SHAWNEE – OBU Women's Basketball secured their first win of the New Year in Noble Complex against NWOSU.
The green and gold clawed their way back to the win column with a double digit win over the Rangers to begin the run for the Bison in 2025.
In the opening half of action, a back-and-forth battle made for an intense matchup early on, knotted up at 36 a-piece at halftime. The duration of the game saw eight lead changes and five ties.
OBU took over in the third frame, putting up the highest scoring quarter with 27 points. Ultimately, the strong second half opening gave the green and gold a lead that the Rangers struggled to compete with, ending in an 83-70 final for the home team.
Across four quarters, the Bison shot 43.5% from the field, 43.8% from the three and went 15-16 from the line. OBU totaled 38 bench points, 22 points in the paint, 19 second chance points and 16 points off turnovers.
Katelyn Davis had a great outing, leading the team in scoring with 15 points on the evening, going 3-6 from the three and 6-11 from the field.
Mackenzie Crusoe,
Parker Stevenson and
Jill Leslie were also key contributors to the OBU offense with Crusoe totaling 14 points, Stevenson tallying 12 and Leslie adding 13, earning a new season high.
In addition to her offensive contributions, Leslie led the defensive efforts for the Bison with four blocks, another season high.
Crusoe and
Payten Conde headed the OBU rebounding efforts with six each, while Davis added five and Leslie finished with four rebounds.
Conde totaled eight points on the night, shooting 50% from the field, 33.3% from the three and 50% from the line. The sophomore also added one block and one steal for the Bison.
The win over the Rangers sends the green and gold to a 5-1 total in conference play and 9-3 overall.
Next up for OBU Women's Basketball is a road match in Russellville, Arkansas. The Bison will take on Arkansas Tech on Jan. 9 at 5:30 p.m.
