OKLAHOMA CITY ? Oklahoma City University?s women defeated Lubbock Christian (Texas) 83-68 on Thursday at Abe Lemons Arena thanks to an 18-2 advantage in points off free throws.
The Stars shot 18-of-24 from the free-throw line, led by Fabiana Araujo?s 8-for-8 performance in free throws. Lubbock Christian shot 2-for-3 on free throws.
Mariam Sy, a 6-foot-4 senior from Mali, West Africa, had 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals for OCU. Araujo, a 6-0 senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, had 18 points and seven rebounds.
OCU, ranked eighth in NAIA Division I, went to 11-2, 2-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Lubbock Christian fell to 7-5, 1-1.
Lubbock Christian led 54-49 with 13:24 left in the game. OCU rallied with a 9-0 run, ended with back-to-back 3-pointers by Zanita Johnson and Alexandra Kotta, respectively.
Necy DeVance keyed a 7-0 OCU run with a 3-pointer. DeVance dropped in a trey with 6:17 remaining that gave the Stars a 72-66 lead with 4:56 left. Araujo finished that run with a pair of free throws that put OCU up 76-66 with 3:20 remaining.
?I?m not happy with how we played defensively, from an intensity standpoint and from a sense-of-urgency standpoint,? OCU coach Rob Edmisson said. ?Defensively we were lethargic and slow to recognize screens.?
Edmisson said that the Stars? ability to score quickly doesn?t always lead to consistent intensity.
?Our biggest weakness is our explosiveness, and our biggest strength is our explosiveness,? Edmisson said.
OCU plays host to Wayland Baptist (Texas) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Lemons Arena on Alumni Day. OCU alumni get in free to the game and get 2-for-1 tickets to the Jan. 14 games against Southern Nazarene. OCU players will meet with alumni following the men?s game in the Leichter Reunion Room at the Freede Center.