.

Ingram then stole the ball and took it down the court and scored again to make it a two-point game 42-40 with 8:31 to play. The Vikings extended their lead back out to eight in the middle of the fourth but the young 'Cats would not go away easily.

The Vikings tried to keep the Bobcats at arm's length in the latter stages of the final quarter as they would extend the lead to nine with just above three minutes to play. The Bobcats then scored the next four points to cut the lead to five.

Stewart came up huge as she recorded an offensive rebound and scored from a layup to keep the lead in reach with the Vikings leading 55-50 with 42 seconds to go. Jescenia Mosley (Shenandoah, Iowa) and Miller hit two huge buckets to cut the lead to three 57-54 with ten second to play.

The Vikings then missed two free throws as Ingram came up with a huge defensive rebound and threw it down the court to Duncan as she launched a three and it swished in to tie the game. Unfortunately, on the ensuing inbounds pass Duncan went for the steal and there was a foul called. The Vikings hit both free throws to go up two with two seconds to play.

Mosley had a chance for the win, but the shot did not fall, and the Vikings hung on for the 59-57 win.

Here's what head coach Ian Holleran had to say about the effort of his team.

"The effort and fight we gave in the second half was the best we have had all season," said Holleran. "We did a lot of soul searching at halftime and I couldn't be more proud of how our ladies responded." 

Holleran continued

"Super excited to get back to it Wednesday for our last home game of the season."

The Bobcats shot 18-of-61 from the field good for 29.5%, the Vikings shot 20-of-59 from the field good for 33.9%. Neither team shot well from the three-point line as Peru State was 4-of-20 shooting 20% from beyond the arc, Missouri Valley shot 8-of-33 good for 24.2% from deep. Both teams went to the charity stripe often as the Bobcats were 17-of-24 shooting 70.8%, the Vikings shot 11-of-18 from the stripe good for 61.1%. The Vikings had 24 points off 18 Bobcat turnovers.

Miller had one of her best games as a Bobcat as she recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 boards. Three other Bobcats were in double-figures as Stewart finished with 14 points, Duncan finished with 11 and Mosley nearly had a double-double with 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Bobcats are at home Wednesday, February 16 for the final time as they host Culver-Stockton tip is set for 5:30 p.m.