Women's Basketball 1/9/2014 11:36:00 PM

Stars hang on for 64-58 win over John Brown

Third-ranked OCU puts away No. 16 John Brown

Autumn Lau's 13 points helped OCU build a 22-13 advantage in bench points Thursday.

Box Score
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University prevailed 64-58 over John Brown (Ark.) on Thursday at Abe Lemons Arena in a contest matching top 25-ranked teams in NAIA Division I women's basketball.
The Stars limited the top 3-point shooting team in the NAIA to four 3-pointers. Third-ranked OCU improved to 7-1, 4-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference, while No. 16 John Brown dipped to 11-2, 3-1 in league play.
Yvonte Neal, a junior from Spring Valley, Calif., posted 20 points, four rebounds and two steals for the Stars. Autumn Lau, a senior from Mount Wolf, Pa., supplied OCU with 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Kayla MacKenzie, a senior from Peoria, Ariz., chipped in 12 points, six assists and three treys.
Ouleymatou Coulibaly pulled in nine rebounds as OCU had a 45-37 rebounding advantage.
John Brown shot 4-for-30 from 3-point range Thursday. John Brown entered the matchup leading the NAIA with 10.08 3-pointers made per game.
"I enjoyed the effort from our young ladies," said OCU coach Latricia Trammell, who notched her 100th career coaching win on the college level. "We had them pushed out pretty far because we were being aggressive. We made them hurry their offense when they are used to running it at a certain pace. They were taking shots that were off balance. I think our intensity in the first half was really good."
OCU halted John Brown's school record-tying nine-game win streak. The Stars also snapped John Brown's other nine-game winning string in 2010-11.
The Stars went up by as much as 17 points. OCU's 13-2 splurge created a 64-47 cushion with 3:53 remaining. Neal had back-to-back transition buckets to put the Stars in front 59-45 with 6:12 showing.
Cara Pugh ignited the run with a 3 with 7:28 to go. Lau sank a jumper to cap the surge. OCU answered after John Brown reeled off an 11-0 run to cut the Stars' margin to 37-36 with 14:15 left.
Sierra Shipley canned two 3-pointers as John Brown scored the game's final 11 points. Shipley had 25 points, 10 rebounds and three 3-pointers for John Brown.
Up by five in the first half, Neal's jumper and 3 keyed a 7-0 OCU run that pushed the Stars' advantage to 26-14 at the 5:17 mark.
The Stars face St. Gregory's at 3 p.m. Saturday in Shawnee, Okla.

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