Box Score WEATHERFORD, Okla. (Dec. 15, 2017) – Oklahoma Christian's young basketball team threw a major scare into Southwestern Oklahoma State on Friday, but the Lady Eagles weren't quite able to finish off what would have been one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Division II this season.
No. 14-ranked Southwestern had to rally from a six-point deficit in the final 2:19 to escape the Pioneer Cellular Events Center with a 93-89 win over the game but unlucky Lady Eagles, whose 20th and final turnover came with :02 left and down by two points.
OC (2-9) received its usual solid game from junior guard
Addy Clift, who poured in 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds, as well as career-best performances from senior guard
Audrey Hayes and freshman forward
Katie Mayo. Hayes had career highs in points (21) and rebounds (11) while posting her first career double-double and Mayo added a career-high 21 points.
Southwestern (9-1), coming off a 30-point loss to Heartland Conference and Division II power Lubbock Christian (Texas), responded with five players in double figures , led by Hailey Tucker's 22 points and a 16-point, 11-rebound outing from Bethany Franks. Franks also stole the ball from Clift in the final moments, then made two free throws to seal the win for the Bulldogs.
Southwestern won despite shooting just 37.5 percent from the field. Of the Bulldogs' 80 shots, 42 were from 3-point range and 12 were successful, a 28.6-percent clip. OC more than held its own in both areas, shooting 40.3 percent from the field (27 of 67) and hitting 10 of 23 3-point attempts (43.5 percent).
A 3-pointer by Mayo with 2:19 left gave OC an 85-79 lead, its largest of the game. Southwestern rallied to go up 88-87 on two free throws by Taylor Hedrick with 54 seconds left, but Hayes – who went 10 of 10 from the free-throw line – drilled two of her own two seconds later to put OC back ahead.
Hedrick answered with a layup with 41 seconds left and the Bulldogs led 90-89. Freshmen
Maddison Collyer and
Delyssa Miller missed for OC at the other end and Miller fouled Tucker, who hit one of her two free throws to push Southwestern's advantage to two points with 17 seconds left.
Hayes missed a pair of contested layups but the Lady Eagles grabbed both rebounds. Clift had the ball, looking for a final shot, when Franks stole it from her. Clift fouled Franks, who made both free throws.
OC led the Bulldogs 32-30 at halftime and never let them get comfortable, as the four-point margin at game's end was Southwestern's largest lead of the second half. Hayden Priddy and Hedrick added 14 points for the Bulldogs, while Tyra Aska had 11.
OC will face another nationally ranked foe on Monday, as the Lady Eagles will play No. 24 Seattle Pacific (Wash.) in Lacey, Wash., before facing host Saint Martin's (Wash.) on Tuesday. Those will be OC's final nonconference games of the season.
