(Parkville, Mo.)- Peru State edged Park 57-55 on Wednesday night, with Quentin Wright knocking down a free throw in the final seconds to lift the Bobcats to a tight NAIA road win.

The Bobcats outscored Park 33-32 after halftime to finish off a balanced effort that featured timely scoring and strong work on the glass. Peru State closed the night shooting 34.5% from the field and 68.4% at the line, but compensated by outrebounding Park 39-30, including a 16-7 edge on the offensive boards that created key second-chance opportunities down the stretch.

Ashton Lovette paced Peru State with 18 points, seven rebounds and two assists, hitting two 3-pointers and providing a spark in both halves. Victor Lado added 16 points and seven rebounds, giving the Bobcats a consistent interior presence. Christian Tidiane added a momentum-changing transition dunk late, while Wright's trip to the line with three seconds remaining provided the decisive point in a game that featured multiple lead changes in the second half.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle. Park opened with a 3-pointer to give Park a 26-24 advantage, but the Bobcats responded behind their leaders. Lovette converted a layup-and-foul sequence to move Peru State ahead 33-30 with 14:51 remaining, and after another Park surge, Tidiane connected from beyond the arc to push the Bobcats in front 38-36. Peru State continued to answer Park's runs, with Lovette knocking down another 3-pointer to trim the Pirates' lead to 44-43 and keep the visitors within striking distance.

Down the stretch, defense and rebounding carried the Bobcats. Peru State limited Park to 38.8% shooting from the floor and 31.3% from 3-point range, while Park finished just 12-for-20 at the line. On the other end, Tidiane's transition dunk with 1:33 to play stretched the Bobcats' lead to 52-49, and Peru State made just enough free throws in the closing seconds, capped by Wright's make with three seconds left for the final 57-55 margin.