ALVA, OKLAHOMA - Northwestern Oklahoma State Women's Basketball closed out the regular season against Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Lady Rangers used a big second and third quarter to take control of the game and closed out the 76-68 win over the Savage Storm to split the season series.
The Lady Rangers improved to 14-14 on the season with an 11-11 conference record closing out the six seed in the conference tournament. Southeastern drops to 18-10 with a 15-7 conference record closing the year as the four seed.
Northwestern was led by Payton Jones and Camille Thomas with 19 points each in the game, two of four double figure scorers. The other two were Carly Craig and Jaida Shipp with 10 points each. Thomas and Jaida Shipp led the team with seven rebounds. Craig led the team with seven assists.
Payton Jones opened the scoring in the game with the first two points of the game assisted by Craig for the early 2-0 lead. The Lady Rangers held Southeastern Oklahoma State scoreless in the opening four minutes as their first shot was a layup from Warden off the fastbreak from a steal. The two teams traded three pointers from Kobiske and Payton Jones. Southeastern made two foul shots to take their first lead at 7-6. A three pointer by Barr put the Savage Storm in front 12-8 with three minutes left in quarter. Southeastern went in front 14-10 before Camille Thomas made a last second shot assisted by Payton Jones as the Rangers trailed by two at the end of the opening quarter.
In the second quarter the Lady Rangers opened the quarter on a 10-0 run started by Payton Jones, scoring four of the points along with Kira Bass and Shipp as Northwestern took the lead at 22-14. Southeastern Oklahoma State answered with a 7-0 run to cut the Lady Rangers lead back down to one at 22-21. Craig hit her first three pointer of the game at the one minute mark left in the half to push the Lady Rangers up by nine after the assist by Lily Mahy. Kobiske hit a shot in the final seconds as Northwestern went into halftime with a seven point lead at 32-25.
Northwestern pushed their lead to double digits for the first time after starting the second half on a 8-0 run started by a shot from Tegan Jones before Camile Thomas scored four straight off a couple of misses from Southeastern as Northwestern controlled the rebounds. The Lady Rangers pushed their lead to 15, the largest of the game at the time off a shot by Thomas assisted by Craig. Jaida Shipp kept it at 15 points before the two teams traded three pointers as Mahy hit one for Northwestern. Payton Jones scored four straight for the Lady Rangers to close the third quarter as Northwestern had the largest lead at 17 to end the quarter at 55-38.
Southeastern Oklahoma State scored first in the fourth quarter but Mahy answered with a three pointer. Southeastern got as close as 12 points in the fourth quarter after a jump shot by Warden had the game at 66-54. The closest the Savage Storm were able to get with two minutes to play in the game. Summya Adigun pushed the lead back to 11 before a closing shot by the Savage Storm cut the Lady Ranger lead to eight to end the game as Northwestern closed out the 76-68 win over Southeastern to close out the regular season on senior day.
Next for the Lady Rangers is the Great American Conference tournament against Oklahoma Baptist for the first round of the playoffs.
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