Arkadelphia, Ark. - Northwestern's Lady Rangers defeated The Ouachita Lady Tigers on their home court 61-48. An early 12-0 run by Northwestern allowed them to control the game, gathering the first lead of the game and would not trail the rest of the way. Another outstanding performance from the foul line, shooting 90.9%, helped ensure The Lady Ranger's victory.
The Lady Rangers advance to a 13-9 overall and 9-7 conference record. The Lady Tigers fall to a 7-11 conference record and a 9-13 overall record.
Bailey Brown led the team with 21 points followed by Scout Frame with 20. Brown also led the team in rebounds with 10. Carly Craig contributed 4 steals to lead Northwestern. Brown's double double brought her to six for the season and 28 in her career.
1st Quarter: The Lady Tigers were the first to strike, scoring a jumper and layup for an early 4-0 lead. Senior Bailey Brown quickly responded with a layup. Fellow senior Kinsey Neiderer contributed to The Ranger momentum by firing off a three pointer. An additional three pointer by Brown contributed to a 12-0 run and secured The Lady Ranger lead at 12-4. The Lady Tigers ended the run with a three pointer. Off the bench, Kes Reeves fired off another three pointer for The Lady Rangers. Scout Frame contributed two free throws, allowing Northwestern to lead 19-12 after the first quarter.
2nd Quarter: The Lady Tigers came out of the quarter shooting, scoring an early three pointer to close the gap. Scout Frame contributed a free throw for The Lady Rangers before the teams settled in without scoring for the next two minutes there would be two separate three minute scoring droughts in the quarter. The Lady Tigers broke the silence with a layup. Frame and Brown quickly responded with a layup and jumper. The Lady Tigers fired off another three pointer to leave them trailing by one at 26-25 with a minute left of play in the first half. Two free throws by Brown in the final seconds allowed The Lady Rangers to keep their lead 28-25 going into halftime.
3rd Quarter: The Lady Tigers came out of the half hitting a layup. Carly Craig responded for The Lady Rangers with a layup of her own for her first points of the night. Two free throws by Ouachita broke two minutes of no scoring from either team. Brown contributed a layup to The Lady Ranger lead. Both teams reached another stalemate for three minutes. Craig broke the deadlock drilling a three pointer for The Lady Rangers. A last second layup by The Lady Tigers left the home team trailing by two 35-33 going into the final quarter.
4th Quarter: The Lady Rangers kept their lead going into the fourth quarter as the Lady Rangers quickly extended the lead with two free throws and a layup by S. Frame. The Lady Tigers responded with a three pointer. Neiderer fired off a three pointer for Northwestern, answering the Tigers' call. Teammate Brown knocked down a layup keeping Northwestern out in front. Ouachita shot back with a layup trailing by five halfway through the quarter 48-43. S. Frame extended the Northwestern lead by sinking two free throws and a layup. S.Frame scored another layup for two of her 15 points in the quarter. The Lady Tigers responded with a free throw. Andi Pierce contributed another two points for The Lady Rangers. As the game hit the final minutes Northwestern continued to shoot well from the foul line putting the game away. The Rangers ensured their victory with a 100% free throw shooting percentage in the last minute of play. The Lady Rangers defeated The Lady Tigers on the road 61-48 sweeping the season series against the Tigers.
The Lady Rangers face off against the Henderson State Reddies on Saturday. Tip off is set for 1:00 PM. Northwestern looks to secure another victory on their two-game Arkansas road trip looking for their third straight win.
For the latest news and updates on NWOSU, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com.
