SHAWNEE – After two big conference wins last week, Oklahoma Baptist (5-2, 2-0 GAC) will look to continue its winning ways with home games against Oklahoma Christian and Southeastern Oklahoma State this week.
On Dec. 6, the Bison will play the Lady Eagles at 7 p.m. before a Dec. 10 home contest versus the Storm at 5:30.
Both games will be carried by the Bison Sports Network with Todd Miller and Scott Wanish providing commentary.
A Perfect Start
Last week's blowout wins of Southwestern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State improved OBU's overall record to 5-2. More importantly though, the green and gold are off to a 2-0 Great American Conference start for the first time ever. Previously, the best the Bison had done was 1-1 in four seasons: 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2021-22.
Twenty-Plus Margin of Victory
Those two victories against SWOSU and Northwestern last week came by 20 and 30 points, respectively. To date, it is only the third time in the D2 era that a Bison team has won back-to-back games by at least 20 points. During the 2019-20 campaign, OBU defeated Ozark Christian and Rogers State by 50 and 30-point margins. Then in the 2015-16 season, the Bison reeled off three consecutive wins over East Central, Southern Nazarene and NWOSU. Those margins were 32, 28 and 25 points, respectively.
Shutting Down The Rangers
Coming into its game with the Bison, Northwestern had tallied nearly 200 points in its previous two contests. Overall, NWOSU was averaging 82.3 points per game which had aided them to a 4-0 start. After 40 minutes of action against the Bison, NWOSU had been locked down. The green and gold held the Rangers to season-lows in points (50), field-goal percentage (29%) and three-point percentage (21%).
Thirty Below
How's this for defense: in the two wins against the Lady Bulldogs and Rangers, the Bison collective held those teams to 25- and 29-percent shooting, respectively. Since the program joined D2 in 2015-16, it is only the second time OBU has held back-to-back opponents to under 30-percent shooting. During the 2018-19 season, the Bison held Manhattan Christian to a 26.1-percent clip while keeping Northeastern State to a 24.2-percent mark.
Copeland's Unique Night
During OBU's 80-50 win against the Rangers, sophomore
Sierra Copeland posted an interesting stat line: nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Since the start of Division II play in 2015-16, it is only the seventh time a Bison player recorded at least nine rebounds and registered multiple assists, blocks and steals. Prior to Copeland, fellow classmate
Jill Leslie went for 16 boards, three assists, two blocks and two steals against Southern Arkansas on Feb. 19, 2022. In program history, Autumn Avina has two games to her credit reaching those benchmarks: vs. Ouachita on Jan. 5, 2019: 10 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks and two steals and vs. Southern Nazarene on Feb. 19, 2018: 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals.
Off The Charts
As has been noted before, the addition of transfer
Erika Ankney for this Bison team has been substantial. In five games played, the Harrah, Okla., native is averaging 20.6 points per game, a mark that's second-best in the GAC and ranks in the top-20 of D2. Ankney is also hitting a league-best 59.3 percent from the field. That percentage is also slotted in the top-25 in the nation, and only four guards in the country rank higher.
Scouting Oklahoma Christian
The Lady Eagles, under the direction of first-year coach Markeith Brown, are 0-5 to start the year. Most recently, OC lost to No. 3 West Texas A&M on the road, 66-51.
Tuesday night's contest will by OC's fifth straight away from home.
The Lady Eagles have struggled offensively and defensively to start the year. They are one of only two Lone Star teams to average under 60 points per game. Defensively, OC is allowing 74.4 points. That ranks 13th of 16 in the LSC.
Brooklin Bain has been the offensive catalyst for the Lady Eagles. She is 10th in the LSC in scoring (14.4) and ranks fourth in rebounds (8.4).
Also of note, Kate Bradley is fifth in the LSC in free-throw percentage (87%).
Scouting Southeastern Oklahoma State
The Storm are coming off a 62-53 win against SWOSU on Dec. 3. SE is 2-0 at home this year, but are 1-4 away from Durant.
Southeastern ranks around the middle of the GAC in numerous categories but one area of concern is turnovers. The Storm are 9th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.78) and tenth in turnover margin (-1.0).
Senior guard Briley Moon has led Southeastern so far. She is third in the GAC in scoring (19.4) and sixth in field-goal percentage (50.6). Included in that was a 30-point outburst vs. Midwestern State on Nov. 18.
Caitlin Kobiske is one of the best forwards in the GAC. She ranks fourth in blocks (1.3) and is eighth in rebounds (7.1).
