Box score

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 5, 2009) – No. 18 Oklahoma Christian dropped its second-straight Sooner Athletic Conference game in a 59-40 loss to Rogers State (Okla.) on Monday night.

Brittney Kennedy netted a team-high 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting in the loss. The Lady Eagles are now 10-3 overall and 3-2 in the SAC. Oklahoma Christian fell 65-52 on Saturday night at John Brown (Ark.).

After a 2-2 tie in the opening minute, RSU (10-4, 4-2) led the rest of the way. The Hillcats padded their cushion to as much as nine points in the first half, but the Lady Eagles pulled back to within two when Kailan DeCamp hit an off-balance jumper at the eight-minute mark to make it 19-17.

But OC only scored four more points in the half, and trailed 28-21 at the break. The Lady Eagles managed just 8-of-24 shooting (33 percent) in the opening stanza, compared to 10-of-22 (46 percent) from the Hillcats. Kennedy led OC at halftime with six points, while Hunter Peterson paced RSU with seven.

The Hillcats raced ahead with the first seven points of the second half to build a 35-21 lead just two minutes in. OC forced a shot-clock violation with 13:27 to play, then got an interior score from Kennedy to get back within 10 at 42-32. But RSU's Sophia Piggie gave the momentum right back to the Hillcats with a three pointer seconds later.

The Lady Eagles couldn't trim the deficit any further. It was an 11-point game after Kennedy scored off a Tarynn Branscum dish with 3:32 remaining. But Andrea Miles got a layup on the other end and the Hillcats cruised home with eight unanswered points to win their sixth-straight game.

Hillary Duncan chipped in seven points and DeCamp added six for the Lady Eagles. Azzie Knox equaled Kennedy with 18 points for RSU. Miles scored 13 and Peterson finished with 10.

The Lady Eagles can redeem a tough start to 2009 on Thursday night at No. 2 Oklahoma City. Game time is set for 6 p.m. in the first 2008-09 installment of the "Backyard Brawl" presented by The Oklahoman.

-OC-