Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 31, 2015) – The free throws kept falling and falling and falling the entire game for Oklahoma Christian on Thursday, no matter who was shooting them, and that proved to be the difference for the Lady Eagles against Texas A&M International.
OC set a program record for free-throw percentage with a perfect 26-of-26 effort, allowing them to hold off the Dustdevils 82-78 on New Year's Eve in the Eagles' Nest. OC (5-7, 2-0 Heartland Conference) has won three straight games and is unbeaten in league play this season after an 0-4 start last season.
"Two-and-oh feels great," OC coach
Stephanie Findley said. "We'll take it. It's one game at a time, but you do need to protect your home court and you've got to get a road win here and there. We've done both of those things so far, so now we've got to turn around Saturday and try to do it again."
The Lady Eagles' previous record for free-throw percentage in a game was a 14-of-14 performance against East Central on Dec. 5, 1987 – more than 28 years ago.
OC's 26-of-26 outing was the best by any NCAA Division II team this season, surpassing 20-of-20 performances by Missouri Western State, Central Oklahoma and California-San Diego. Six players contributed from the line for OC –
Addy Clift (8-of-8),
Sarah Parker (6-of-6),
Aisha Martin (4-of-4),
McKenzie Stanford (4-of-4),
Sydney Hill (2-of-2) and
Hannah Holasek (2-of-2).
That perfection kept the Lady Eagles afloat when they faced a 10-point second-half deficit against TAMIU (4-7, 1-2 Heartland Conference) and clinched the win for them at the end.
The Dustdevils led 76-75 with 1:21 left after Keiona Mathews hit a 3-pointer. Stanford answered with one of her own with 1:04 left. TAMIU had two empty possessions and Hill hit two free throws with 14.9 seconds left to extend OC's lead to 80-76. Mathews hit a layup with 10.4 seconds left, but Parker sealed the win with two free throws with 8.8 seconds left, capping a 30-point fourth quarter for OC.
"That's what wins the game for you, if you can make your free throws and your layups," Findley said. "You'll be in business every night. We did that tonight and it did keep us hanging around until we finally got the lid off from the 3-point line and were able to knock some things down inside.
"The girls just played a great fourth quarter. They didn't give up. Everything was a struggle, it seemed like, until the fourth quarter, and then it just started happening for us."
The Dustdevils brought only eight players on their current road trip, and by game's end – due to injury and fouls – they were down to only five. But they had plenty of energy early on. TAMIU went up 23-21 on a 3-pointer by Mathews midway through the second quarter and led 36-30 at halftime after back-to-back 3-pointers by Jessica Prieto and Mathews, who led the Dustdevils with 23 and 24 points, respectively.
OC tied the game at 40-40 with 6:32 left in the third quarter on a basket by Stanford, who scored a team-high 21 points. But TAMIU answered with a 10-0 run and Rosebrooke Hunt's basket at the 4:08 mark of the quarter made it 50-40.
Clift, who scored all 17 of her points in the second half, started OC's rally by hitting four straight free throws. TAMIU still led 62-55 with 8:24 left in the game, but began to tire under the Lady Eagles' pressure defense. OC scored the next 11 points, taking the lead with 6:02 left on a layup by Stanford. Parker's basket with 5:29 left put the Lady Eagles up 66-62.
Parker added 18 points for the Lady Eagles while Hill had 10 points, eight assists and five steals.
Kylee Hicks didn't score but grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for OC.
Chelsea Salom scored 17 points for TAMIU.
OC will host longtime Heartland power St. Mary's (Texas) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnAatOC16tI&feature=youtu.be
