ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Northwestern Oklahoma State Lady Rangers controlled Thursday's game from start to finish starting on the defensive side of the floor. The Lady Rangers held Southwestern to 26.7%, helping take a commanding 17-3 lead early in the game before closing the 53-36 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State.

The Rangers improve to 9-8 on the season with a 6-5 Great American Conference record this season while Southwestern Oklahoma State falls to 5-6 in conference play.

Lady Rangers earned their third straight victory led by Kennedy Hight with 14 points and Jaida Shipp with 10 points, the two Lady Ranger players in double figures. Camille Thomas finished with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Northwestern defense held Southwestern to under 10 points in three of the four quarters starting with the opening quarter when the Lady Rangers held Southwestern to three points 1-11 shooting. Kennedy Hight opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Southwestern's first points were on a jump shot with 8:13 left in the quarter. Northwestern with 6:17 left in the quarter held the Bulldogs scoreless for the remaining six minutes, closing the quarter on an 11-0 run. Camille Thomas led the way with six points as the Lady Ranger defense forced four turnovers grabbing two steals while holding Southwestern scoreless on 0-7 shooting during the run. The Lady Rangers built a 17-3 lead to end the quarter.

The run grew to 13-0 after an opening quarter basket by Carly Craig. Northwestern continued to grow the lead after a Southwestern basket stretching the lead to 23-7 after Kira Bass hit her first shot of the game. Jaida Shipp scored four straight as the lead grew to 27-9. Northwestern went into the halftime break with a 16-point lead at 27-11 after Southwestern closed the half with a basket. Northwestern held the Bulldogs to 0-13 from three and just 16% overall shooting in the quarter.

Southwestern started the third quarter on a small run bringing the Lady Ranger lead back down to 10 at 29-19 as the defensive battle continued. However, the Lady Rangers at the four-minute mark left in the quarter started by a couple of Hight points closed the quarter on a 10-0 run as Northwestern shot an efficient 4-6 on the run sparking the run and forcing four turnovers and holding the Bulldogs to 0-4 shooting. During the quarter Southwestern hit their first two-three points of the evening trying to get back into the game in the early part of the quarter but the Lady Rangers answered back and took a twenty-point lead at 39-19 into the fourth and final quarter.

After a lot of defense in the opening three quarters, the two teams traded baskets as Southwestern started the quarter a perfect 4-4 from the floor however the Lady Rangers continued to answer, maintaining the 20-point lead with four different scorers in the early part of the quarter. Jaida Shipp answered with two points at the 5:10 mark as Northwestern held a 49-30 lead. The closest Southwestern was able to get in the quarter was 15 at 49-34, but Craig scored four straight points to push the lead back to 19. The Lady Rangers closed out the 53-36 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State for the third straight win completing a perfect home stand with the three wins. 

Northwestern will be back on the road Saturday afternoon against East Central in Ada, Oklahoma. The tip-off for the game on Saturday is scheduled for 1:00 PM against the Tigers.

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