SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist challenged nationally-ranked Southwestern Oklahoma State for the entire game but the Bulldogs made plays down the stretch to earn a hard-fought 84-77 women's basketball win.
The loss dropped OBU to 10-12 overall and 6-10 in league play. SWOSU, winners of 21-of-22 games, is undefeated in 16 conference games. The Lady Bison will next play Thursday at Southern Nazarene in Bethany. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
Against a team loaded with All-Americans,
Charissa Price provided OBU with its own star power. She finished with a career-best 33 points making seven three pointers and finishing with five assists. Price hit a jumper with 7:01 remaining to draw the Lady Bison even at 62, forcing SWOSU to go out of character and fight to the finish.
Price's equalizer completed a 12-point turnaround for OBU that was keyed by her and teammates
Autumn Avina and
Katy Custer. Avina finished the game with 12 points and 12 assists while Custer also had 12 points, including a pair of three pointers.
OBU finished the game making 29-of-56 shots for 52 percent. The Lady Bison were 11-of-20 (55%) from three-point distance. OBU outrebounded SWOSU 40-31 with
Victoria Blankenship leading all players with 15.
A key factor in the outcome was the Lady Bison turned the ball over 28 times, 16 more than SWOSU's 12.
