Fayette, Mo. - The Central Methodist Women's Basketball team welcomed the Park Pirates for a Thursday evening clash inside Puckett Field House.
Central fell to Park by a final score of 78-69. The Eagles now stand at 8-18 and 5-17 in conference play. Park now improves to 16-10 and 13-9 in the Heart of America.
The Pirate's offense was hot from the start, outscoring Central 27-18 in the opening quarter.
Park began the game on a 5-0 run before Mary Copeland knocked down Central's first points with a converted layup following a foul. She knocked down the and-one to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Park continued to cruise, though, taking a 21-7 lead with less than five minutes left in the first.
Central's offense was much sharper in the second, outscoring Park 19-11. At halftime break, the Eagles trailed by just one, 38-37.
CMU took the lead halfway through the third period off a pair of free throws from Tristan Porter. However, Park went on a 6-0 scoring run shortly after and never trailed again.
Central came as close as three points in the closing two-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter, but Park closed the game on an 8-2 scoring run to secure a nine-point victory.
Copeland had one of her best games of the season, securing a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The junior forward added three blocks and two steals to her stat line.
Nautica Washington recorded her fourth 20-point performance of the year, scoring 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor. She dished out a team-best five assists while securing three steals.
Kayhla Adams was the final Eagle to land in double figures, as the senior tallied 12 points with two three-point baskets.
The difference in the game came on the offensive glass, as Park secured 13 offensive rebounds compared to just six for the Eagles.
Overall, Central had a better shooting night, converting over 52 percent of their attempts from the floor compared to 44.4 percent for the Pirates.
Central will have almost an entire week off ahead of their home clash against Culver-Stockton on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 5:30 p.m. inside Puckett Field House.
#TakeFlight
