Wildcats Fall in Heartbreaker at Home to Eagles, 50-47

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – After playing four of its last five games on the road, a last-second Eagles three gave Baker women's basketball a heartbreaking ending to its Collins Center return as the Wildcats fell to Central Methodist, 50-47 on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats outscored CMU in the first half to take a 29-22 lead at halftime and maintained the advantage for much of the second half until a three by the Eagles' Zutorya Cook spoiled the midweek conference battle for BU.

Emma Cunningham put forth a dominant effort inside for the Wildcats, recording her sixth double-double of the season after scoring 19 points and pulling down 13 rebounds with nine of them coming on the offensive glass. Jaelyn Two Hearts finished with eight points and nine rebounds.

It was a tough shooting night for both sides with Baker's 15-point first quarter serving as the highest-scoring period for either team. Two Hearts sank a three to get things going for BU in the first and a breakaway layup by Matalina Ochoa put the Wildcats up by three just a few minutes into the game.

Baker closed out the first quarter by draining six straight free throws, including a couple of trips by Cunningham who gave the Wildcats a 15-12 lead at the end of the frame.

Out of the quarter break, Alyssa Morris splashed in the first of her two triples in the game to put Baker up by six and back-to-back buckets by Cunningham kept it at a six-point advantage with over four minutes left in the first half.

After another Morris three gave the Wildcats a nine-point lead, the Eagles would get a layup in the final minute as the halftime score settled at 29-22 in favor of BU.

In the second half, the Eagles converted a couple of early baskets before Cunningham continued her tear in the paint with another set of layups. With a tough driving layup from Kayla Harrison putting BU up by five, CMU took its first lead since the opening quarter in the final minute of the third, but Two Hearts scored five unanswered points, including a three to put the Wildcats on top, 40-36 heading into the fourth quarter.

A three by CMU cut it to a one-point ballgame and they would retake the lead with just over five minutes remaining. With the scoreboard going back-and-forth, an Ochoa layup put Baker in front, 46-45 with 3:55 as the game went scoreless until the final minute of action.

Following a missed shot, CMU was able to get a steal on the ensuing rebound to go up by one. Then, Cunningham earned a trip to the free throw line after collecting her ninth offensive rebound of the night and the senior from Andover, Kan. tied things up at 47-47 with just over :30 seconds remaining.

With a swarm of Wildcats around her, Cook was able to get her deep three to fall with just five seconds left and hand CMU the game-winner as a last-second prayer by BU fell short.

Continuing their three-game homestand, the Wildcats will host Clarke on Saturday, Feb. 3 with tipoff set for 12 p.m. inside the Collins Center. It will be Senior Day for BU where both men's and women's seniors will be honored between games on Saturday.

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