SHAWNEE – Kennedy Large and
Parker Stevenson hit two, clutch three-pointers late in the fourth as Oklahoma Baptist defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State 62-52 on Saturday at the Noble Complex.
OBU improved to 10-14 and 7-11 in the Great American Conference while the Lady Rangers dipped to 21-5 and 13-5 in league play.
The win kept the Bison in a tie for seventh place in the GAC standings with two other teams (Southern Arkansas, Ouachita) with four regular-season contests left.
Key Leaders
- Jaedyn Getman posted team-highs with 15 points and eight rebounds. She also added three assists.
- Stevenson scored 12 points and maybe most importantly, did not turn the ball over. The freshman also secured three steals.
- Sophomore Faith Wright contributed nine points off the bench, all on three-pointers.
- Fifth-year Madison Chambers registered eight points, five rebounds and dished out a game-high four assists.
What Went Right
- Defense. Coming into the game, Northwestern was averaging 76.7 points per contest, the 12th-best mark in the country. On Saturday, the Bison held them 24 points under their average. Plus, the Lady Rangers' field-goal mark of 28.3 percent was their lowest of the season.
- Defending Faith Simpson. Arguably the frontrunner for GAC Player of the Year, she made 5-of-25 from the field and scored 21 points, 11 of which came at the foul line.
- Large and Stevenson. With under four minutes to go, those two hit some of the biggest shots this year. Large's three came after an offensive rebound by Chambers before Getman dished to Stevenson on the left wing. Those buckets made the tally 56-50.
- Free throw shooting. OBU went 16-of-18 at the foul line for 88.9 percent, the second-best total this season.
- The Bison bench outscored Northwestern's 17-5.
What Went Wrong
- OBU built up a pair of 14-point leads in the third quarter but allowed the visitors to tie the game at 50 in the final stanza.
On The Horizon
- Next on the schedule is another home game on Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. against Southern Arkansas. Earlier this season, OBU defeated the Muleriders 63-58 in Magnolia.
