Wildcats’ Fourth Quarter Rally Falls Short in First Game of 2024

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Holding the Pioneers to just seven points in the final quarter, Baker women's basketball had its late rally come up short as the Wildcats fell to conference rival MidAmerica Nazarene, 67-63 on Wednesday in the Collins Center.

After trailing by as much as 17 points, the Wildcats clawed their way back to tie things up in the closing minutes of the game, but an MNU bucket with 11 seconds left spoiled BU's comeback bid in its first game of the new year.

Jaelyn Two Hearts led a balanced scoring effort from the Wildcats as she totaled 18 points and added eight rebounds. Four other BU players reached double figures as well with Sophia Barrett and Emma Cunningham tallying 11 points apiece and Leah Van Weelden and newcomer Alyssa Morris each chipping in 10 points.

The game opened up with a back-and-forth first quarter that saw Baker boast a 17-14 lead at the end of it with Two Hearts getting off to a hot start with seven points in the frame. The senior guard converted a three-point play to give BU a 10-8 lead before Morris connected on her first triple as a Wildcat to keep it at a two-point advantage.

With Baker holding onto a narrow lead, MNU responded with a 24-point second quarter to swing the momentum in its favor and take a four-point lead into the break. The Pioneers had their senior guard Bi'Anna Pettis score nine points in the period with her only triple of the game giving MNU a 31-27 lead midway through the quarter.

Two Hearts made it a one-possession game after draining a three of her own with just over a minute left as the halftime score settled to a 38-34 advantage for MNU.

The Pioneers started to pad their cushion in the third, tacking on their second straight quarter with at least 22 points, while Baker had some tough-sledding in the scoring department on its end with only three field goals in the period. MNU used a string of eight unanswered points to go up, 57-40 and take its biggest lead of the contest with 2:53 remaining in the quarter.

Morris, a mid-year transfer from Bethel (Tenn.), knocked down a couple of free throws to kick off Baker's fourth quarter rally as the Wildcats rattled off a 10-0 run to get within four points and held the Pioneers scoreless until the 3:50 mark of the final period.

Cunningham's bucket capped the scoring stretch for Baker that made it 60-56 in favor of MNU while Barrett swished three free throws to make it a two-point ballgame before Two Hearts tied the game on a tough baseline shot to bring things to a 63-63 deadlock with under two minutes left to play.

With each side looking to deliver the decisive blow down the stretch, it was a second-chance opportunity that led to the Pioneers' game-winner with 11 seconds left. The Wildcats couldn't conjure up one last bit of magic on the ensuing possession and would suffer their first setback of 2024.

Following Wednesday's result, the Wildcats have now lost by four or fewer points in three of their last four games against Heart of America teams.

Baker continues with its new year homestand with a matchup against Culver-Stockton set for Saturday, Jan. 6 at 12 p.m. in the Collins Center.

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