A pair of made free throws by Central Methodist senior Asnate Gerke with 23 seconds remaining secured a one-point victory over Baker University, 50-49, in front of a home crowd in Puckett Fieldhouse last Wednesday. 

The thriller extended the Lady Eagles’ win streak to five, improving CMU’s record to 13-7 overall and 8-4 in Heart of America play. The Wildcats fall to 3-15 overall and 1-10 in conference action.

The contest was tightly contested from start to finish, with both teams trading baskets throughout the night. CMU held a slim one-point edge after the first quarter, and the teams went into halftime deadlocked at 25-25.

The Eagles built their largest lead of the game at seven points in the second quarter, but Baker responded in the third, outscoring CMU 12-8 to regain momentum. Central Methodist answered in the final period, putting together an intense closing stretch and outscoring the Wildcats 17-12 in the final stanza.

With just 23 seconds remaining, Gerke’s free throws gave the Eagles a one-point advantage. Strong defensive plays by Tayla Robinson in the closing moments sealed the victory as CMU held on for the 50-49 win.

Gerke, a 5’10 senior from Latvia, led the Eagles offensively with 11 points while also adding five rebounds and a pair of steals.

Junior Maizen Williams followed with nine points and four rebounds. Graduate Kaitlyn Patke recorded eight points, while Tayla Robinson and Kaelyn Johnson both added seven.

Johnson made a huge difference defensively with a game-high 10 rebounds while also tallying three steals.

Central Methodist returns to action tonight (Wednesday) against William Woods with a 5:30 p.m. tipoff in Fulton to kick off a three-game road trip. The Lady Eagles return to Puckett Fieldhouse with a noon tilt against Mount Mercy on Saturday, Feb. 7.