ALVA, Okla. – First half shooting struggles were too much to overcome Saturday afternoon as the Northwestern Oklahoma State University women's basketball team dropped a Great American Conference matchup against Arkansas Tech, 75-54.
Northwestern moved to 6-13 this season with a 3-9 record in GAC play, while the Golden Suns of Arkansas Tech improved to 7-11 and 4-8 in the conference. The Lady Rangers take the court next on the road at Arkansas-Monticello this coming Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. tip.
Both squads struggled on the offensive end of the floor in the first half with the Golden Suns holding on to a 24-21 lead heading into the locker room. To that point in the game, the visiting team had scored just nine field goals to the Lady Rangers' eight. The only difference in the score was Arkansas Tech had hit one more three-pointer than the Lady Rangers.
ATU started the scoring in the second half before Bailey Forell made it a two-point ball game with one of her two three-pointers in the game. The senior finished tied for a team high with Bailey Brown with 13 points apiece.
However, Jacie Higgins hit a three on the opposite end of the floor to spur a 12-2 run by the Golden Suns. Late in the quarter, Brown drained a three from the right wing to make the Arkansas Tech advantage at 13 heading into the final stanza, 47-34.
After the Golden Suns started the fourth off with another three, Brown got to the basket for an easy layup on the Lady Rangers first possession of the fourth. ATU stretched its lead to 18 points less than a minute later, but Deja Beechum answered with a shot from behind the arc to make it 55-40.
Unfortunately for the Lady Rangers, Tech had an answer any time home team looked poised to make a run as they made 13-for-15 free-throws down the stretch in the final five minutes of play.
Brown and Forell were the only two Lady Rangers in double-digits. Beechum finished the game with seven points and Kalea King had six points. A handful of Lady Rangers closed the contest with three points, including Kyleigh Leverich, McKenzie Billy, Kenzi Lamer and Jakeria Otey.
Northwestern's leading rebounder was Brown with six boards, Forell had five rebounds and King and Presley Payahsape had four.
Ke'Vonshaye Stackhouse led the Golden Suns with 21 points and Ryann Goodsell has a game high nine rebounds.
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