WEATHERFORD -- Oklahoma Baptist edged out Southwestern Oklahoma State 2-1 in a Great American Conference match at SWOSU Athletic Complex on Saturday.
With the win, OBU clinched a berth into next week's GAC Tournament. Stay tuned for opponent and location info.
Alanna Bloomingdale put the Bison on the board early with a goal in the eighth minute, assisted by
Sam Sheffield. Southwestern responded with a strong defensive effort, but Oklahoma Baptist maintained pressure, finishing the first half with six shots compared to three for the Bulldogs.
The second half saw more intensity, with OBU increasing their shot count to seven. Their persistence paid off in the 71st minute when
Hali White scored the team's second goal, with an assist by
Olivia Kenas. That extended their lead to 2-0.
In the 86th minute, Southwestern's Natalie Freeman broke through with a goal, narrowing the score to 2-1. This late goal energized the hosts, but Oklahoma Baptist's defense, anchored by goalkeeper
Claire Stoermer, held firm and didn't allow the equalizer. Â
The match concluded 2-1 in favor of Oklahoma Baptist, who recorded 13 shots, six of which were on target. As for SWOSU, it managed just two attempts on target.
Oklahoma Baptist improved to a 6-6-5 with the win.
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