Wildcats Fall to No. 8 Clarke, 72-59

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Baker women's basketball battled No. 8 Clarke to a one-possession game in the first half before a second-half surge from the Pride spoiled the upset bid as the Wildcats fell, 72-59 on Tuesday afternoon.

Leah Van Weelden paced the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points while Sophia Barrett, Emma Cunningham and Ainsley Tolson had 11 points apiece. Cunningham corralled a team-high nine rebounds and Tolson recorded six boards and five assists.

The showdown between the Heart of America Conference teams opened with some back-and-forth basketball as two early Clarke triples were matched by Baker on two separate old-fashioned three-point plays. First, Tolson went coast-to-coast to tally her three points before Van Weelden scored a tough basket and converted her ensuing free throw to cut the Pride lead to 9-8.

After Sophia Barrett gave the Wildcats their first lead, CU reclaimed its advantage and pushed it to a four-point game on its third three of the opening quarter. Cunningham's jumper at the 2:27 mark would be the last basket of the period for Baker as the Pride took a 17-12 lead into the first quarter break.

In the second quarter, Van Weelden hit her stride as she scored the first six points of the period for Baker before Marta Konczalska handled the other side of the 12-point BU quarter with six points of her own to close out the half. On the defensive end, the Wildcats held Clarke to just nine points in the period.

Konczalska nailed a three to make it 23-21 in favor of CU with just under four minutes left in the half and brought the Wildcats within one a couple possessions later. After a second-chance make from Clarke, a Konczalska free throw closed out the first-half scoring with the home team leading 26-24.

Out of the intermission, the Pride kickstarted their game-turning third quarter with five straight points before Macey Frost was fouled on a shot from behind-the-arc and knocked down all three of her free throws. From there, Clarke started to cushion itself from the plucky Baker squad and went on a 20-8 run to end the period.

The Wildcats offense got back on track in the final frame, matching their first half total with 24 points in the fourth quarter. Clarke countered with timely buckets to halt any late-game rally and keep BU at arm's length for its 72-59 victory.

Barrett scored nine of her 11 points in the fourth quarter, joining Tolson and Van Weelden with a three-pointer in the period.

Baker falls to 5-7 on the year and 1-6 in conference play. The Wildcats make a return trip to Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 7 to take on Mount Mercy at 12 p.m.

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