A win is a win is a win. Style points don't matter when when you are able to put a tally in the win column, which is exactly what the Park University Gilbert women's basketball team did this afternoon at Arizona Athletic Grounds with a 52-48 against Benedictine University Mesa.  

The Buccaneers open conference play 1-0 and even their overall record at 4-4. Benedictine Mesa drops to 2-2 on the year and 0-1 in the Great Southwest Athletic Conference.

The stat page was not pretty for either team as Benedictine shot 31 percent from the floor and Park a lowly 25 percent. This is lowest shooting percentage for a Bucs team in a win in its history. The next lowest was 32.5 percent last year at Embry Riddle in a 76-73 win. Prior to that, it was 33.5 percent in a win at OUAZ in the 2021-22 season.

Both teams shot under 20 percent from three-point range. The Redhawks shot 78 percent from the line, while the Bucs shot 59 percent. Layups were even difficult for both teams. The Bucs shot 39 percent (12-31) on bunnies, while the Redhawks shot 44 percent (7-16).

The difference came in turnovers and points scored off of those turnovers. The Bucs pressing frenetic style forced 37 turnovers, including 19 steals of the Redhawks. The Buccaneers were able to turn those miscues into 26 points. This also gave Park more possessions which lef to 15 more shots for the home team. Meanwhile, the Bucs had 23 turnovers and the Redhawks only turned those into nine points.

Benedictine Mesa led after each of the first three quarters as Park Gilbert could not find the range offensively. The Bucs entered the fourth quarter down by five points. They outscored the Redhawks 17-8 in the final frame by forcing 10 turnovers and getting to free throw line. The Bucs shot 12 free throws, making seven of them and got two clutch three-point baskets from junior Alli Cummings.

Neither team made a field goal inside of the last three minutes. The last Park field goal came with 2:44 remaining and the last BENU basket came 11 second later. The last four points came at the free throw line, where junior center Julissa Julmist and junior point guard Yuli Garcia made clutch shots to seal the game away.

Indiviually, Cummings led the team in scoring with 16 points. Alynna Palacios was all over the floor and showed why she won GSAC Defensive Player of the Year with a season high eight steals and 11 rebounds. Kiley Bush also gave the Bucs some strong rebounding off the bench, pulling down a career high 10 rebounds subbing in for starter Julissa Julmist who was in foul trouble most of the game.

Freshman Symirah Gray gave the Bucs a spark offensively early in the game scoring seven of the Bucs 11 points in the first quarter. She finished with 12 points.

The Bucs now have some time off to rest and heal some of the injuries which have left them shorthanded so far this season. Up next for the Buccos will be a non-conference game against Navajo Tech on Thursday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz.  

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