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Voorhees finished with the final three game-winning points for the Pirates (17-4), who won for the sixth-straight time, while MidAmerica Nazarene (15-1) fell for the first time this season behind 19 points from Akuien Wour, leading four Pioneers in double figures. Park saw double-digits out of Arturo Donzella, who scored 16 on the night, including 14 in the first half.
After a back-and-forth beginning to the first 20-minute period, a 9-2 MidAmerica Nazarene run put the Pioneers up 22-15 with just under 9:00 remaining, but Park would storm back, outscoring the Pioneers 10-2 over the next two minutes to take a 25-24 lead as the half neared the 7:00 mark.
MidAmerica came back with the next eight points to go up 32-25 with 3:58 left in the first, but the game's back-and-forth nature would continue on consecutive Park baskets, capped by a Donzella three with 3:05 to go, cutting the MNU lead to 32-30.
Park tied the game at 32-32 with 1:40 remaining on jumper in the lane from Voorhees, and after MNU went up 36-34 with 23 seconds to play, Voorhees again came up big at the halftime buzzer, fading away from 15 feet to tie the game at 36-all.
In the second half, the Pirates stormed through the first two minutes on an 8-2 run, capped by a Nick Burton lay-up with 18:03 remaining that gave Park a 44-38 lead. The advantage would be short-lived for Park, however, as MNU's Jacob Neller hit the second of back-to-back Pioneer 3-point baskets with 15:55 left in the game to put MidAmerica on top 47-46.
The next three minutes saw the teams trade baskets to a 52-all tie before Adam Hepker got a steal and a lay-up to put MNU up 54-52, and after a Park turnover on the perimeter on the Pirates' next possession, Wour followed a missed Pioneer basket with a lay-up that gave MNU a four-point lead with 12:30 to play.
MidAmerica forced a stop on Park's next trip up the floor to regain possession, and Wour scored his fourth-straight point on a fade-away jumper in front of the MNU bench to extend the lead to 58-52 with 10:44 to play.
The lead would grow to eight with 9:00 left in the second half on a banked jumper by Hepker, and Wour capped the run at 10-0 a possession later with a lay-up to put MidAmerica on top 62-52 as the clock approached 8:00.
Park recoiled to get the game back to within single digits over the next two minutes, as Voorhees nailed a three from the right side with 5:52 remaining to bring the Pirates within five at 66-61. Another Park three, this time by Donovan Williams with 5:15 to play, cut MNU's lead to four at 68-64, but the top-ranked Pioneers responded, splashing a three of their own to go up 71-64 with 4:55 remaining.
The 3-point barrage continued on Park's next possession, this time ending with Kevin Nelson hitting from the far corner to make the score 71-67, and after an MNU basket in the paint put the Pioneers up 73-67, Voorhees hit the third-straight Park three with 3:39 to go, cutting MidAmerica's lead to 73-70 and forcing an MNU time out.
A pair of Nellor free throws for MNU extended the lead to 75-71 as the clock approached 3:00, but Park hit the back end of two foul shots to cut the lead to three a possession later. A steal on MNU's next trip coupled with a fast-break lay-up by Park made the score 75-74 with under two to play, and after a missed Pioneer attempt at the line, Voorhees converted on two free tosses with 1:10 to play, giving Park its first lead since mid-way through the half.
Up 76-75, Park earned a stop on the defensive end, as Wour was whistled for an MNU offensive foul with 45 seconds left, and Park looked to slam the door in the final ten seconds as Voorhees hit from the far corner with his toe on the 3-point arc to extend the Park lead to 78-75. As time expired, MNU was unable to get off a desperation attempt at the buzzer, sending Park to its sixth-straight win and MidAmerica to its first loss of the season.
Up next, Park travels to Kansas City, Mo., to take on Rockhurst University tomorrow night (Wednesday) starting at 7 p.m.
Story Courtesy of NAIA Manager of Sports Information Steve Wilson
Photo Courtesy of Amy Reif
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