3-Peat; Wildcats Beat Missouri Valley in Conference Tournament
Canton, Mo — The Culver-Stockton Wildcats advanced in the Heart Conference tournament with a close victory over the Missouri Valley Vikings, 69-64. Marking the third victory over the Missouri Valley Vikings this season for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats would battle down at the start of the first quarter. But after a time out from Burgin, the Wildcats would take a lead they would hold until the third quarter. The Wildcats ended the first up 20-12 over the Vikings. The second quarter would see the Wildcats put up 21 points, entering the locker room up 41-31.
Coming out of the half. The Vikings would find more offense, scoring 24 points. While the Wildcats would score a game low 12 points. The Vikings took over with just under four minutes, with a Maddison Mills three-pointer to make it 49-46. Late in the quarter, senior Avery Oetting would hit a late three-pointer to tie the game at 53-53. But Missouri Valley’s Jessica Reeter would score a late layup to take the lead back up 55-53.
Avery Oetting would open the fourth with a layup to tie the game back up. A Vikings turnover would result in a Nevaiah Bell-Tenner layup to give the Wildcats the lead. The Vikings would tie it up again. But Haley Webb would give the wildcat the lead again at the free-throw line. And a lead the wildcats would not surrender. The Vikings would commit a game-high 7 turnovers in the fourth. As they could not find their way back in. The Wildcats would hold the Vikings to a game-low 9 points. The Wildcats would score 16 to win the game and advance in the tournament.
The Wildcats take on the #1-seeded MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers on February 28th, in Olathe, Kansas. The winner of that game will move on to the conference championship game for a chance to win an automatic bid into the NAIA national tournament.
KEY STATS
Culver-Stockton 21-8: 20, 21, 12, 16
Avery Oetting – 17 PTS
Avery Oetting, Alyssa O’Conner – 4 REB
Misora Nambara – 5 AST
Missouri Valley 16-12 : 12, 19, 24, 9
Jessica Reeter – 23 PTS
2 Players – 6 REB
2 Players – 4 AST
