Van Weelden Eclipses 1,000 Career Points, Wildcats Fall on the Road to Yellowjackets

LAMONI, Iowa – Baker senior guard Leah Van Weelden scored a season-high 25 points and set a personal milestone, eclipsing 1,000 career points as the Wildcats had their halftime lead slip away in a 66-60 loss on the road at Graceland on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats used seven first-half 3-pointers to carry a 31-28 lead into the second half of the conference matchup before the Yellowjackets fought their way back to spoil BU's first road trip of 2024 and escape with a six-point victory.

Van Weelden went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals to her career night. Sophia Barrett and Jaelyn Two Hearts both hit a couple of threes with Barrett finishing with 13 points and five rebounds while Two Hearts added 12 points.

It was Barrett who kicked things off in the right direction for BU to start the game as she swished a triple to open the scoring and knocked down a jumper for five quick points. Van Weelden gave the Wildcats the lead later in the period and earned a steal on the following possession which led to an open three by Alyssa Morris. Two Hearts made it back-to-back treys for the Wildcats as they closed out the first quarter with a 17-13 lead.

Two Hearts splashed in another three to make it a seven-point advantage for BU to begin the second quarter. Van Weelden's 3-pointer a few minutes later snapped a string of six straight points from the Yellowjackets, while Morris linked another set of back-to-back threes with her second triple off the bench giving Baker a 26-19 lead.

With the second period coming to a close, Barrett drained one last three of the half for BU with 90 seconds left as the Wildcats took a three-point lead into the halftime break.

After a Two Hearts bucket opened up the second half, the Yellowjackets mounted their comeback early on in the third quarter with a 9-4 spurt that saw them retake the lead on four straight free throws and go into the final period with a 43-40 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, Barrett and Van Weelden notched consecutive layups before the Yellowjackets' Bryanna Griffiths delivered a pair of back-breaking 3-pointers off the bench to give the hosts a 54-47 lead with just over six minutes remaining.

Van Weelden converted a three-point play to bring the 'Cats within two and added another pair of free throws to make it a 60-58 ballgame with 1:04 left in the game. The two sides traded points on three straight possessions before a missed shot from Baker dashed its hopes of back-to-back wins as Graceland came away with a 66-60 win.

With 1,008 points in her five seasons at BU, Van Weelden, a senior from Marion, Iowa, becomes the first Baker women's player to reach 1,000 career points since 2021 when Abby Bird finished her career with 1,097 points. Van Weelden was an honorable mention all-conference selection last season where she finished two points shy of a 300-point season.

The Wildcats continue with their early 2024 conference road trip with a game at Missouri Valley on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in Marshall, Mo.

#BakerBuildsChampions