Katy Clift scored 25 points and hit seven 3-pointers in OC's 110-94 win over Texas Wesleyan.
OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 5, 2011) – Oklahoma Christian women's basketball coach Stephanie Findley wondered how the Lady Eagles would execute their new 94-foot, full-tilt style of hoops. If Saturday was any indication, the answer is pretty well.
OC (1-0) set an unofficial school record for points in a half and posted its highest point total in seven years while rolling to a 110-94 win over Texas Wesleyan during the annual homecoming game in the Eagles' Nest.
Five Lady Eagles scored in double figures, led by Katy Clift, who had 25 points and went 7 of 16 from 3-point range. Texas Wesleyan (0-1) committed 22 turnovers and often seemed discombobulated against the Lady Eagles' pressure defense.
Findley's new system involves subbing in a complete set of five players every 60 to 90 seconds, with players going at breakneck speed while in the game. Fourteen OC players saw playing time – 11 of them for 10 or more minutes – and all of them scored.
The Lady Eagles went 30 of 66 from the field (45.5 percent) and attempted a whopping 33 3-point shots, making 13. They also shot 44 free throws, making 37 (84.1 percent).
Ten of those 3-pointers came in the first half, as the Lady Eagles raced to a 68-42 lead, setting the unofficial scoring record.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleased," Findley said. "It's going to look good when the 3s are dropping."
OC extended its lead to 28 points less than a minute into the second before the Rams came roaring back. A 3-pointer by Brittany White pulled Texas Wesleyan within 91-82 with 6:05 left.
But Jessica Findley answered with a 3-pointer for OC, starting a 10-4 burst that gave the Lady Eagles a comfortable 101-86 lead 4:26 left. OC ended up with 110 points, its most since a 122-19 win over Arkansas Baptist on Nov. 5, 2004.
"I'm pleased we didn't fall apart when they got close, and we built the lead back up," Stephanie Findley said. "We're not in shape we'll be condition-wise later in the season."
Center Roz Hamilton had 14 points and a team-high five assists for OC. Katy O'Steen scored 12 points, while Logan McKee had 11 and Andee Wayne had 10.
White led Texas Wesleyan with 20 points. Octavia Mullins had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Kayla McCray and Raven Smith scored 13 points each. The Rams – picked in the preseason to finish second in the Red River Athletic Conference – outrebounded OC 51-40 and shot 48.1 percent from the field.
OC's next game will be against LSU-Shreveport in the Southwestern Assemblies of God Classic on Friday in Waxahachie, Texas. The Lady Eagles won't play at home again until Dec. 3.
