Pioneers Beat #6 Clarke

The Basics
Score: MNU 69 - Clarke 59
Record: MNU (5-3, 2-1), CU (7-2, 2-2)
Location: Cook Center - Olathe, Kan.

OLATHE, Kan. - MNU earned a huge early-season 69-59 win over #6-ranked Clarke on Saturday. The Pride had the better of play in the first quarter and took a 16-12 lead. The Pioneers turned things around in the 2nd quarter and took a 2-point lead to the locker room. In the 3rd quarter, MNU starting clicking on offense and built a 13-point lead with just under 4 minutes remaining, but Clarke finished the quarter strongly and closed the gap to 7. Midway through the 4th quarter, Clarke closed the gap to 3, but an Allison French 3-pointer pushed the lead back to 6. After a Clarke bucket, Jordynn Gonzalez and French buried back-to-back 3s for a 10-point lead. Vanda Cuamba and TrEl'Shawn Smith hit enough free throws down the stretch to keep the lead, and MNU won by 10.

Turning Point
The Pioneers hit 3 straight threes to take a late 10-point lead.

Inside the Box Score
MNU held Clarke to 13% shooting (3-24) from beyond the arc.

Individual Leaders
TrEl'Shawn Smith shot 10-18 for 26 points and 7 rebounds. Allison French hit 4 threes for 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Arielle Sargent collected 10 rebounds. And Vanda Cuamba had 6 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.

Up Next
The next game is Wednesday at Evangel (2-6, 1-2) at 5:30.