OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City women's basketball is back in action this weekend, playing in the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy Tip-Off Classic in St. Louis.
 
The 1-0 Stars play Central Methodist at 1 p.m. on Friday before tangling with Ottawa (Ariz.) at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
 
OCU Notebook
Unaccustomed to Neutral: These two games will mark the first time OCU has played more than one neutral court contest since the 2019-20 season. The Stars haven't won a neutral court contest since Nov. 24, 2021, when they defeated LSU-Alexandria in double overtime in San Antonio.
 
Last Game: The Stars opened the Alexis Lawrence coaching era with a 69-57 win over Oklahoma Wesleyan on Saturday. Ellie Willard and Jerzie Bryant led the Stars with 11 points each with Victoria Ososanya and Weronika Tomaszuk adding 10 apiece. Tomaszuk OCU with nine rebounds. Bryant and Ososanya did their work from off the bench and led OCU to a 40-point bench scoring contribution.
 
Scoring: One game in, the Stars have four players averaging in the low double figures in scoring. Ellie Willard and Jerzie Bryant both scored 11 and Victoria Ososanya and Weronika Tomaszuk added 10 each in the opener. Brooke Curry is right there with the lead pack with nine points. OCU shot 48 percent from the field in the season opener.
 
Three-Ball: The Stars had a good night from three-point range in the opener, shooting 42 percent on their 12 attempts. Brooke Curry was three of four and Ellie Willard was two for five from the three-point line.
 
Freebies: The Stars were a respectable 75 percent from the charity stripe in game one. Four players got to the stripe with Victoria Ososanya and Weronika Tomaszuk hitting both of their attempts. Jerzie Bryant was three of four and Ellie Willard collected five points at the line.
 
Board Games: The Stars won the battle of the boards on Saturday, 39-30, led by Weronika Tomaszuk with nine. OCU had nine offensive rebounds on the day, with Tomaszuk getting four of those. OCU was only to turn those nine offensive rebounds into six second-chance points.
 
Distributors: The Stars had 15 assists in the opener with Ellie Willard, Amanda Sene da Cruz and Lia Sekhniashvili getting three apiece. Seven Stars had assists in the game.
 
Defense: OCU held the Eagles to 38 percent shooting from the field and 19 percent from three-point range.
 
History with Central Methodist: OCU and Central Methodist haven't met since the 2013 NAIA Tournament. The Stars won that meeting 74-39.
 
Scouting the Eagles: CMU opens the season on Tuesday with a visit from Health Sciences and Pharmacy. Central was 9-19 last season. Nautica Washington, a 5-9 guard, is back for her sophomore season after averaging 12.4 points to lead the team last season.
 
History with Ottawa: This will be the first meeting between OCU and Ottawa.
 
Scouting OUAZ: The Spirit opens the season Friday against Arkansas Baptist. Ottawa was 15-12 last season. Briana Humphries, a 6-1 senior forward, averaged 13.1 points per game for the Spirit last season. She led the team with 7.6 rebounds per game last season.