SHAWNEE - The Oklahoma Baptist women's basketball team returns to action this weekend as they look to make it two wins in a row as they close a three game road trip in Alva against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday followed by a Saturday afternoon tilt with Southeastern Oklahoma State inside the Noble Complex. OBU will hit the road Monday for a road contest against rival Southern Nazarene.
Saturday's game will be on the Bison Sports Network on the
OBU YouTube channel featuring Todd Miller on play-by-play and Scott Wanish on color commentary. The game will also be featured on the
Bison Radio Network across the state of Oklahoma and on the iHeartRadio app. On Thursday and Monday, the Bison's contest will be on the Bison Radio Network with Miller and Wanish.
Oklahoma Baptist come off its first win of the season on Monday night as they defeated Oklahoma Christian by the score of 61-58 on the road in OKC to snap an 18-game losing streak and earn the first win of the
Bo Overton era. It also snapped a 14-game road losing streak, their first win away from Shawnee since defeating Northeastern State 74-68 on November 26, 2019.
The Bison overcame a slow shooting start and used got to the free throw line 23 times to grind out the win at the Eagles' Nest, taking control of the second half specifically as they led by as many as 11.
Free throw shooting has been a tremendous bright spot for OBU this season. After going 20 of 23 (87%) on Monday, the Bison are currently ninth in the country in free throw percentage as a team, sitting at 79.5 percent. The Bison are fourth in the GAC in assists with 126 this season.
Defensively, OBU is second in the GAC in steals with 96 and second in the conference in blocked shots with 30 on the year.
Since returning form injury,
Kalifa Ford has been nothing short of spectacular, putting together a brilliant 20 point game on Monday night as she sits at 16.0 points per game in only three games to go with 5.0 rebounds per contest and over 1.0 steals per game. Ford has scored in double digits in every single contest in her Bison career and has helped revitalize the offense as OBU moves into the second half of the season.
Andreja Peciuraite continues her fantastic play despite a tough shooting night in OKC as she checks in with 11.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and 1.0 block per game.
Jaylin Stapleton is fresh off a 17 point contest in the win as she checks in with 10.0 points per game and four assists per game.
Charissa Price pours in 8.1 points per game and over a steal per game while
Kayla Highfill adds 5.4 points per game.
Melissa Southard checks in with over four points per game and 4.5 rebounds.
Kaylee Hurst adds 10 steals on the season while
Haylee Webber has picked up eight blocks on the year.
Prior to Monday's contest, OBU struggled against the top teams in the Western Division of the GAC as they fell to Southwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday at home and East Central on Saturday in Ada.
Northwestern Oklahoma State comes into the season at 4-7 overall and 2-7 in the GAC with their two wins coming over OBU, earning a 65-56 win early in January in Alva before leaving Shawnee with a 68-62 win two weeks later.
The keys to the Rangers success over the Bison has been the duo of Bailey Brown and Mya Johnson as they have dominated the paint and the boards to victory. Johnson leads the team with 13.2 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game. Brown adds 10.9 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, and over four assists.
Not to be outdone, Kaylee Jo Neeley adds 12.0 points per game and 6.1 rebounds.
Southeastern Oklahoma State comes in at 6-4 overall and in conference including a pair of wins over the Bison. The Savage Storm took a 61-56 win in the opener in Shawnee before taking a 65-55 win in Durant two weeks ago.
Briley Moon torched the Bison in her last showing with 25 points to mount a second half comeback. Moon leads the team with 16.3 points per game and five rebounds while Kamryn Cantwell adds 15.2 points per game and 8.0 rebounds. Katie Branam adds 11.1 points per game.
Southern Nazarene used a late rally to escape Shawnee with a 71-63 win two weeks ago. Four players are in double figures scoring wise including Emily Monaghan with 12.3 points, Cassandra Awatt with 12.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game, Alexus Jones with 12.0 points per game and four assists, and Payton Jones with 11.2 points per game and 52 percent from behind the arc.
Thursday's contest in Alva is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. while Saturday's tip-off in Noble is set for 2:00 p.m. The GAC passed a policy earlier this week where student-athletes and non-student coaching staff may invite up to four guests to attend home contests.
