Women's Basketball 1/2/2014 11:43:00 PM

OCU gets by Wayland Baptist 78-68

Stars notch second Sooner Athletic Conference victory

Kayla MacKenzie scored in double digits for the fourth consecutive game.

Box Score
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University turned back Wayland Baptist (Texas) 78-68 on Thursday at Abe Lemons Arena.
Yvonte Neal, a junior from Spring Valley, Calif., spearheaded OCU with 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals. The Stars, ranked second in NAIA Division I women's basketball, went to 5-1, 2-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
Ouleymatou Coulibaly, a junior from Bamako, Mali, West Africa, produced 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals, while Kayla MacKenzie, a senior from Peoria, Ariz., posted 18 points, five rebounds and five assists for OCU.
Neal's long-range shooting ballooned the Stars' advantage back into double figures late in the game. Wayland Baptist had trimmed OCU's lead to one point.
Neal sank back-to-back 3-pointers to boost OCU's margin to 73-63 with 3:54 remaining in the game. Coulibaly preceded Neal's jumpers with a layup as the Stars went on an 8-0 flurry.
OCU responded after Shayla Monreal brought Wayland Baptist to within two points at 65-63 with a trey at the 5:28 mark. Monreal had a 3-point play to slice the Stars' lead to 61-60 with 8:41 to go.
Coulibaly scored on an inside basket to provide the Stars their largest cushion at 57-45 with 15:33 showing. Wayland Baptist fought back with the game's next 10 points.
"I am proud of our effort," OCU coach Latricia Trammell said. "I was proud of the effort in the second half. I knew we had to block out and get to the 50-50 possessions."
Cara Pugh provided OCU with seven points and three assists in her first collegiate career start. Pugh, a senior from Oklahoma City, had made 97 appearances off the bench for the Stars entering Thursday's game.
The Stars hit 28 of 37 free throws as MacKenzie led the way with 12-for-17 shooting from the free-throw line. Wayland Baptist got 10 points on free throws.
OCU overcame 38.3 percent shooting from the field and 24 turnovers. The Stars limited Wayland Baptist to 36.6 percent shooting from the floor.
The Stars last played 12 days ago on Dec. 20. Earlier this season, OCU had gone 18 days between contests.
"I think our team chemistry, we're still working on that," Trammell said. "I joke with them all the time telling them that we're the best practice team in the country. We're about to get our roll on with consecutive games, and I think we'll get better every day."
The Stars take on Northwood (Texas) at 6 p.m. Monday at Abe Lemons Arena.

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