Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 2, 2016) – During Oklahoma Christian's first three seasons in the Heartland Conference, the Lady Eagles always enjoyed good fortune in the Eagles' Nest against traditional league power St. Mary's (Texas), winning all three games.
That good fortune ran out Saturday. St. Mary's shot a sizzling 59.7 percent from the field (37 of 62) and never let OC mount a serious rally en route to a 96-85 win over the Lady Eagles.
OC (5-8, 2-1 Heartland) had its three-game winning streak snapped ahead of a road trip during which the Lady Eagles will play three games in five days. St. Mary's (9-3, 3-1), ranked eighth in NCAA Division II's South Central Region, completed a sweep of a road trip that also included a game at Newman (Kan.) on Thursday.
The Lady Eagles held their own, or had the advantage, in most statistical categories against the Rattlers – except for field-goal shooting. OC shot 39.1 percent (27 of 69) and lost despite having four players score in double figures –
Sarah Parker (23 points),
Addy Clift (14),
McKenzie Stanford (14) and
Sydney Hill (11).
Hill, a senior guard from Edmond, swished a 3-pointer with 4:54 left in the first quarter that made her the 28th OC women's player to score at least 1,000 career points.
OC led briefly in the first quarter, taking its final lead at 8-6 on a basket by
Kylee Hicks at the 5:57 mark, but the Rattlers outscored OC 20-10 over the remainder of the quarter. St. Mary's built its lead to 18 points at 45-27 on a basket by Mariah Lee with 2:27 left in the second quarter, although OC rallied within 47-32 by halftime.
A 3-pointer by
Aisha Martin pulled the Lady Eagles within 55-43 with 5:04 left in the third quarter, but Lee (who scored 19 points) scored before a 3-pointer by teammate Arysia Porter, who also scored 19 points.
The Rattlers' lead peaked at 79-59 after a three-point play by Lee with 7:21 left and St. Mary's led 93-73 after LaBraile Fields' 3-pointer with 1:27 left. Fields went 4-of-6 from 3-point range and led St. Mary's with 23 points.
OC closed the game on a 12-3 run to cut the final margin to 11 points.
Kealani Marquez scored 13 points Kiara Etheridge added 12 points and seven assists for St. Mary's. Martin had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds for OC.
OC will visit Oklahoma Panhandle State in Goodwell on Thursday, Division II No. 2-ranked Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Saturday and Texas-Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas, on Jan. 11.
