2014 HAAC Tournament bracket

PERU, Neb. - Burgandie Lewis and Taylor Cornelison combined for 33 points and 29 rebounds, leading Central Methodist to a 77-64 win at Peru State (Neb.) in the Heart of America Athletic Conference regular-season finale for both teams.

With Saturday's win in the Al Wheeler Activity Center, Central Methodist (21-8, 12-6) wrapped up the three-seed for a third straight season for the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament. The Eagles host six-seed Graceland (Iowa) in the Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m. CT. The Green and Black defeated the Yellowjackets twice this season, most recently 90-75 on Thursday in Puckett Fieldhouse.

Lewis posted career highs with 19 points and 14 rebounds for her third double-double this season. She shot 8-of-10 overall and 3-of-3 from the line.

After posting a season-best 22 points and 14 rebounds in the first meeting, Cornelison notched another double-double in the second meeting with 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

Peru State (7-22, 5-13) made its first three treys and held an 11-4 edge less than five minutes into the game before Lewis and Cornelison scored eight straight Eagles' points to trim the deficit to one.

With the game tied at 26, the Eagles closed the final 6:47 of the first half on a 21-8 run. Alison Durst hit consecutive threes in the stretch to give the visitors their largest lead of the period, 44-31, with one minute on the clock, and the Eagles led 47-34 at the break.

A Durst bucket from distance and Kyra Williams layup to open the second half gave Central Methodist a 52-34 upper hand less than two minutes into the period. A 6-0 Eagles' run with back-to-back buckets by Taylor Larson and a Chelsea Pannier trey pushed the lead to its largest of the afternoon at 22 points, 69-47, midway through the half.

The Bobcats tried to answer, as a Brittany Peterson conventional three-point play brought her team within nine points at 72-64 at the 3:49 mark, but Cornelison's final bucket of the game with 2:13 to go pushed the margin back to double digits for good.

Williams finished with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Durst scored nine points for the second-straight game, all from the outside. Nakia Robinson posted a game-high three steals.

Karlee Stuart had a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Peterson had 11 points and seven rebounds. Jasmine Tate dished out 10 assists.

Central Methodist shot 58.6 percent (17of-29) in the first half and 44.4 percent (28-of-63) overall. The Eagles were 16-of-21 from the line, compared to only 3-of-6 by the Bobcats.

The Eagles won the battle on the boards, 50-27, leading to 16 second-chance points.