OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University rallied for a 69-61 victory over Southern Nazarene on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena in another installment of the NAIA's most heated women's basketball rivalry.
The Stars, ranked sixth in NAIA Division I, overcame a nine-point deficit for its 17th consecutive win overall and 18th in a row in conference play. OCU improved to 23-3, 18-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference, and Southern Nazarene fell to 16-12, 10-10.
Southern Nazarene built a 19-10 early advantage using a 10-1 run. Lana Keith connected on a 3-pointer to finish off the Crimson Storm spree.
The lead changed hands seven times during the contest. Laura Duncan buried a trey to provide OCU a 53-52 edge with 7:25 remaining in the game. The Stars seized the lead for good on Duncan's 3.
“Donica Cosby and Laura Duncan gave us good lifts offensively in the second half,” OCU coach Rob Edmisson said. “Donica Cosby got to the free-throw line quite a bit. Holly Hardin and Starr Fairbanks did a good job inside. We didn't give them enough opportunities.”
OCU outscored Southern Nazarene 16-9 the final 7:25 of the game and 8-1 the last 2:50.
Sharmeda Johnson hit free throws to cut the Stars' lead to 62-60 with 2:50 left. Hardin hit a free throw, then Cosby scored the rest of OCU's points in the final minute.
Cosby knocked in a layup and all four free-throw attempts the last 56 seconds of the game.
Cosby, a junior from Coldwater, Miss., finished with 23 points, eight assists and four steals for OCU. Fairbanks, a junior from Cincinnati, added 16 points, five rebounds and three steals, and Hardin, a senior from Chickasha, Okla., recorded 14 points and five rebounds.
OCU had a 42-35 advantage in rebounding, picking up 18 offensive boards to the Storm's 13. Southern Nazarene, though, held a 14-6 advantage in second-chance points.
“I thought we did a poor job on with our rebounding,” Edmisson said. “We gave them too many second-chance opportunities.
“Southern Nazarene played well. We have to figure out late in the season how to sustain our effort. We pick and choose when we want to play hard. We have to figure it out before we get to Tennessee, or it will be a quick trip.”
The Stars play their final home game of the season 6 p.m. Monday against USAO at Abe Lemons Arena.
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