Women's Basketball 11/22/2011 9:12:00 PM

OCU routs Mid-America Christian 115-52

Stars benefit from 40 Mid-America turnovers

Taylor Booze posted 11 points, four assists and five steals in OCU's win Tuesday.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University crushed Mid-America Christian 115-52 on Tuesday at the Gaulke Activity Center.
The Stars, ranked third in NAIA Division I women's basketball, notched their first Sooner Athletic Conference victory of the season. OCU (2-0) pocketed 25 steals.
OCU took advantage of 40 Mid-America turnovers to score 54 points. The Stars knocked Mid-America to 5-1, 0-1 in the SAC.
Kayla MacKenzie, a sophomore from Peoria, Ariz., led three OCU 20-point scorers with 27 points. MacKenzie also nailed five 3-pointers and grabbed a team-high five steals in 17 minutes of play.
Dietra Caldwell, a senior from Missouri City, Texas, contributed 24 points, nine assists and five steals. Caldwell knocked in four treys as OCU hit 12 3-point shots. Tiffany Goldwire, a senior from Oklahoma City, added 21 points and two steals.
OCU dished 26 assists, shooting 57.7 percent from the field in the game.
“I was really excited about how we shared the ball,” OCU coach Rob Edmisson said. “We were looking to the open player all night. When we shoot like that, we're hard to guard. We had a couple of our normal top scorers not play as well, but others came through.”
Through two games, MacKenzie is recording 26.0 points a game while shooting 64.3 percent from the floor. Her scoring average and 10 3-pointers lead the NAIA.
“That's tremendous,” Edmisson said. “Someone on the bench said she's not the same kid she was last year. She got stronger in the off-season. She shot the ball. She doesn't take bad shots. Her basketball IQ is extremely high. People are running at her, and she's smart enough to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket.”
Taylor Booze nabbed five steals, while Desiree Jeffries picked up four thefts.
“Deflections are more important than steals,” Edmisson said. “We'll turn deflections into steals. There were three of Jeffries out there tonight. Jeffries was all over the floor. You can't throw the ball over her. She has too much height and speed.”
OCU took control of the game with a 14-0 run late in the first half. Emily Davis ignited the Stars spree by nailing a 3-pointer with 9:29 showing in the first. Caldwell added a trey, then Booze knocked in back-to-back baskets.
Goldwire capped the run with a putback, then a transition bucket. Goldwire scored off a Caldwell feed to put OCU ahead 41-18 with 6:47 left in the half.
OCU outscored Mid-America 26-3 to build a 53-21 advantage with 1:53 remaining in the half. Caldwell pocketed a steal, then dropped in a layup for the Stars.
In the second period, MacKenzie put OCU past the 100-point mark with a lay-in. The Stars led 101-45 with 6:15 remaining in the game.
Jeffries' free throw pushed OCU's lead to 60 points at 108-48 at the 3:19 mark. OCU's largest advantage came with the final margin as MacKenzie sank a bucket with 15 seconds left.
The Stars face Peru State (Neb.) at 5 p.m. Friday in the Oklahoma Baptist Classic at Shawnee, Okla.
Boxscore

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