Box score | Season stats

PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Bearcats enjoyed their best night of shooting from beyond the arc of the year Wednesday night, as they were the first team to knock off the Pittsburg State Gorillas on their home floor, by a 76-57 score. SBU shot 15-for-26 (57.7%) from three, tying the most treys hit in a game in program history. Leading the way was the duo of Rachel Graves and Courtney Heady, who each hit six from deep. Graves set a new career high in made three-pointers with her performance, and ended the night with 24 points. Heady set a new career mark of her own, as she ended with 20 points.

The Bearcats jumped out to an early 19-4 lead, highlighted by five three pointers by the SBU offense, with two treys apiece coming from Heady and Graves. The Gorillas were ice cold to open the game, as the 'Cats defense held them to just 12.5% shooting during the opening 9 minutes, and were only allowed eight shots from the field. SBU forced seven turnovers in that same period. Said head coach J.C. Carter after the game, “We came out great, our defense was great, we did great boxing out and hit out shots early. Once a team gets confident, shots go in.”

Heady's third three-pointer of the game stretched the SBU lead to 17 with just under nine minutes to play in the first half. The Gorillas would trim the lead back down to eleven over the next five minutes with four layups, three of which came off Bearcat turnovers. Pitt State would get as close as 28-22 after Drew Roberts hit a three with just over a minute remaining in the first half, but Heady responded with her fourth trey, and the Bearcats last possession, and SBU went into the locker rooms at halftime with a 31-22 advantage.

After DePrice Taylor's layup closed the gap to seven points at the start of the second half, SBU would build up their lead after another Graves three pointer and a couple of free throws made it a 36-24 score. The Gorillas again tried to catch up, with six straight points from Taylor, but it was Heady once again with a clutch three-pointer to give the Bearcats a double-digit lead again.

The 'Cats continued to stay hot from behind the arc, as a pair of rainmakers fall from Graves and one from freshman guard Freddie Sims helped SBU pull away with about ten minutes left in the second half.

Two Bearcat freshmen stepped up from off the bench and scored career highs as well. Sims went 3-for-5 from the field, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and finished up with ten points. Kourtni Williams ended with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Junior Whitney Malone was a force under the basket,  collecting 10 rebounds. “Williams played great not only offensively, but defensively. Malone had several rebounds down the stretch. She crashed the boards hard, going after the ball,” commented Carter. Point guard Ashleigh Gallio earned a career high eight assists.

Coach Carter feels his team is getting stronger as they prepare for the home stretch of the season. “We are playing so much better and growing as players. We are starting to learn to play with a lead and we have pose. Heady and Graves both played confident, and Heady attacked well.”

The Bearcats improve to 5-15, and 3-10 in the MIAA. SBU is back in action Saturday afternoon, as they host the Truman State Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m. At halftime of that contest, SBU will honor the 1999-2000 team that reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.