EDMOND, Okla. ? Oklahoma City University pulled away late to escape with a 79-72 victory over Central Oklahoma at Hamilton Field House on Saturday.
The Stars? Chelsea Ledbetter, a sophomore from Norman, Okla., led the way with 22 points and six assists. Ledbetter sank crucial baskets that helped OCU rally midway through the second half.
OCU, ranked third in NAIA Division I women's basketball, moved to 6-0. Central Oklahoma fell to 1-3.
?She gave a gutsy performance,? OCU coach Rob Edmisson said of Ledbetter. ?Central Oklahoma has improved much over the past couple of weeks. They had us on our heels. Our kids dug deep and played hard.?
Central Oklahoma took a 51-48 lead with 11:34 left in the game. OCU?s Romana Vynuchalova hit a jump shot with 10:35 left, then Ledbetter dropped in a layup and a free throw to put the Stars up 53-51 with 9:05 remaining.
Ledbetter also broke a 53-53 tie with a pair of free throws with 7:50 left.
Alexandra Kotta, playing much of the second half with four fouls, had 17 points and two steals.
?Alex did a good job of playing with four fouls,? Edmisson said. ?Our scorers were on the bench in foul trouble for much of the second half.?
The Stars hit on 23 of 28 free throws in the game and owned a 48-26 advantage in rebounds.
Mikelle Brown and Kay McConnell each had 10 rebounds, while Viola Beybeyah contributed nine rebounds.
?That?s what wins games,? Edmisson said. ?Defensively down the stretch we limited them to one shot. That gave us extra possessions and made the game shorter. Romana was better in the second half in terms of being physical.?
OCU faces Huston-Tillotson (Texas) at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at Abe Lemons Arena.