Pride get back on track with 64-61 road win at Park
PARKVILLE, Mo. - In their first action of 2025, the Clarke University women's basketball team survived a Park University comeback on their way to a 64-61 win on the road on Thursday afternoon.
For the first time in seven games, the Pride were able to get off to a solid start and own a lead after the first quarter at 20-14 following the opening 10 minutes of play behind 8-of-11 (72.7%) shooting from the field.
Maci Kuchta came out of the break with one of her best offensive games of the season scoring or assisting on five of the eight baskets from the field in the first quarter to finish with 20 points on 7-of-11 (63.6%) shooting from the field while adding four rebounds, two assists, and two steals on the game.
Clarke would hold a slim second quarter advanatage to head into the halftime break up eight points at 32-24 before a 19-12 third quarter cut the game to just a one-point CU lead heading into the fourth as the game would remain within a possession for a good portion of the final 10 minutes.
The turning point came at about the 4:30 mark when Hailey Walters knocked down a jump shot to break a 53-53 tie where the Pride would go on an 10-1 run over the next three minutes where that would be enough to hang on to what would have been a five-point win if not for a last second layup made by the Pirates.
Park's Emma Perry led the game with 21 points but took 17 shots to get there as the only player in double figures for PU in double figures while Kuchta's 20 was supported by 11 from Zoe Kennedy and 10 from Walters while Sydni Morris added nine, Audree Peck scored four, and both Camdyn Kay and Josie Potts put up five points off the bench.
With Clarke outshooting and outrebounding the Pirates, Park was able to hang in the game by scoring 22 points off of 20 CU turnovers and going to the free throw line 22 times and hitting 18 of those free throws compared to the Pride going just 7-for-10 (70%) from the charity stripe.
The new year brings a hectic schedule of five games in 10 days for Pride women's basketball that will continue on Saturday, Jan. 4 when they welcome Peru State College to the Kehl Center for another 12:00 p.m. CT schedule tip in Dubuque.