Women's Basketball 11/26/2011 5:02:00 PM

Stars topple Union 69-57

OCU rides second-half rally to take down second-ranked Union

Dietra Caldwell scored 15 second-half points in the 69-57 victory.

SHAWNEE, Okla. – Oklahoma City University upended Union (Tenn.) 69-57 behind Dietra Caldwell's 15 second-half points Saturday in game two of the Oklahoma Baptist Classic at the Noble Complex.
The Stars, ranked third in NAIA women's basketball, surged late in the second half to put second-ranked Union away and move to 4-0 on the young season.
The guard trio of Taylor Booze, Caldwell and Tiffany Goldwire scored double figures and helped force 22 Union turnovers in the OCU victory.
“I'm proud of our kids,” OCU coach Rob Edmisson said. “I thought they were really resilient; we didn't play well, and we didn't shoot well, but found a way to win.”
Goldwire gave the Stars their first lead of the game when she made a pair of free throws at the 11:05 mark to make the score 7-6.
Senior Emily Davis followed with a 3-pointer to push the score to 10-6 and give OCU its biggest lead of the half.
Union led much of the half, shooting 47 percent from the floor and 50 percent from 3-point range, and took a 31-24 lead into halftime.
The Stars shot a miniscule 21 percent from the floor in the first half, but forced 15 turnovers to help keep the score close.
Union maintained the lead until back-to-back 3-point baskets from Caldwell gave the Stars a 43-41 lead with 11:52 to go.
A Kayla MacKenzie 3-pointer sparked a 17-5 run and gave the Stars a 60-49 lead with 3:47 to go.
Booze made eight of 10 free-throws down the stretch to put the game on ice and give the Stars a 69-57 win.
Booze and Caldwell each finished with a team-high 15 points all scored in the second half. Booze also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Goldwire chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds.
The Stars shot 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point land in the second half.
“We needed that game,” Edmisson said. “You find out more about your team in a game like this than you do in those games where you win by 60 or 70.”
OCU will return to Sooner Athletic Conference play against USAO at 6 p.m. Thursday at USAO Fieldhouse in Chickasha, Okla. The Stars are 1-0 in SAC play.
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