OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 17, 2018) – Career-best performances by Addy Clift and Katie Mayo proved enough – just enough – to lift Oklahoma Christian to its biggest win of the basketball season.

Clift set an OC single-game scoring record with 44 points, Mayo posted career highs with 32 points and 16 rebounds and Maddison Collyer hit a clutch free throw with 3.1 seconds left as the Lady Eagles edged Eastern New Mexico 97-96 on Monday afternoon in the Eagles' Nest.

The win over a foe that entered the game 7-1 and ranked No. 5 in the South Central Region certainly ranks as one of the biggest of OC's NCAA Division II era and it sent the Lady Eagles (7-6) into the holiday break with some momentum.

"That was a good win," OC coach Stephanie Findley said. "Eastern New Mexico is a very good team. They traveled a long way to come up there and maybe we caught them at a good time. I thought our girls were very focused and ready to play. They didn't like the way they represented themselves (in a loss) over at Southern Nazarene the other night and I feel like we had something to prove."

Clift, a senior guard from Kiowa, broke the previous OC record of 43 points, set by April Clowdus Kaaiohelo at St. Edward's (Texas) during the 1994-95 season. Clift, who now has three 40-point games in her career, also broke her own Heartland Conference single-game record of 42 points, set last season at Emporia State (Kan.). She raised her career point total to 1,700 points.

Along the way Monday, she also broke OC's career record for made 3-pointers of 268, set by Katie Fariss from 2003-07. Clift went 8 of 15 from long range – including a couple that measured out at 37 feet – and now has 273 3-pointers in her career.

She made all 12 of her free-throw attempts – matching the third-best free-throw shooting outing in OC history – and also had four steals.

"She was feeling it and you know what? Just get her the ball and get out of her way, and that's what we were doing," Findley said. "She's been ready to break out and has been doing better and better as far as being consistent. I thought today, she was really focused and ready to go. She wanted the ball – you could tell. … She's going to get it and make something happen."

Almost lost in Clift's records was an outstanding performance by Mayo, who scored OC's first 14 points and nearly had a double-double in the first quarter after grabbing nine rebounds. Mayo – who went 10 of 10 from the free-throw line – provided the inside balance to Clift's outside threat and Eastern New Mexico (7-2) never quite figured out how to stop both at the same time.

"She really had a game and that's something that Katie can do," Findley said. "She can outrun everybody and if we'll get the ball to her down there for layups, people chase her on those and then she gets fouled and gets to the line. She was ready to play. I had kind of challenged them, because (Eastern New Mexico) was so big, they were really going to have to turn in a big effort and Katie took it to heart."

Both teams held double-digit leads at some point during the game. The Greyhounds were up 81-70 with 7:55 left and 87-79 with 4:48 left, but OC closed strong. Megan Shelton started a 12-2 run with a 3-pointer with 4:40 left and Clift added a 3-pointer from the eye of the eagle logo that covers midcourt in the Eagles' Nest. She then hit four free throws in five seconds – stealing an inbounds pass in between – to put OC ahead 91-89 with 2:12 left.

A driving layup by Clift both broke Clowdus Kaaiohelo's record and extended OC's lead to 95-91 with 42 seconds left, but the Greyhounds made one final charge. Tilasha Okey hit a 3-pointer with 34.7 seconds left to pull Eastern New Mexico within a point. Shelton split a pair of free throws with 30.8 seconds left before Treyanna Clay's layup with 24 seconds left tied the game at 96-96.

On OC's final possession, the Greyhounds forced Clift to give up the ball, to Collyer. The sophomore point guard drove the lane for a layup attempt and was knocked to the floor by ENMU's Shelby Jones. Collyer made the first free throw, then missed the second. The Greyhounds, without a timeout, weren't able to attempt a shot before the buzzer.

"That is a pressure free throw," Findley said. "Maddie will tell you herself that she struggles a little bit with free throws. She's really been working to refine her form and sure enough, she stepped up there … and knocked that first one down."

Mayo and Clift combined for 22 points as OC led 24-14 after the first quarter. Clift hit one of her 37-footers at the second-half buzzer to give the Lady Eagles a 47-45 halftime lead, after OC had missed its first 10 shots of the second quarter.

Five Greyhounds scored in double figures, led by Clay with 25 points. Alivia Lewis had 13, while Zamorye Cox and Okey had 12 each and Dasia Johnson had 10. Foul trouble didn't help the Greyhounds, as they committed 28 fouls (to 14 for OC). OC went 31 of 39 from the free-throw line, compared to 13 of 17 for Eastern New Mexico.

OC will begin Heartland Conference play at Arkansas-Fort Smith on Jan. 9.

Stephanie Findley discusses the game: https://youtu.be/B3jyf-bS59I

Game highlights, courtesy of Eagle Media: https://youtu.be/jP0AvqtgyHM

Video of Addy Clift scoring 44 points, courtesy of Eagle Media: https://youtu.be/HoLzEqz-z9c