FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS - Northwestern Oklahoma State Women's Basketball is in the 2025 Great American Conference semifinals game. This will be the Lady Rangers first trip to the semifinals following the 69-65 victory over Oklahoma Baptist, Friday afternoon. Northwestern Oklahoma State (15-14, 11-11 GAC) will face the No.2 seed Harding Bisons (23-6, 18-4) on Saturday afternoon with a 2:15 PM scheduled tip-off.
This will be meeting number 26 between the two programs as Harding leads the series history 21-4. Northwestern has won the last meeting with a 63-61 victory in Searcy, Arkansas . Overall this season the two programs split the season series 1-1. In the win the Lady Rangers led by Camille Thomas with nine points who led a balanced attack as nine different players scored. In the loss in Alva, Kira Bass led the Rangers with 22 points.
After Friday's win the Lady Rangers are winners in three of the last five games. Northwestern was led in scoring by Payton Jones scoring 19 points, one of four players to score double figures. Carly Craig had a double double finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds.In the win the Lady Rangers earned the first GAC tournament win in program history.
Overall, for the Rangers, Payton Jones leads the team with 12.9 points per game, followed by Cary Craig at 10.7 per game. Camille Thomas and Kira Bass are just under double figures with 9.2 points for Bass and 9.0 for Thomas. Craig leads the team with 114 assists. She is second in the conference in assists and assists per game at 4.0. Kira Bass is second in the conference with 3.4 offensive rebounds per game.
Defensively for the Rangers, Kira Bass leads the team with 25 blocks on the season eighth in the conference overall. Craig is the team leader with 53 steals on the season which is fifth in the Great American Conference. Camille Thomas is second in steals with 47 with 19 blocks. Kira Bass leads the team with 6.5 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Rangers are first in the conference in offensive rebounds at 14 per game, and are second in steals per game at 9.3. The Lady Rangers force the second most turnovers per game at 17.57.
HARDING BISONS:
Harding enters play on Saturday coming off a 64-49 quarterfinals victory over No. 7 seeded Southern Arkansas. The Bisons on the season are 23-6 with an 18-4 conference record, winners of six straight and a 2-0 record on a neutral floor.
In the win over the Muleriders, Harding had four players in double figures led by Josie Williams hitting four three pointers to score 18 points. Rory Greer finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bisons are led by Sage Hawley scoring 18.1 points per game averaging a double-double with 10.5 rebounds per game. She is one of four double figure scorers joined by Aubrey Isbell at 13.5 points, Rory Geer with 12.2 and Josie Williams with 10.0 per game. Williams leads the team with 87 assists on the year.
On defense Josie Williams leads the team with 29 steals on the season, followed by Isbell with 26 while adding 10 blocks. Sage Hawley leads the team with 57 blocks on the season along with 24 steals. Hawley leads the team in rebounding with 10.5.
Harding is the number one scoring team in the conference at 70.8 on the season and first in turnovers per game. They are the number two offensive rebounding team at 13 per game.
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