(Peru, Neb.)- The Peru State Women's Basketball team beat the William Penn Statesman in the last minutes of the game on Saturday, January 6^th , 59-57.
 
The Bobcats had a slow start in the first half as they went back and forth with the Statesman in the first quarter. The Statesman were able to take a lead at the end of the first 20-13. The Bobcats fought to close the gap throughout the second quarter with some big shots from Samantha Stewart and Hailey Ingram. A final jumper and free throw from Hailey Ingram evened out the score at 26-26 going into halftime.
 
In the second half, the Bobcats tried to keep the game close, but the Statesman were able to take an eight-point lead. The Bobcats were down going into the final quarter 34-42. In the fourth quarter, the Bobcats became unstoppable, but the Stateman were able to hold on to a lead throughout most of the quarter. The Bobcats weren't going to give up the game though, Hailey Ingram had 10 points in the final quarter. A and one layup for Kaylan Larry and a jump shot by Hailey Ingram made it a one-point game with just over a minute on the clock. A swish from behind the arch by Hailey Ingram sealed the deal to put the Bobcats up by two. The team was then able to hold off the statesman from making a final shot in the game and won with a score of 59-57.
 
Samantha Stewart led the team in scoring with 18 points, also having five steals and four rebounds. Hailey Ingram had 14 points with four rebounds and Kylan Larry had eight points. Maddy Duncan had eight rebounds against the Statesman and added five points.
 
Next: The Bobcats will travel to Dubuque, Iowa, to take on the Clarke Pride next Saturday, January 13^th. Tipoff is set for 2:00 PM.