ST. LOUIS – Oklahoma City successfully staved off a late push by the Spirit of Ottawa University (Ariz.). On Saturday, the Stars played their second and final game of the UHSP Tipoff Classic. Offense was aplenty for both teams, and the final score was decided on late free throws by OCU. Previously, the Stars last scored 90+ points nearly three years ago in a game against Central Christian College on December 4, 2022. 
 

How It Happened
OCU scored 26 points in the second quarter to secure a lead going into halftime. After going down by five in the opening quarter, Head Coach Alexis Lawrence's squad bounced back and outscored Ottawa by seven in the second quarter. Halfway through the opening quarter, OCU tied the game 15-15, but the Spirit expeditiously rattled off five straight points to stretch their lead to 20-15. Lauren Rowan and Ellie Willard both dropped four points into their team's offensive output. Ottawa attempted five free throws in the opening quarter and shot 50% from the floor while connecting on two three-pointers. 

Entering the third quarter with a 43-41 lead, Oklahoma City faltered defensively and allowed Ottawa to score 25 points while seeing seven attempts from the charity stripe. The Spirit attempted a staggering 19 field goal attempts in quarter number three. Although the Stars lost the third quarter 25-23, they also saw an increase in free-throw attempts, with 11. Rowan took over for her team in the quarter, scoring seven points. Weronika Tomaszuk had a perfect shooting quarter while hitting a three-pointer and scoring five points. The junior from Poland also snared two rebounds in the quarter. 



Fourth Quarter Dramatics
The Stars' victory was not evident or secure until the very last seconds of Saturday's game. OCU elevated their game in the final quarter; the Stars attempted 17 free throws to only one three-point attempt. Additionally, the Stars defended the three-point line (held OTT to 2-8 from deep in 4Q) and did not commit a single fourth-quarter turnover. Willard exploded for 11 points in the quarter and provided the dagger free throw with seven seconds left in the game. However, Oklahoma City split the pair of free throws in each of its final three trips to the line– ultimately, adding more to the dramatic flair. 
 

 

Star of the Show
Ellie Williard, a sophomore from Cordell, Okla., was the Star who shone brightest in Saturday's game against the Spirit. Williard scored 30 points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, and added four assists, which was tied for the time-high with Jerzie Bryant. Up to this point in the season, Willard now leads Oklahoma City in scoring, three-pointers made, and assists. The sophomore from Lookeba-Sickles owns an 11:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in three games played. Lastly, Willard has paced the Stars in free throw attempts with 29. 



On the Radar
OCU will play the next four games on the road, with the first being in Sterling, Kan., on Nov. 7. The Stars will tip off against Sterling College at 6 p.m. inside the Gleason Center. 


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