SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist nearly defeated Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday, falling 71-68 at the Noble Complex. The green and gold led by 13 points with 6:26 remaining but couldn't close it out down the stretch.
Despite the defeat, the green and gold remain in fourth place in the Great American Conference. OBU is now 12-9 and 8-7 in the league.
Kalifa Ford continued her recent strong play with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. It was her eleventh double-double of the year.
Mallory Lockhart added 14 points and four assists while
Jaylin Stapleton and
Kennedy Large each contributed double-digit scoring efforts with 10 and 11, respectively. Additionally, Stapleton notched six rebounds and five assists.
The Bison defense was outstanding on this day, holding SWOSU to its third-lowest field goal percentage total of the season (36.6).
First-quarter action was a bit slow as neither team shot above 30 percent. The Lady Bulldogs did attain a 15-9 advantage heading to the second after a three-pointer from Morgan Smith with 41 ticks on the clock.
After a short timeout, Stapleton gave OBU a lead with less than four minutes until halftime. The senior scored five straight on a three from the right side and a fast-break layup, pushing the home squad in front, 19-17.
Stapleton later added another trey at 1:26, giving the Bison a 22-20 advantage. By the end of the quarter, though, the Lady Bulldogs hit back-to-back threes from Makyra Tramble and Karly Gore to send SWOSU into the locker room with a 26-22 advantage.
In the third, the score traded hands several times in the final four minutes. In fact, there were 11 lead changes in the final 3:51. The last of those, with 18 seconds left, saw Ford knock down a free throw to make it 50-49, Bison.
The final period saw OBU nearly snap SWOSU's 13-game winning streak in the series. Lockhart scored eight during a 10-0 stretch as the Bison went up 64-51 with 6:26 left in the game.
Unfortunately, that double-digit advantage would be erased by the visitors.
In the final six minutes, the Bison turned it over five times and made two-of-six from the field. Plus, with the score tied at 66, OBU committed a trio of turnovers in its final four possessions.
For SWOSU, it tied the game at 66 with a layup by Bethany Franks at 2:01. Each team scored on its next possession before the Lady Bulldogs went in front for good. That came with 27 seconds left on a free throw Lauren Ramey, making the score 69-68.
On OBU's next possession, a five-second delay call was issued, basically thwarting any chance of a Bison win.
Next on the schedule for the green and gold is a trip to Arkansas Tech on February 10 at 5:30 p.m.
