SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. – Oklahoma City University handed John Brown (Ark.) its first Sooner Athletic Conference loss of the season in a 78-65 contest Monday at Bill George Arena.
The Stars, ranked second in NAIA Division I women's basketball, improved to 11-0, 6-0 in SAC play to take sole possession of the top spot in the conference. No. 22-ranked John Brown (11-3, 5-1) had been riding a nine-game win streak, the longest in program history prior to the matchup of top-25 teams.
OCU was led by Taylor Booze, a junior from Duncanville, who notched 18 points and four steals. Starr Fairbanks, the SAC player of the week, turned in a 14-point performance for the Stars.
Tiffany Goldwire, a junior from Oklahoma City, contributed 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Stars off the bench. OCU's bench racked up nearly half of the team's total offense, accounting for 37 points. The reserves also amassed 27 of OCU's 51 total rebounds.
“I thought our bench kids won the game, I don't think there's any doubt about it,” OCU coach Rob Edmisson said. “Emily Davis, Chasity Workman, Tiffany Goldwire – I thought those three kids were our spark tonight. Those kids came off the bench and they were our lift. I guess it's great from that aspect that we have that deep bench to work with.”
After building a 13-point halftime lead, OCU watched John Brown battle back to cut the lead to single-digits after a string of 11-of-13 shooting from the free throw line. The Golden Eagles ended the night making 21 of their 28 free throw attempts to keep themselves firmly entrenched in the contest.
OCU's once impressive 21-point second-half lead evaporated to a 60-58 edge with 6:41 to play. The Stars hung tough and closed out the game with a 16-7 clip to take the game 78-65. OCU was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line in the final 3:20 to ice the victory.
“I'm disappointed to get an opponent down by 21 with 13 minutes to go, and then that thing gets back to a two point game,” Edmisson said. “That kind of character and toughness will not win us a national championship, it just won't.”
The Stars got off a slow start after two early 3-point baskets by Emily Ortiz contributed to an 8-4 Golden Eagle lead four minutes into game play. Workman, a senior from Carrollton, Texas, put in a jump shot to cut the John Brown lead to two points. An ensuing steal and fastbreak layup by Davis tied the contest at 8-8 and OCU never trailed again. Davis, a junior from Guthrie, Okla., ended the night with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Stars.
The halftime margin was 40-27 in favor of the Stars. At the midpoint break OCU had 11 steals and held the Golden Eagles to 39.1 percent shooting from the field. For the game OCU outshot John Brown 44.3 percent to 40.4 percent from the field.
OCU is heading into the last days of the holiday break. Edmisson expects the Stars to capitalize on the opportunity for additional time for team improvement.
“I do not like Christmas Break, the fact that our kids aren't in class,” Edmisson said. “There's too much free time so we're going to take up their free time with some more court time.”
OCU will next travel to Alva, Okla., to take on Northwestern on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Percefull Fieldhouse.
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