ALVA, Okla. - The No. 22 Northwestern Oklahoma State women's basketball team defeated East Central, 74-56, to remain undefeated in conference play. The victory moves the Lady Rangers to 9-1 on the season.
The Lady Rangers and Tigers battled for control early in the game, as Northwestern got off to a hot start as Kira Bass and Summya Adigun each hit their first shot of the game to quickly put the Lady Rangers ahead. Both teams traded baskets throughout the opening five minutes, but the Lady Rangers went on a 10-0 run as Conley Cayot and Camille Pritchard helped to build the lead. Jaida Shipp and Adigun went to work in the paint to put Northwestern on top 21-12 at the end of the first quarter.
East Central clawed back into the game on a 6-0 stretch in the first 30 seconds of the second quarter, but the Lady Ranger defense stepped up and held the Tigers scoreless for the next four minutes. East Central once again cut the deficit down to three points behind another 7-0 run, but Cayot, Pritchard and Catyn Graham all nailed shots on a 9-0 run to bring Northwestern's lead up to 12 at halftime.
Northwestern controlled much of the third quarter holding East Central scoreless for most of the quarter. The Lady Rangers opened things up with an 11-4 run midway through the period to take a 48-29 lead. Northwestern took their largest lead of the game with 26 points, as they went on another 11-2 run to end the quarter up 62-38.
The Lady Ranger defense continued to stifle East Central, as the Tigers only scored four points in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Bass continued to thrive in the paint, and Pritchard made four straight free throws late in the game to give Northwestern a 74-56 win.
Bass led the Lady Rangers in scoring with 20 points, giving her four 20-point games this season. Madison Denison led in rebounds with nine, while Shipp led in assists with four. Bass and Denison each had two blocks, while Adigun had two steals.
The Lady Rangers will be in action again when they welcome the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene to town on Dec. 18th at 5:30 p.m.
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