BETHANY, Okla. – Donica Cosby scored 30 points to lead sixth-ranked Oklahoma City University to a 79-77 overtime victory over No. 23 Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Friday in the semifinals of the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament at the Sawyer Center.
Cosby, a junior from Coldwater, Miss., scored 24 of her 30 points in the second half and overtime as OCU overcame a double-digit deficit. The Stars (28-3) will meet fourth-ranked Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday in the SAC championship game at 4 p.m.
The Stars used a 6-0 spurt in overtime to take the lead for good at 69-65 with 2:38 left. OCU extended out to its biggest lead of the game at 73-67 on a layup in transition from Cosby with 1:41 remaining. Lauren Gober hit two free throws, and Cosby converted four free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
“I have coached 23 years and almost 700 basketball games and I have never coached a team that has shown that kind of resiliency,” OCU coach Rob Edmisson said of OCU's ability to come from behind. “I really don't have words for it. I don't know what is going to happen the rest of the year, but this may be one of the toughest, most resilient teams that I have ever seen.”
Chontaye Walter, a senior from Oklahoma City, had 14 points, three assists and two steals for OCU. K.J. Johnson, a junior from Portland, Ore., had 11 points and six rebounds, while Gober, a freshman from Newcastle, Okla., totaled 10 points.
OCU trailed 57-46 with just over five minutes to play when April Ehlers hit a layup for Lubbock. Cosby scored on a 3-point play to start a 9-2 run over the next 1:30 to cut the Lubbock lead to 59-55 with 3:46 to play.
Cosby scored six consecutive points to give to give OCU its first lead of the game at 63-61 with 40 seconds left. Cosby had 10 points in the final five minutes of regulation.
“Donica is the type of player that can go make baskets and get shots,” Edmisson said. “There are times in games when we don't run plays, you just say get the ball to your best player and make plays.”
Severyn Smith scored on a layup for Lubbock to tie the game at 63 each and push the game into overtime.
Lubbock led the entire way in the first half, building early leads of 6-0 and 16-6. OCU shot just 34.5 percent in the half, and made 5 of 11 shots from the free-throw line. Walter converted a jumper at the end of the half to cut the Lubbock lead to 32-27 at the break.
Boxscore
Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament
At Bethany, Okla.
Sawyer Center
WOMEN
Thursday's Results
Lubbock Christian 68, Wayland Baptist 64
Rogers State 60, Oklahoma Christian 55
Oklahoma Baptist 76, Northwestern Oklahoma State 33
Oklahoma City 75, Southern Nazarene 74
Friday's Results
Game 5: Oklahoma Baptist 87, Rogers State 75
Game 6: Oklahoma City 79, Lubbock Christian 77, OT
Saturday's Game
Championship
Game 7: Oklahoma City vs. Oklahoma Baptist, 4 p.m.
