WEATHERFORD – Oklahoma Baptist struck first, but Southwestern Oklahoma State rallied with a late winner to hand the Bison a 2-1 setback in their Great American Conference opener Wednesday at the SWOSU Athletic Complex.

OBU (1-5, 0-1 GAC) capitalized on an early opportunity in the sixth minute when Addison Gray scored after a free kick from Ryann Phillips. That gave the Bison a 1-0 lead just 5:16 into the match.

SWOSU (3-1-3, 1-0 GAC) controlled much of the offensive possession and found the equalizer in the 28th minute. Kinsey Geasland converted a chance created by Madelyn Kitchen at the 27:13 mark, sending the teams into halftime tied at 1-1.

The Bulldogs continued to apply pressure throughout the second stanza, outshooting the Bison 27-8 overall and placing 14 shots on target. Goalkeeper Makenzie Christian kept OBU in the contest with 11 saves, including several key stops during a scoreless stretch that lasted more than 56 minutes after Southwestern's first goal.

The Bison nearly carried the draw into the closing minutes, but Geasland struck again in the 84th minute. Taking a feed from Sarahi Delgadillo, she scored the game-winner at 83:59 over the outstretched arms of Christian to put the Bulldogs ahead 2-1.

OBU pushed forward late, earning a pair of corner kicks in the final 10 minutes, but could not find the equalizer. The Bison finished with eight shots and three corners, while the hosts recorded eight corner kicks and held a significant edge in offensive chances.

Gray accounted for OBU's lone goal, while Phillips collected the assist. Christian's 11-save performance, a season-best, highlighted the defensive effort as the Bison opened conference play on the road.

Next on the schedule for the green and gold is another road date, this one coming Sept. 19 at Northwestern.