The Park University Gilbert women's basketball team returned to action after 22 days since its last contest and after a strong start, fell prey to turnovers and poor shooting in a 67-63 loss to Benedictine Mesa.  The Buccaneers fall in their first game in Cal Pac Conference play after having their first four games postponed due to covid related issues within the program and with their opponents.

"We had to many turnovers tonight," sad Buccaneers head coach Jeff Fore. "We did not take care of the basketball and we missed 13 layups. That is a recipe for disaster."

Things started out strong in the first quarter as the Bucs jumped out to a 25-13 lead after the first quarter and held a 31-15 lead with 7:16 remaining the first half.  But the Redhawks had an answer, going on an 18-1 run to end the half to hold a 33-32 lead at half time. BENU shot 50 percent from the floor and from three-point range in the quarter as it outscored the Park 20-7 overall in the quarter.   

The Buccaneers came out with a better shooting third quarter, retaking a one-point lead in the final frame.  The Buccaneers shot 73 from the floor, while holding the Redhawks to just 31 percent.  What kept BENU in the game were the 11 Park Gilbert turnovers in the quarter, as they had over a third of its turnovers for the game in this period.

But in the Bucs last two losses, a poor shooting final frame has done them in.  Unfortunately, it happened again.  The Bucs only shot 30 percent from the field in the fourth, while BENU shot 50 percent.  Despite the poor shooting, Park Gilbert still held the lead with just under three minutes to go.  But in those final three minutes, the Buccaneers missed five of seven shots, while the Redhawks shot 4-5 and added three free throws down the stretch to give them the final four-point margin of victory.

This game saw the return of senior point guard Destinee Vigil who scored eight points on 3-6 shooting with four rebounds before she was ejected from the game early in the fourth quarter for running on the court from the bench to pull back fellow point guard Jayla Reliford who was upset after getting entangled with a Redhawks player after diving for a loose ball. Fore had told Vigil to enter the game for Reliford, but she had not been officially checked in and because of that reason she was automatically ejected for inserting herself in a skirmish on the floor.

Macy Markus led the Bucs with 20 points, but scored 16 of them in the first half before being held in check in the second half of the game.  Madison Chappell was the only other Buc to score in double figures, finishing with 11 points on 5-6 shooting and six boards. Jasmine Kelly also made her return after being out for almost two months and she led the Bucs with 11 rebounds.

As a team, Park Gilbert outshot BENU 43 to 40 percent from the floor, outrebounded them by eight, had more assists and blocks. But unfortunately for Bucs fans, they turned the rock over 29 times and the Redhawks turned those into 20 points.  Where the Bucs only scored 14 points off of 26 Redhawk miscues.

 Park Gilbert has one last non-conference contest against Ottawa Arizona on Tuesday, January 25 in Surprise, Ariz. at 5 p.m.  The Bucs beat the Spirit 89-49 in the first game of the season.  Kianna Turenne who has been nursing an ankle injury for two months, will return to the floor for the first time since the Buccaneer Classic just after Thanksgiving.