Wildcats Drop Conference Road Matchup at Missouri Valley, 70-60

MARSHALL, Mo. - After earning a win in two of its first three road games, Baker women's basketball dropped its conference matchup at Missouri Valley on Saturday, falling to the Vikings 70-60 in Marshall, Mo.

The Wildcats led by one at halftime, but the Vikings delivered a big second half and fended off a couple of fourth-quarter rallies from BU to earn the Heart win.

Both teams struggled offensively with neither side shooting over 40 percent from the floor and a combined 9-for-50 showing from the three-point line. BU saw a slight dip in its trips to the line, going 12-for-16, while MVC went 15-for-19.

Gabby Rose led a trio of Wildcats who hit double-digit scoring with 15 points and Skye Pepp turned in a double-double performance with 13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Taniya Tease poured in 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

It took a couple of minutes for the first basket to drop, but a jumper from Mari Tease followed by a Pepp three gave Baker a 9-3 lead early in the contest. The Vikings cut it to a three-point game down the stretch as the Wildcats held on to a 13-10 lead after the opening 10 minutes.

Rose, Taniya Tease and Rihanna Blanchard all chipped in points to reel off another great start in the second quarter for BU. Rose converted back-to-back old-fashioned three-point plays with her second one making it a double-digit lead at 23-12 just over two minutes into the frame.

Taniya Tease and Kennedy Bryan marked the only two buckets for the Wildcats in the final five minutes of the half as the Vikings started to make a push and closed on a 13-2 run to trim Baker's lead to 28-27 at the break.

Missouri Valley took its first lead since the opening bucket quickly in the second half before a three from Bryan and a pair of free throws from Rose swung the favor back to the Wildcats' side. Pepp and Mariah Dightman kept it at a four-point lead for BU until the Vikings hit another strong stretch to end the third, scoring 10 unanswered to lead 48-43 going into the final period.

A three-point play by Corrine Cole, followed by another trey from Pepp, brought the Wildcats within three with six minutes left to play. But, the Vikings came through with one of their toughest stretches, going on an 8-2 run to stretch their lead back out to double digits before finishing off their home win, 70-60.

Baker closes out the three-game road swing with a matchup at No. 12 MidAmerica Nazarene on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in Olathe, Kan.

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