ALVA, OKLAHOMA- Northwestern Oklahoma State Women's Basketball travels to Ada to face East Central to complete three straight games on the road. Northwestern is currently 0-2 in these games looking to end the two game losing streak.
Northwestern enters play with a 7-5 overall record this season with a 3-5 Great American Conference record tied for sixth in the conference. The Tigers enter 1-7 overall in GAC play and a 4-8 overall record.
The Red-and-Black look to bounce back after falling on the road 57-53 at Ouachita Baptist on Saturday. Talayah Thomas led the Rangers with 21 points in the game for her collegiate career high. Camille Thomas finished with 10 points as the other Ranger in double figures.
This will be the 24th meeting between the two programs overall dating back to 2013. Northwestern has won the last two meetings including one earlier this season in Alva where Faith Simpson with 21 points, a game high, to lead the Lady Rangers to a 85-60 victory. Overall Northwestern trails the series history 8-15 since 2013. Northwestern is 4-7 on the road in Ada and 4-6 in the last 10 meetings. Northwestern will look to sweep the season series for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
On the season Northwestern is led by Faith Simpson averaging 16.4 points per game as one of three double digit scorers joined by Camille Thomas and Carly Craig scoring 12.8 and 11.0 points per game. Craig leads the team with 68 assists on the season and 5.7 per game running the offense. Both are conference highs and the 5.7 per game is ninth nationally.
The defensive side of the floor Northwestern is allowing 57.3 points per game which ranks first in the GAC and 32 in Division II. The Lady Rangers are averaging 11.9 steals per game which ranks second in the conference. Craig and Faith Simpson lead the team with 30 steals on the year followed by Talayah Thomas with 25 steals this season. Simpson leads the team with 10 blocks on the year.
East Central:
The Tigers split their two games last week earning their first conference win of the season 79-76 over the Muleriders. They later fell in Monticello 73-53 to close out the week. Crusoe led the team with 23 points in the win.
East Central is led by Mackenzie Crusoe with 14.2 points per game as one of two double digit scorers along with Ashlyn Evans-Thompson with 10.1 points a game. Crusoe leads the team in assists with 3.4 per game followed by Ashlyn Evans Thompson with 2.5 assists.
On the defensive side of the ball Cummins leads the team with 21 steals followed by Crusoe with five blocks. Crusoe leads the team in rebounding with five boards per game.
