(Mesa, AZ) In the first of four must win games, the Park University Gilbert women’s basketball team overcame a 17-point fist quarter deficit to beat Embry Riddle Aeronautical University 69-65 this evening at Bell Bank Park.
The Buccaneers move to 11-12 overall and 9-8 in the Cal Pac Conference. They currently sit in seventh place, one spot out of the conference tournament. They are tied with Benedictine Mesa, but the Redhawks own the tiebreaker due to winning the season series with Bucs. Embry Riddle falls to 11-6 in the conference and dropped to fourth place in the overall standings.
The Buccaneers had a few things to overcome as coming into this game as forward Madison Chappell is lost for the season after hurting her shoulder against Benedictine Mesa on Wednesday. They also had to get back on the right track mentally after losing to BENU. Things did not look good early as Embry Riddle jumped out to a 9-0 before Park was able to get on the scoreboard. Then another 10-0 run put the Eagles up by 17 (19-2) and it looked as though the Bucs might not have enough left in the tank to win.
But then, the Bucs slowly but surely crept their way back into the game. They went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter to cut the deficit to 10. Then won the second quarter by a point 15-14 to go into halftime down nine.
In the third quarter, the Bucs turned up the defensive intensity, essentially reversing the first quarter score outscoring the Eagles 19-10 in the third period to even the game. The Bucs actually took the lead momentarily in the quarter before ERAU answered to retake the advantage. The Bucs then battled back to tie the contest heading into the final frame.
In the fourth Jayla Reliford put this team on her 5-foot 2 frame and carried them to a win. Park initially looked as though they were going to run away with the game at the start of the fourth, going on a 14-1 run to take a 57-44 lead with 5:12 to go. But the Eagles would not go quietly into that sweet night. A couple of errant passes and a 13-5 run by the Eagles cut the lead to five with 39 seconds to go.
The last 39 seconds of the game were a whirlwind of fouls, free throws, three-point plays and offensive/defensive switches.
ERAU was able to cut the lead to one on an Aryana Gonzales three-point shot where she was also fouled by Macy Markus. She had a chance to tie the game and missed the free throw. On the missed free throw, Reliford pulled down her 10th rebound which tied her career high and gave Reliford her fourth double-double of the season and the first with rebounds not assists being the second half of the double-double. Reliford made the front half of her two free throws, but missed the second one and then the Buccaneers got a break. Two Eagle players went after the rebound and knocked it off of each other out of bounds to give the ball back to Park. Kayla Schroeder and Kiana Turenne made both of their free throws on the next two possessions sandwiching a missed ERAU shot to give the Bucs as six-point lead. The Eagles made a meaningless layup as time expired to make the final deficit four points.
Reliford led the Bucs with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. She also added five assists. Kayla Schroeder had 15 points. In the absence of Chappell and having a shortened bench with only one player, Allison DeBerry seeing action off the bench, all five Buccaneer starters scored in double digits. Jazmyne Jenkins almost added another double-double to her resume with 10 points and nine rebounds. Kiana Turenne struggled from the floor only making two shots but was money at the charity stripe sinking six of eight attempts.
The Bucs won tonight for only the second time all season when they shot below 40 percent from the floor. Park Gilbert earned its stripes on the defensive end, forcing 22 ERAU turnovers and converting them into 28 points. The Bucs also won the offensive rebounding battle 12-11. ERAU has been one of the most successful teams in the conference on the boards and the Bucs did an excellent job going toe-to-toe with them.
Park Gilbert now turns its attention to Westcliff who they will face twice in five days. The first will be on Monday, February 13 at 12 p.m. as the Bucs and Warriors conclude their postponed game from January when there was a power outage in Mesa which effected Bell Bank Park. The game will resume from where it left off as the Buccaneers lead 8-4 midway through the first quarter.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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