(Glendale, AZ) This one is going to sting. The Park University Gilbert women’s basketball team lost to Olivet Nazarene University 75-70 at the ACU Events Center. The Bucs had to play this game away from home due to other events taking place at Legacy Sports Park.
The Buccaneers posted better numbers in almost every statistical category, but ended up on the losing end of the final score mainly because they committed 27 turnovers, a number which at any level will get you beat. The Tigers converted those 27 turnovers into 37 points, 23 more than the 14 the Bucs had off of 17 ONU turnovers.
Park jumped on top early, winning the first quarter 20-16. But as would be the case all night, every time Park seemed to get the upper hand, Olivet Nazarene would have an answer and that answer usually came in the form of a press that the Bucs could not figure out.
ONU won the second quarter 16-12 and the two teams went into halftime knotted at 32 apiece.
One thing Olivet Nazarene established offensively is it was not afraid to shoot and shoot often from three point range. The Tigers had more three-point attempts in the first quarter than the Buccaneers had shots total from the floor. The Tigers would hoist 51 three-point shots, the most by an opponent in a regulation game. La Verne put up 52 three-pointers in a double overtime game against the Bucs in 2019.
The second half started with the Bucs going on a 16-5 run building up the lead to 11 points before ONU would answer with its own 14-3 run to tie the game at 51. The two teams would exchange baskets at the end of the quarter, a Jazmyne Jenkins layup followed by an ONU three and the Tigers would hold a one-point lead heading in to the fourth.
The Bucs would again seemingly take control with two different five point leads in the fourth before the Tigers would come back and tie the game at 63 and again at 66. Park would take a one-point lead with 1:38 remaining, but it would be the last lead they would own. ONU would go on a 6-0 run to take its own five-point lead, before Kayla Schroeder would hit a three to cut the lead to two with 23 seconds to go. ONU would make its free throws down the stretch to extend the final deficit to five points.
Offensively, Park made more field goals (28-25), shot a better percentage (44-33 percent) from the floor and from three (43-26 percent). But ONU made 13 threes to only six for the Bucs. The Bucs cleaned up their free throw shooting going 8-11 (72 percent). The Bucs dominated the boards grabbing 52 boards to only 38 for the Tigers.
Individually, Schroeder was held short of her season average as she scored 16 points as she becomes the focal point of opponent defenses. But with defenses paying her more attention, she showed she is more than just a scorer as she got her teammates involved, setting a career high with eight assists to lead the team. She also tied for the team lead with eight rebounds as she came up just short of a triple double. She also led the team with six steals.
Madison Chappell had her best night of the season with 12 points and eight rebounds and six assists.
The Bucs now head into the holiday break and will return to action on Saturday, December 30 when they return to the ACU Events Center as the visiting team to face Arizona Christian at 4 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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