Pride hang on to win Heart opener over Graceland
DUBUQUE, Iowa - In their first taste of home action in the Kehl Center this season, the Clarke University women's basketball team earned a 73-69 win over Graceland University on Wednesday night.
In the first Heart of America Athletic Conference game of the 2024-25 season, the Pride were able to use a strong second quarter a some clutch late buckets in the fourth to thwart off a strong Yellowjackets' comeback effort that saw GU go on a 9-1 run from the end of the third quarter into the fourth to go from down 56-49 to up 58-57.
Clarke would regain their lead behind a Zoe Kennedy layup and a pair of free throws before a Graceland three pointer from Sophia Rodriguez would tie the game back up, but from that point on, CU would retake the lead once again on a Sydni Morris layup as the lead would never leave the Pride for the remainder of the game.
A nearly game-sealing three pointer from Josie Potts would make it 67-63 with just over two minutes remaining as Morris added another bucket with Kennedy and Maci Kuchta knocking down clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds keeping the game at two possessions to then definitely seal the game.
Kuchta was the game's leading scorer with her career-high at Clarke of 24 points while finishing just one rebound shy of a double-double at nine and adding four assists and two steals with just one turnover. This comes after the senior from Columbia, Mo. struggled out of the gate from the field, going 2-for-24 combined over two games with eight points as she finished Wednesday night 8-for-13 (61.5%) from the field and 3-for-6 (50%) from three-point range as she's played all but one of the 120 total minutes for the Pride so far this season.
Potts and Kennedy would both produce double figures out of the starting lineup for Clarke with Potts setting a new career-high with 12 points, as she finished in double figures all three games so far this season, and Kennedy added 11 points, six assists, four rebounds, a block, and a steal in 39 minutes.
The Yellowjackets used a 9-for-27 (33.3%) shooting from three-point range, 19 offensive rebounds, and 15 second chance points to hang in the game and mount their comeback as Rodriguez was the long distance weapon for Graceland, going 5-for-8 (62.5%) from deep to finish with 15 points off the bench while also adding five rebounds while Maxine Ampofo finished with a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Clarke women's basketball will remain at home for the next Heart game when they host Baker University for a 12:00 p.m. CT tip in the Kehl Center between the Pride and Wildcats.