(Mesa, AZ) The Park University Gilbert women’s basketball team (4-0) defeated the Bushnell University Beacons (0-2) by a score of 72-68, Thursday night at Arizona Athletic Grounds.
The Buccaneers have started the season on a hot 4-0 start, which has never been done in the program’s eight-year history. The win was far from pretty, as the Bucs shot 26% from the field and 17% from beyond the arc. Park-Gilbert leaned on a stellar offensive performance from transfer forward Cassie Coolidge, who logged a career-high 25 points against Bushnell.
After Park jumped out to an early 10-2 lead, but that turned out to be the largest lead of the game as Bushnell kept things close for majority of the contest. A three-pointer by guard Hannah Mask late in the second quarter set the Bucs up with a four-point lead heading into the halftime break.
Coolidge started to heat up in the second half, as she knocked down a three to give the Bucs a seven-point lead with seven minutes left in the third quarter. Bushnell then went on a 10-2 run to take its first lead of the night with four minutes left in the third.
The Bucs entered the fourth quarter down two points, and rallied to win the contest by forcing six turnovers in the frame which created the scoring opportunities needed to pull away. Park got a huge swing in momentum from Mask and Eriana Begay off the bench as both hit clutch three-pointers to give the Bucs a seven-point lead with just under five minutes remaining. Jelissa Julmist put the Bucs up four with 30 seconds left with a nice move in the post before Coolidge put the game away with four made free-throws.
Cassie’s 25 points Thursday night was the highest total from a Buccaneer player this season, as she knocked down four of nine triples, went 11-11 from the free throw line, and added five rebounds. Sophomore guard Ellie Robertson had a solid game on both ends of the floor logging eight points, five rebounds, two steals, and one block. The Park-Gilbert bench combined for 25 points, led by Hannah Mask who had five of her eight points in the fourth quarter.
The Buccaneers return to the court this Saturday, Oct. 31 at 3 p.m. MST, when they travel to Lewiston, Idaho to compete in the Lewis-Clark State Classic this weekend. They will face a LC State squad that received votes in the NAIA Top-25 preseason poll, before facing off against Southern Oregon on Sunday afternoon.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Garrett Campbell
