ALVA, Okla. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State women's basketball team defeated Southern Arkansas, 75-68, on Thursday night. The win moves the Lady Rangers to 17-8 on the season and 12-7 in Great American Conference play.

The opening quarter started as a defensive struggle, with the Northwestern defense holding the Muleriders to three made shots in the entire quarter. The Lady Rangers closed the opening quarter on a 6-0 stretch with Kira Bass and Kennedy Hight leading the charge to give Northwestern a 14-10 advantage.

Northwestern's lead continued to grow early in the second quarter, as Bass and Madison Denison worked their way into the paint to spark a 7-0 run that pushed the lead up to 21-11 with 6:41 remaining in the first half. Southern Arkansas brought the lead down to four, but the Lady Rangers answered with an 8-0 run consisting of a layup from Bass and six free throws to balloon the lead up to 12. Bass continued to get the free throw line and scored on another layup to give Northwestern a 35-25 lead going into the locker room.

Bass picked up where she left off in the third quarter, as she immediately scored inside and mad another free throw to put the Lady Rangers up by 11 before Southern Arkansas went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit down to one. Camille Pritchard and Jaida Shipp helped widen the gap back to five late in the quarter before Catyn Graham buried a three and Denison nailed a pair of free throws to put the Lady Rangers ahead 48-41 going into the fourth quarter.

Southern Arkansas tried to close the gap early in the fourth quarter, but Northwestern killed the rally with a jumper from Hight and a trey from Summya Adigun to put the Lady Rangers ahead by 10. The Lady Rangers and Muleriders continued to trade baskets, but Southern Arkansas could never come closer than six points. Northwestern went 14-16 from the free throw line in the final quarter to close out Southern Arkansas, 75-68.

Bass led the Lady Rangers in scoring and rebounds with 32 points and 11 boards, giving her 11 double-doubles on the season and her third 30-point game for the year, while Adigun led in assists with three.

The Lady Rangers will be back in action on February 21, when they take on the University of Arkansas-Monticello for senior day inside Percefull Fieldhouse at 1 p.m.

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