After disastrous start, Culver-Stockton women hang on to slim hopes for conference tournament

CANTON, Mo. — For nearly 12 minutes, the Culver-Stockton College women’s basketball team had its worst offensive stretch of the season. 

The Wildcats made just one of their first 19 shots and trailed 12-2 before Aaliyah Ortiz’s three-point play at the 8:12 mark of the second quarter stopped the drought.

From that point, the Wildcats dominated.

Culver-Stockton scored 20 points in the second quarter and 30 points in the third quarter on its way to a 65-51 victory over Mount Mercy (Iowa) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference victory on Wednesday night at Charles Field House.

The Wildcats (13-12) hang on to slim hopes of earning a bid to the conference tournament. With a 7-9 record in Heart play, they are two games behind Benedictine (9-7), which has the eighth-best record in the Heart with three games to play. The top eight teams advance to the conference tournament.

C-SC led 22-20 at halftime, then outscored Mount Mercy 30-14 in the third quarter. The Wildcats, who forced the Mustangs into 20 turnovers and 33 percent shooting, led by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Freshman Katie Webb came off the bench to lead Culver-Stockton with 12 points. The Ortiz sisters, Kiana and Aaliyah, both had 11 points. Laken Hugenberg chipped in with 10 points and a career-high six steals. The C-SC bench outscored Mount Mercy 49-13.