EDMOND, OK – A big fourth-quarter scoring surge by UAFS wasn’t quite enough for the Lady Lions to upset the No. 25 Central Oklahoma Bronchos on their home court on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing by 19 points early in the fourth quarter, UAFS cut its deficit to as few as six points with three minutes to play, but the Lady Lions got no closer down the stretch as the Bronchos held on for a 67-58 win at Hamilton Fieldhouts in Edmond, Okla.
It was the Lady Lions’ sixth opponent to have been ranked or is currently ranked in one of the two national polls. All five of the Lady Lions’ losses have come against teams who are nationally ranked or have been nationally ranked at some point this season – Emporia State (No. 11), Pittsburg State (No. 19), Drury (No. 7/22), Lubbock Christian (No. 5/6) and Central Oklahoma.
UAFS (6-5) has beaten one current nationally-ranked team – No. 10 Central Missouri.
The Lady Lions shot 39 percent from the field (24 of 62) – they were 6-of-17 shooting from 3-point range – and shot only 57 percent from the free-throw line (4 of 7). Junior forward Sarah Elkins scored a team-high 13 points, while junior guard Mariah Green and senior forward Tayla Taylor had 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Taylor topped off her double-double with 10 rebounds, but the Bronchos still edged the Lady Lions by six rebounds (42-36).
Central Oklahoma (9-1), which led 31-27 at halftime, shot 42 percent from the field (27 of 65) – it was 9-of-20 shooting from 3-point range – and shot only 67 percent from the free-throw line (4 of 6).
Sophomore guard Shatoya Bryson had a team-high 13 points, freshman guard Jo’Nah Johnson 11 and junior guard Madison Lee, junior guard Blake Blessington and senior forward Jesheon Cooper each had 10 points apiece.
Copper topped off her double-double with 15 rebounds.
UAFS will return to action on Saturday when the Lady Lions host Tarleton State at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Stubblefield Center.
WOMEN
- 25 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 67, UAFS 58
UAFS 12 15 7 24 — 58
Central Oklahoma 20 11 19 17 — 67
UAFS (6-4): Elkins 13, Green 11, Taylor 10, A. Brown 7, Oliver 5, Haynes 5, Lehne 5, Williams 2
Central Oklahoma (9-1): Bryson 13, Johnson 11, Lee 10, Blessington 10, Cooper 10, Murillo 7, Womack 4, Smith 2
