Pride grind out season-opening 51-40 win at Missouri Baptist

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Playing their first game as an unranked team since 2020, the Clarke University women's basketball team earned their first win of the 2024-25 season as they pulled away from Missouri Baptist University late to win 51-40 on Thursday night.

Entering the season unranked, snapping the third-longest streak in the NAIA of 35-straight appearances in the rankings, the somewhat new-look Pride absolutely dominated the fourth quarter to the tune of a 20-3 period outscoring MBU to take the 37-31 deficit heading into the quarter to the eventual 51-40 final score.

Defensively, CU held the Spartans to just 1-for-14 (7.1%) from the field and 0-for-8 from three point range while forcing five turnovers and going to the free throw line 16 times in the final 10 minutes but only making nine of those free throws while going 5-for-12 (41.7%) from the field and 1-for-3 (33.3%) from deep.

Thursday was the debut of four new members of the Clarke lineup that included transfer junior Hailey Walters, transfer sophomores, Sydni Morris and Zoe Kennedy, and freshman Camdyn Kay while returning players in senior Audree Peck and sophomore Josie Potts saw increased roles from the 2023-24 season, and senior Maci Kuchta playing a full 40 minutes as the lone returning starter.

Morris and Kennedy led the charge for the Pride offense as Morris secured a double-double with 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds while Kennedy led all scorers with 16 points after going scoreless in the first quarter and producing 12 of the team's 33 second half points while adding seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Potts was the third and last member of CU's lineup to score in double figures, providing 11 points off the bench in 27 mintues as the only other member of the Pride outside of Kennedy to hit a three-point shot, going 3-for-4 (75%) from deep.

Missouri Baptist only had one double figure scorer and that came in the form of Kayleigh Winch's 14 points off the bench on 6-of-12 (50%) shooting as Marija Runic had eight points and seven rebounds then Mariana Cubero added six points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Spartans.

Clarke women's basketball will play their next game on the road as well when they travel to Forest City, Iowa on Wednesday, Nov. 6 for another non-conference matchup against Waldorf University for a scheduled 6:00 p.m. CT.