(Mesa, AZ) The Park University Gilbert women’s basketball team came into its season opening night game having never lost to SAGU-AIC, owning a 9-0 record against the Warriors. While this did not change tonight, the sheer domination in a 105-36 victory at Legacy Sports Park was impressive for a squad with high hopes and expectations in this 2023-24 season.
The Buccaneers played 16 players in tonight’s game and 15 of them scored points. Jayla Reliford posted the second triple-double in school history and also set a new career high and school record for assists.
The game started with the Bucs jumping out to a 31-3 lead after the first quarter and did not allow the Warriors a field goal until the 5:52 mark of the second quarter. Schroeder scored 10 of her team high 16 points in the opening period.
New head coach Ben York shuffled a lot of players in and out as he works to find the right combinations to play as the team moves forward. He played 12 different players in the first period.
The second quarter saw graduate guard and OG Buccaneer Jenny Todd lead the team with six second quarter points on two three-point baskets. Todd has been with the program since its inception year in 2019-20. Sophomore Kae Counce added five of her 11 points in the quarter. Again, York used 12 players in the quarter as the Bucs went to intermission with a 55-12 lead.
The third quarter saw Schroeder, along with transfers Bobbi Clark and Faith Watkins each score six points and Reliford chipped in with five as those four players scored 23 of the Bucs 26 points in the frame.
The fourth quarter saw freshman Kiley Bush score six points on 3-3 shooting from the floor and Todd add two more three-pointers to give her 12 points for the game.
Park Gilbert had five players in double digits in scoring as it shot 48 percent as a team from the floor and 39 percent from three-point range. Both Schroeder and Todd each made four trifectas and freshman Kinzey Hutchings add two more as the Bucs set a new school record 14 shots made from beyond the arc breaking the previous record of 13 last season against Pacific Union and in 2020 also against SAGU-AIC.
The 63 rebounds the Bucs had tonight was just one off the school record of 64 from the 2019-20 season against LaVerne.
Behind Reliford’s school record 12 assists, the Bucs also broke the school team record for assists with 32 dimes breaking the previous mark of 27.
Reliford, who led the nation for a while in assists per game last season before finishing third, is setting the tone for what could be a breakout season if she remains this focused and hungry. Her triple-double is the second one in school history, joining teammate Madison Chappell who had hers also against SAGU two seasons ago. Reliford was two steals away from a quadruple double. She was also a +51 in plus/minus and Reliford did all of this in just 23 minutes of action.
Any good coach will tell you; their team always has something to work on and if the Bucs want to get where they want to go, they will have to clean up turnovers (21), missed layups (9 of 25) and free throws (shot 59 percent).
Park Gilbert will get a good test in its next game as they travel to Pocatello, Idaho to take on Division I Idaho State on Wednesday, November 8. The game can be seen on ESPN+.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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