Box Score LAWTON, Okla. (Nov. 16, 2017) – In the same gym where Oklahoma Christian
set a national record for field-goal shooting a generation ago, the shots just didn't fall when they needed to for the Lady Eagles on Thursday night at Cameron.
OC missed its final six shots and Cameron took advantage, closing the game on a 6-0 run to hold off the Lady Eagles 81-72 at the Aggie Gym.
OC (0-4) went just 2 of 20 from 3-point range but used its frenetic defense to keep the basketball game close throughout. It was the second narrow loss to Cameron (2-1) in a week, as the Aggies edged OC 96-95 in the season opener for both teams last Friday.
"Our theory was we'd try to play enough people (12) to stay fresh, and (Cameron) wouldn't be fresh at the end," OC coach
Stephanie Findley said. "But it kind of seemed like maybe we weren't (fresh). We were missing shots. … The whole game, really, we didn't shoot as good of a percentage as they did. We've just got to get to where we can knock down some shots."
The Lady Eagles' shooting woes began early, as they went 3-of-17 in the first quarter. That allowed Cameron to build a 24-12 lead early in the second quarter on the first of five 3-pointers by freshman Andrea Martinez.
But OC came roaring back, forging a 40-40 halftime draw on a put-back by
Katie Mayo in the final minute of the half.
The lead swapped hands six times during the third quarter. Freshman
Delyssa Miller gave OC its last advantage at 53-52 with two free throws at the 1:14 mark, but Martinez – who scored 24 points – keyed a 9-2 run by the Aggies to end the quarter with a 2-pointer, a traditional three-point play and a 3-pointer.
OC scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to pull within 61-60 but wasn't able to seize the lead. Cameron didn't pull away, though, and was up only 75-72 after
Megan Shelton's driving layup with 2:45 left. Those proved to be OC's final points.
The Lady Eagles were down only 76-72 with 35 seconds left, when it appeared that Cameron's Jamie Bonnarens fouled out on a charging call. But after a long video review, officials reversed that call to a block on OC, giving the Aggies two critical free throws by Bonnarens that made it 78-72. She finished with 20 points, while Amaka Nwakamma added 16 for Cameron.
Junior guard
Addy Clift – hounded, as usual, by the opposing defense – led OC with 17 points, while freshman guard
Maddison Collyer had 10. OC finished the game shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 69 percent (20 of 29) from the free-throw line.
"One of our objectives tonight was just to get better," Findley said. "We wanted to get better in rebounding. We wanted to have zero traveling calls and I think we had one, and we wanted to shoot our free throws better. I think we accomplished several of those things.
"I think we're pretty close. We just have to knock down some shots. I'm making us play fast and I think that means they're speeding up their shots instead of taking them in a slower rhythm. I think experience will bring that out and the more practice they get at going fast and shooting as they're going fast, they'll work those kinks out."
OC won't play again until next Friday, when they will face Texas A&M-Kingsville in San Angelo, Texas. The Lady Eagles will play Angelo State the following day.
Stephanie Findley discusses the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mryFpzIJG4U&feature=youtu.be
