OLIVET, Mich. -- North Park Women's Basketball nearly erased a 16-point deficit with a relentless fourth-quarter surge on Wednesday night in Michigan, but the University of Olivet held on for a 49-48 victory.
Olivet appeared in control early, building a 32-19 halftime lead. The Comets stretched their advantage to 16 points midway through the third quarter when Alex Mitchell's layup made it 2812, and later 35-21 after Kaylee Bush converted down low. But North Park crept its way back into the game.
The Vikings clawed back with a 17-point third period, sparked by junior guard Aliyah Hershberger's mid-range jumper and a pair of free throws. Sophomore guard Aliesha Peterson drilled a deep three to cut the margin to single digits. By the end of the third, Olivet's lead had shrunk to just seven points, 43-36.
The final frame was all North Park. Freshman forward Layla Murry's layup at 7:42 ignited the comeback, followed by freshman guard Kayna Kanemoto's steal to fast-break finish that brought the Vikings within one possession, trailing 43-42. Junor forward Caroline Long tied the game at the free-throw line and, with 5:52 remaining, North Park briefly grabbed its first lead since the opening minutes when Long hit another pair from the stripe.
Olivet answered with Kinsley Hatfield's layup at 4:00 and two clutch free throws at 2:22 to reclaim a 49-44 advantage. Still, North Park had one last push. Hershberger buried a three-pointer with 1:54 left to make it 49-47, and Long split a pair at the line with 31 seconds remaining to pull within one. The Vikings had a chance after Olivet missed two free throws in the closing seconds, but an in-bound opportunity wasn't played out how the Vikings would like as the buzzer would sound just before a missed shot off the glass.
Turnovers loomed large: Olivet committed 20, including three in the final two minutes, and North Park grabbed 10 offensive boards in the fourth quarter. However, the Vikings shot just 25% from the field, including 14% in the final period, and made just 4 of 21 shots from beyond the arc.
Top Performers
North Park
Olivet
- Kaylee Bush: 13 pts, 7 reb
- Kinsley Hatfield: 11 pts, 7 reb
- Ava Lord: 9 pts, 5 reb
What's Next?
North Park (0-2) hosts its home opener this coming Sunday, November 16, against Manchester University. Tipoff in Carlson Gym is set for 1:00 PM CT.
