Randi Lee Plunkett made one of two free throws with 6.8 seconds left giving Culver-Stockton just enough to beat Evangel 52-51 at the Ashcroft Center on Saturday.
A lay-up by Evangel’s Taylor Longley tied the game at 51-51 with 15 seconds remaining but the Wildcats would draw a foul putting Plunkett on the line for the winning free throw. The Crusaders, who were out of time outs, could not get a shot away in the closing seconds.
Evangel trailed 28-20 but outscored Culver-Stockton 21-11 in the third quarter to take a 41-39 lead.
“I was proud of the way our team battled back in the second half,” said Evangel head coach Leon Neal. “We got caught standing of offense sometimes but they are a really good team and I thought we did some good things in coming back to have a chance in the second half.”
Longley finished with a season high 24 points. Plunkett had 12 to lead Culver-Stockton.
The win was Culver-Stockton’s ninth straight win. They improved to 15-3 an 8-2 in the Heart of America. Evangel dropped to 5-10 and 4-6 in the league.
Evangel travels to Missouri Valley for their next game. The Crusaders play the Vikings in Marshall on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
