Culver-Stockton women dodge two game-tying 3-pointers to snap six-game road losing streak

MARSHALL, Mo. — The Culver-Stockton College women’s basketball team survived two game-tying 3-point attempts in the final 10 seconds to escape with a 60-55 victory over Missouri Valley College Wednesday night in a Heart of America Athletic Conference game.

The Wildcats held a 58-55 lead with 15 seconds remaining in regulation and had the ball under in their end of the floor.

The Vikings forced a turnover, and MVC’s Giovanna Moore ran down the loose ball and attempted the first 3-pointer with six seconds left. It missed and the Vikings grabbed the rebound and found Blanca Alcalde for a second 3-point attempt that also missed. C-SC’s Addison Newbon grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Newbon made both free throws with two seconds remaining to seal the victory.

The victory improves the Wildcats to 9-14 overall and 8-11 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. C-SC also swept the season series from the Vikings, having defeated them 65-61 on Jan. 10 in Canton.

The victory snapped a six-game road losing streak. The last win on the road by the Wildcats came at William Penn on Nov. 29. The victory was only the second the road this season for the Wildcats. C-SC is 2-9 away from Charles Field House.

The Wildcats trailed 16-14 after one quarter but held the Vikings to just three field goals in the second quarter and outscored MVC 17-7 to take a 31-23 lead to the halftime break. C-SC extended the lead to 47-36 entering the fourth quarter after a 16-13 advantage in the third period. However, the Vikings netted the first 12 points of the fourth quarter to take a 48-47 lead.

C-SC’s Katie Webb ended the drought and gave the lead back to C-SC and started a 7-0 Wildcat run that increased the lead to 54-48.

MVC answered with a 7-0 run of its own to take a 55-54 lead with 3:33 to play, but the Wildcat tied the game on a free throw by Aaliyah Ortiz on the ensuing possession.

The two teams combined to commit three turnovers and a missed shot attempt before a turnover by MVC led to a conventional 3-point play by C-SC’s Delaney Straus, giving the Wildcats the 58-55 lead with 96 seconds to play and setting up the frantic final moments.

Ortiz and Newbon led the Wildcats with 13 points each. Newbon and Nevaiah Bell-Tenner grabbed eight rebounds each to lead C-SC, while Ortiz had a team-high four assists. Ortiz and Avery Oetting each had five steals in the game.

The Wildcats are scheduled to play at nationally-ranked Grand View University this Saturday, Feb. 10, in Des Moines, Iowa. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.