FORT SMITH, Ark. (Jan. 28, 2021) – Oklahoma Christian has suffered many tough results at Arkansas-Fort Smith since joining NCAA Division II, but on Thursday, it was the Lady Eagles celebrating – finally! – at the Stubblefield Center.

Freshman forward Brooklin Bain hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 43 seconds left before grabbing a key rebound moments later and senior guard Maddison Collyer Ingraham hit the clinching free throws as OC beat UAFS 72-68, the Lady Eagles' fourth road win in six attempts this basketball season. OC is the only Lone Star Conference team with as many as four road wins in 2020-21.

OC (4-3, 4-3 LSC) hadn't won at UAFS (2-6, 2-6) since taking a double-overtime decision on Feb. 2, 2013, the Lady Eagles' first season in Division II. Since then, the Lions had taken seven straight at home in the series, winning four of those games by single digits over OC.

This time, the Lady Eagles made the clutch plays late in a game in which neither team led by more than five points and there were five lead changes in the final two minutes. Defensively, OC held UAFS without a basket over the final three minutes, after the Lions had taken a 64-60 lead.

Sophomore forward Emma Epperly, who scored 12 points to go with nine rebounds, hit a five-foot jumper with 2:00 left to give OC a 65-64 lead. Senior Paige Elston answered with two free throws for UAFS with 1:39 left, but Ingraham made two free throws with 1:25 left to put OC back up 67-66. Not deterred, Mar'shalia Lollie made two free throws with 1:10 left to give the Lions the lead again.

Bain, from Comanche, Okla., found herself open to the left of the top of the key and drained her only 3-pointer of the game, putting the Eagles ahead 70-68. After the teams traded turnovers, the Lions had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final seconds, but Jasmyn Studamire missed a driving layup attempt and Bain rebounded with :02 left.

After an OC timeout, the Lions quickly fouled Ingraham, who coolly knocked down both free throws.

Competing with only seven or eight players (depending on the game), the Lady Eagles now own LSC road wins at Texas A&M International, Cameron, Angelo State (Texas) and UAFS. They were fourth out of 15 teams in the LSC's first point-system rating of the season, which was announced earlier this week.

Bain scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Ingraham added 18 points, hitting all six of her free throws, and had seven assists to extend her lead atop the LSC in that statistical category. Kendra Levings went 3 of 6 from 3-point range and scored 13 points for OC.

Lollie led the Lions with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Nya Stewart had 12 points and Elston added 11.

OC and Arkansas-Fort Smith will play again Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Eagles' Nest in Oklahoma City. It will be only the second home game of the season for the Lady Eagles.