The women’s basketball team has won five-straight conference games after going on the road to defeat Culver-Stockton 76-53 and Mount Mercy 76-44. The Wildcats are now 8-1 on the season, 6-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Baker moved up one spot to No. 12 in the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.

A strong defensive effort led the way for the Wildcats in both games as CSC and Mount Mercy only had 20 and 15 points in the first half, respectively.

Against Mount Mercy, Kenzie Cook led the Wildcats with 12 points. Sydney Buchel and Jessica Zweifel each added 10 points. Cook has 92 points this season, the team’s second-highest behind Kelsey Larson with 112.

The Wildcats had 15 turnovers compared to Mount Mercy’s 18.

In the CSC game, Courtney Hoag was Baker’s leading scorer with 16 points, followed by Anna Hignight with 12, Sydney Hanson with 11 and Jo Lira with 10. Buchel recorded seven rebounds and four of the eight total blocks for the ‘Cats to add to her season total of 22. The Wildcats are second in the NAIA in blocks per game and total blocks.

As a team, Baker was 61 percent from 3-point range, making eight of 13 on the night.

Baker will take on Columbia College at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in Columbia, Missouri. The last meeting between the ‘Cats and the Cougars was in the opening round of the 2016 NAIA National Championship, whne Baker won 80-71. Columbia also currently sits at 8-1 on the season.

Following the Columbia matchup, the ‘Cats will play seven of their next eight games at home, including games against No. 14 Benedictine and No. 3 MidAmerica Nazarene.