Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 18, 2017) – Oklahoma Christian is playing its best basketball at the right time of the season, and its senior leaders are a huge reason why.

Seniors McKenzie Stanford and Sarah Parker joined with sophomore Addy Clift to lead the way on Saturday afternoon as OC pulled away late for a 79-70 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith in this season's last home game in the Eagles' Nest.

Stanford posted her eighth double-double of the season – and her second against UAFS – with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Parker overcame outside shooting troubles to score 15 points and grab seven rebounds while Clift did the same to finish with 22 points.

OC (15-12, 10-5 Heartland Conference) won its fourth straight game – its longest such streak of the season – and moved past UAFS (14-12, 9-6) into fourth place in the league standings, a half-game behind Lubbock Christian (Texas).

OC will visit Lubbock Christian – the defending NCAA Division II champion – next Thursday in the regular-season finale and with a win would finish no worse than a tie for third in Heartland play.

"We hope we can keep it up," said OC coach Stephanie Findley, who got to celebrate her birthday with her 601st career win. "We've just got to keep knocking down shots and playing together on the defensive end."

Stanford – the Heartland's leading scorer and a strong candidate for the league's player-of-the-year honor to be voted on soon by coaches – moved up to second place on the conference's career scoring list with 1,661 points, passing Amy Mueller of Incarnate Word, who had 1,637 points from 2001-05. No. 1 on the list is Nia Torru of Incarnate Word, who had 1,778 points from 2006-10.

As expected, the game was tight throughout, with neither team leading by more than seven points until the final 90 seconds. The Lady Eagles and Lions traded the lead 12 times and were tied 12 times.

UAFS took its last lead at 68-66 with 5:30 left on two free throws by Maya Perry. But the Lions then went cold, missing their next five shots, and OC took advantage. Stanford's basket with 5:09 left tied the score and started a game-ending 13-2 run for the Lady Eagles.

Clift's short jumper with 4:05 left put OC up 70-68. Stanford followed an offensive rebound with an 8-foot jumper and Audrey Hayes made 1-of-2 free throws to make it 73-68 with 2:21 left.

The Lions' final points came on a basket by Perry with 1:43 left, as they missed their final four shots. Stanford hit two free throws at 1:21, then a layup with 53.6 seconds left. Clift iced the win with two free throws with 19.3 seconds left.

The difference in the final minutes was OC's determination to grab rebounds. Trailing UAFS by double digits in that category early in the game, the Lady Eagles closed it to 46-44 by the final buzzer.

"We let them outrebound us in the first half but we kind of closed the gap in the second half," Findley said. "Right there at the end, some of their players were in foul trouble and they weren't being as aggressive. I was just proud of the girls for hanging in there and fighting for those rebounds, even though it had been going the other way."

OC won despite shooting 3 of 21 from 3-point range. The Lady Eagles went 27 of 51 from 2-point range, though, and hit 16 of 19 free throws. The Lady Eagles also had only 12 turnovers, compared to 20 for UAFS.

"It's not going to fall for them every night from the 3-point line and tonight they took advantage of the twos," Findley said. "I'm glad to see them thinking that way."

Tayla Taylor led the Lions with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while her frontline partner, Zhanesha Dickerson, scored 17 points. Perry scored 11 while point guard Micayla Haynes – the daughter of OC's record-holder in the long jump, Beaul Haynes – had 10 points.

Stephanie Findley discusses the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ku-MDpgsBE&feature=em-upload_owner

Senior Day video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guoq60ZJvT4&feature=em-upload_owner

Stephanie Findley's message to her seniors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCeBbNk6qTc&feature=em-upload_owner