Wildcats Begin Conference Play With 73-56 Loss to Missouri Valley

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Kicking off Heart of America Conference play, the Baker women's basketball team dropped their matchup with Missouri Valley, 73-56.

Destiny Kiner led the Wildcats with 15 points, while Rihanna Blanchard and Sophia Barrett added 12 and 10 points respectively. On the glass, the Wildcats were led by Barrett who tallied five boards.

Early in the first quarter, a layup from Blanchard gave the Wildcats a slim lead, but the Vikings would go on a brief run and hold a 16-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Kiner was able to cut the lead to three points just under two minutes into the second quarter, and later the Wildcats cut the lead to just two. After another run from the Vikings, Sophia Barrett scored with six seconds remaining to cut the lead to six, but the Vikings went coast to coast and scored at the buzzer to take a 34-26 lead into halftime.

Throughout the third quarter, the Vikings stretched their lead to double digits but Baker brought it back to nine points heading into the fourth and final quarter. The Wildcats struggled in the fourth quarter to get anything going and eventually lost to the Vikings, 73-56.

Baker is now 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in Heart of America play. They will now travel to Dubuque, Iowa, to take on Clarke at 12 p.m., on Saturday, November 16.

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