Pride bounce back in a big way with runaway victory over Peru State

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Coming off of their first loss of the season, the Clarke University women's basketball team earned a big 97-80 victory over Peru State College on Monday evening in the Kehl Center.

In a game that was rescheduled from Jan. 13 due to weather-created difficult travel conditions, the Pride came out blazing on the offensive end, finishing a 29-20 first quarter shooting 9-of-16 (56.3%) from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from three point range as Mya Merschman went 3-for-3 then both Taylor Norris and Madison Lindauer went 2-for-2 from deep in the opening 10 minutes of action.

That trio would have the top-three point totals for CU in the game as Merschman would finish with a career-high 28 points while adding 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season while Lindauer produced her career-high with a 20-point night off the bench as her first double digit scoring game of the season while Norris would get up to 18, also coming off the bench for Clarke.

Both Merschman and Lindauer went 5-for-6 (83.3%) from three point range as Norris also hit five from deep but on nine attempts for 55.6 percent as it took just three players for Clarke to set a new single-game record for three pointers made in a game with those 15 breaking a record set last season, when CU hit 14 three pointers twice in Heart games.

The Bobcats battled back over various points during the game, trailing 10-1 over the first two minutes of the game but bringing it back to 15-11 before Clarke would push their lead to 13 to then see PSC finish the quarter with four unanswered points. 

In the second, Clarke would get up 13 points again when Peru State would then bring it back to a five-point game with about 30 seconds left in the half before a Lindauer triple would get the Pride into the halftime break with an eight-point lead.

That eight-point lead would carry into the fourth quarter after an even 21-21 third as CU would put their foot on the gas in the fourth, gaining their largest lead of 22 points with just under six mintues left in the game behind 42.1 percent shooting in the period, two three pointers, and five free throws.

Peru State had four players in double figures led by Kaylan Larry's 19 points on 6-of-14 (42.9%) shooting from the field while Hailey Ingram added 18 points and six rebounds, Kylie Diaz scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Tiara Dodd scored 10 points in 17 minutes off the bench.

Clarke will continue in the middle of a four games in seven days stretch when they host Graceland University on Wednesday, Jan. 24 for a 5:30 p.m. CT tip against the Yellowjackets in the Kehl Center.