ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Northwestern Oklahoma State women's basketball team fell to Ouachita Baptist, 75-62, on Saturday afternoon.
Kira Bass got off to a hot start, as she made her first four shots of the game to put Northwestern up 8-5 midway through the first quarter. The Tigers responded on a 9-2 run to take an 14-10 lead with 1:41 remaining in the quarter, but Bass responded with another basket to give her 12 straight points to start the game.
Summya Adigun knocked down a pair of free throws to end the quarter, with Northwestern down 16-14.
The Lady Rangers quickly cut the deficit down to one with a free throw from Bass, but Ouachita answered with a 6-0 stretch to expand its lead to 22-15 with 6:32 remaining in the first half. Bass hammered away in the paint for another bucket, and
Camille Pritchard nailed a three to bring the game back within two. Northwestern and Ouachita battled for momentum for the final minutes of the half, with the Tigers taking a 30-26 lead into the locker room.
Northwestern got off to a quick start in the second half with a putback from Bass and a layup from
Jaida Shipp, but Ouachita went on a 9-0 run to go up 39-30 midway through the third quarter. The Lady Rangers answered back with a layup from
Conley Cayot, but the Tigers went on an 8-0 run to take a 47-32 lead with 4:46 remaining in the quarter. Bass continued to attack inside, and
Kennedy Hight knocked down a three to put Northwestern back within 10, but Ouachita continued to pull away with a 57-43 lead after the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Bass and
Catyn Graham quickly struck to bring the deficit back down to 10. The Lady Rangers continued to chip away at the Tiger lead with free throws from Graham and a basket from Bass, followed by a three from Hight to bring the lead down to six midway through the quarter. Ouachita tried to pull away late in the game with a 5-0 spurt, but Bass responded with free throws to bring the deficit back to nine. The Tigers knocked down a trey to go up 72-60 with 2:40 left in the game, and held on to beat the Lady Rangers, 75-62.
Bass led the Lady Rangers in scoring and rebounds with a career-high 39 points and nine boards, while Cayot, Graham, and Shipp lead in assists with two.
The Lady Rangers will be back in action on February 12, when they travel to Weatherford to take on Southwestern Oklahoma State University at 5:30 p.m.
For the latest news and updates on NWOSU, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com
