SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It wasn't pretty, but Oklahoma Baptist did what it needed to and defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville 48-47 on Friday at the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic. The victory improved the Bison to 4-1.
The tightly contested game featured five lead changes and three ties, keeping the 112 spectators on edge.
Kingsville jumped to a commanding 11-2 lead after the first, fueled by strong defensive play and efficient scoring in the paint. OBU made just one of 16 shots in the period.
The Bison responded in the second stanza, with
Mackenzie Crusoe catching fire, scoring nine on three 3-pointers. OBU outscored the Javelinas 20-11 and by halftime was tied with the Lone Star Conference school 22-22.
Third-quarter action saw both teams trading blows, with Texas A&M-Kingsville slightly outscoring Oklahoma Baptist 17-14. Shelby Ray, who finished with 10 points and six rebounds, was instrumental in keeping the Javelinas in the game, while Crusoe continued to pace the Bison, finishing with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.
In the final period, Oklahoma Baptist's clutch shooting, including critical three-pointers from
Catyn Graham and Crusoe, proved decisive. Despite a late triple by Texas A&M-Kingsville's Aina Maynou in the dying seconds, the Javelinas fell one point short.
Crusoe's double-double anchored the green and gold, while
Parker Stevenson added 10 points. For Kingsville, Janessa Payne chipped in eight points, and Veyda Lake contributed seven points off the bench.
Turnovers plagued both teams, with Texas A&M-Kingsville committing 22 to Oklahoma Baptist's 17. Despite the Javelinas' 40-34 rebounding edge, their 36.2 percent shooting wasn't enough to offset Oklahoma Baptist's timely three-point shooting.
On Saturday, the Bison will play host St. Mary's at 4 p.m. to conclude their trip.
