Pride complete comeback to earn narrow victory over Culver-Stockton

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Getting their first game action in 10 days, the Clarke University women's basketball team was able to come from down as much as 11 points to earn a 79-75 win over Culver-Stockton College on Tuesday night in the Kehl Center.

The Pride showed some of that 10-day layoff rust in the first half with a first quarter shooting performance of 4-for-14 (28.6%) followed by an improvement in the second quarter to 7-for-11 (63.6%) but got a little loose with the basketball, turning it over nine times to just one for the Wildcats to end the half down 34-28 after trailing 21-10 early in the second quarter following a 17-10 first quarter.

Despite cutting the Culver-Stockton lead to as narrow as a single point at 39-38 in less than three minutes into the third quarter, the Wildcats would jump back up by as much as seven before Clarke would take their first lead of the game at 50-49 before CSC would hit a buzzer-beating three pointer to close the period to make it 52-50 heading into the fourth.

Back-to-back buckets from Zoe Kennedy early in the fourth would tie the game at 55-55 before a Hailey Walters three pointer gave CU a lead that they would only relinquish for about a 20-second span later in the period as a pair of Josie Potts three pointers for the Pride would come up big to give Clarke leads in back-to-back possessions.

Sydni Morris would help put the game on ice with two-straight makes from the field, the second of which was a banked in 18-footer that gave Clarke a two-possession lead with less than a minute remaining before the Pride would hit enough free throws late to hold on to their four-point win.

Kennedy was the game's leading scorer as she finished with 24 points on 11-of-14 (78.6%) shooting from the field as she only missed one two-point shot all game while adding eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal. 

Morris, Walters, Potts, and Maci Kuchta all added double figures for the Pride with Morris providing 14 points and nine rebounds, Walters scoring 12 with four three pointers, Potts scoring 11 with five assists, and Kuchta an assist away from a double-double at 10 points and nine assists.

Culver-Stockton had four players in double figures led by Misora Nambara's 21 points while Avery Oetting added 14 then both Elly Bentley and Elizabeth Reed both produced 10 points for the Wildcats.

Clarke women's basketball will remain at home for the next two weeks as they'll first host Central Methodist University on Saturday, Dec. 7 for a 12:00 p.m. CT tip between the Pride and Eagles in the Kehl Cetner.