EDMOND, Okla. - The Oklahoma Christian Lady Eagles (7-14, LSC 4-13) look to continue the momentum from Saturday's home win over Texas A&M International as they travel to take on the Rattlers of St. Mary's (11-11, LSC 7-9) and the Hilltoppers of St. Edward's (10-15, LSC 6-10).
The Lady Eagles Outlook
Oklahoma Christian looks to finish the season strong with just five games left and is seeking to add a few more games into the win column. OC continues to be led by the senior guard duo of Nakia Cullom and Kate Bradley. Both guards coming off key performances last week, with Bradley crossing the milestone 1000-point marker on Thursday night and Cullom dropping a career-high 21-point Saturday performance, the two will look to lead the Lady Eagles to get revenge wins over the Rattlers and the Hilltoppers, who beat the Lady Eagles in the Nest earlier this season.
The Lady Eagles also find great production in two freshmen: Ciara Harris, who makes a significant impact on both sides of the ball and averages 9.7 points a game, and Reagan Berry, who comes off the bench for OC and continues to produce great minutes, including staying perfect from the free-throw line in her 13 attempts.
Scouting the Rattlers
Head Coach Valerie Hunlzar is finding her stride in her third year at the helm of the St. Mary's program and has done so this year with an almost entirely new team that finds its identity in high-pressure defense, holding opposing teams to just under 58 points a game. The Rattlers are in the top five in the conference in all rebounding and defensive categories late in the season.
Led by freshman combo guard/forward Christin Callens, the Rattlers find themselves two spots and two games out of the top eight, with the season coming to a close.
Series History
Old Heartland conference foes, now LSC foes, have a long history of battling it out in the gym, returning to 1997 with the Lady Eagles on a six-game winning streak over the Rattlers. St. Mary's ended OC's winning streak and took the all-time series lead 12-13, back in the team's last match-up in Edmond, OK.
The Last Matchup - Jan. 18th, 2025 - St. Mary's 59 - OC 51
When the Rattlers entered the Nest in mid-January, they quickly took an early lead over the Lady Eagles. Raynne Malik led the way, finishing the game with a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double and five blocks.
The Lady Eagles outscored the Rattlers in the second half to give themselves a chance at the end of the game behind three double-figure performances from Nakia Cullom (17), Ciara Harris (13), and Kate Bradley (11). However, the dagger came from the Rattlers' bench, who combined for 18 points, making the Lady Eagles' comeback fall short.
Scouting the Hilltoppers
The Hilltoppers enter this final part of the season, three games outside of the LSC postseason, as longtime head coach J.J. Reihl looks to lead her team to a season sweep of the Lady Eagles.
The team, led by sophomore guard JP Perkins, averages 13.8 points on 42% field-goal shooting. It also grabs about five rebounds a game and is diligent about passing the ball around and making things happen on both ends of the floor. The team will look to outscore the Lady Eagles, as both teams want to play fast and gain an advantage on the perimeter.
Series History
The Lady Eagles and the Hilltoppers have a long history, dating back to 1993. St. Edward's leads OC 15-10 all-time, and the Hilltoppers are now on a five-game winning streak over the Lady Eagles.
The Last Matchup - Jan. 16th, 2025 - St. Edward's 65 - OC 61
Despite a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double from Nakia Cullom, a 19-point outing from Kate Bradley, and an outstanding 22-point game from Ciara Harris, the Hilltoppers found themselves walking out of the Nest with a win after a late-game comeback victory behind the 15-point performance from Bailey Featherstone off the bench.
