Box Score
ALVA, Okla. (Dec. 4, 2007) - Charlotte Heron's second-chance basket with 1:06 remaining was the difference in a heartstopping 61-60 OC win at Northwestern Oklahoma State Tuesday night.
The Lady Eagles trailed 60-58 when Emily Gilbert fouled Heron with 1:20 left. Heron made the first free throw and missed the second, but Kailan DeCamp grabbed the rebound and was tied up by Gilbert. Possession stayed with the Lady Eagles and Heron scored in the lane off the inbound to give OC just its second lead of the second half.
The Lady Rangers went down firing, though, with Claudia Vazquez, D'Shanna Butler and Tara Baker missing on good looks at the basket in the final minute.
OC improved to 2-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference and 4-3 overall while Northwestern fell to 0-3 and 2-7.
"We'll take it however we can get it," OC head coach Stephanie Findley said. "I don't like them that close."
The game was close throughout, with eight ties and three lead changes in the second half alone.
After trailing 33-30 at halftime, the Lady Eagles quickly tied the game on a Haley Myers free throw and DeCamp layup less than a minute into the half.
A 7-0 Lady Eagle spurt, capped by a Myers three-pointer, gave OC a 45-40 lead. But McKenzie Malloy nailed a trey and Gilbert scored inside to tie the game at 45-45, and Northwestern went back on top at 50-49 on another Malloy triple.
The Lady Rangers led 54-51 when Cressi Bryant hit a three-point equalizer from the left corner with 3:42 remaining. NWOSU regained the advantage three times down the stretch thanks to six points from Vazquez. Her two free throws at the 1:32 mark gave the Lady Rangers a 60-58 lead and set up Heron's heroics.
DeCamp led the Lady Eagles with 19 points, adding seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Myers had her second-straight hot-shooting game, hitting 4-of-6 three-pointers on her way to a 15-point night. Brittney Kennedy came off the bench to grab eight rebounds for Oklahoma Christian.
NWOSU had three players in double figures: Vazquez (14 points), Malloy (13) and Butler (11). Both teams were effective from beyond the arc, with the Lady Rangers hitting 8-of-16 three-pointers and the Lady Eagles making 8-of-19 (42 percent).
OC will break for next week's final exams before going out of conference for three games before Christmas. The Lady Eagles play at Huston-Tillotson (Texas) on Dec. 15 before games against Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) and Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) at the South Padre Island Shootout on Dec. 18 and 20.
