Wildcat’s Win on Senior Night; Look to Home Playoff Game
Canton, Mo. – The Culver-Stockton Wildcats hosted their final regular-season game against the Clarke University Pride on senior night.
The Pride looked to stay alive as their season hung in the balance of a win. The Wildcats looked to end that chance, build momentum heading into Wednesday’s home playoff game, and honor their seniors with a win.
The Wildcats started strongly, taking a 21-19 lead into the second quarter. However, the Pride stayed close, repeatedly cutting the lead. By halftime, the Wildcats had barely held off the Pride, heading into the break up 38-37.
The third quarter saw the Pride claim the lead with a Hailey Walters three-pointer. The Wildcats quickly responded, tying and then taking the lead with a Keyara Baerga-Plumey layup and free throw. However, the Pride would answer back and regain the lead. The third ended in chaos as Haley Webb drew a foul on an offensive rebound at the buzzer, immediately followed by a technical on the Pride. Webb hit both free throws, making it 57-56 Clarke. Avery Oetting then sank the technical foul shots, giving the Wildcats a 58-57 edge to start the fourth.
Early in the fourth, the Pride’s Walters hit a three-pointer to regain the lead for her team, which they would keep for much of the quarter. Still, the Wildcats rallied in the final two minutes. Trailing 70-66, Chloe Burnham drained a three-pointer to narrow the gap to 70-69. A timely defensive stop led to a Nevaiah Bell-Tenner jump shot, putting the Wildcats up 71-70. The Wildcats continued to come up with key stops and buckets to secure the 79-75 victory.
After the game, Burgin discussed what clicked for her team to win in the fourth quarter. “It’s well, it’s been clicking all year. I probably had to get on them again and again. Our defense let us down a couple of times late, but in the fourth, they just stuck together. I told them before the game that whoever sticks together the longest within these 40 minutes is gonna win this game. And I thought we did a great job of that in the last few minutes.”
Chloe Burnham came off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 19 points, as Burnham discussed what worked for her. “I just wanted to contribute to my team the best I could; I tried to stay open and keep moving for them.”
The Wildcats improve to 20-8 overall, 14-6. Marking the first 20-win season for the Lady Wildcats since the 2019-20 season. The Wildcats will now look to Wednesday, February 25, where they will host their first Heart Conference Tournament game since the 2018-19 season. Taking on the Missouri Valley Vikings for the third time this season. The game is slated for tip-off at 7.
Seniors Nevaiah Bell-Tenner and Avery Oetting discuss the upcoming playoff game. Bell-Tenner: “Something I’ve always found in conference is that it’s hard to be a team three times. And most likely the team that we’re gonna end up playing, we’ve already beaten them twice. So just having to be ready, not expect that we’re gonna go in and just get the win to go in there and actually go and get the win, not just, or not just get it handed to us.” Oetting: “I think, based on today, it’s covering shooters. We were leaving their best shooters wide open…And if we cover that up and get the rebounds after misses, I think we’ll be fine on Wednesday.”
