Box Score WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Southwestern used a season-best defensive display to come out on top 64-54 over East Central in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center on Hall of Fame Weekend.
SWOSU held the visiting Tigers to opponent lows in field goals made (20) and points scored (54). It was a team effort, with four Lady Bulldogs recording steals in the contest.
Korina Chapman also did well patrolling the paint, blocking two shots.
The first half saw the teams trade baskets over the first 2:35 before back-to-back 3-pointers by Taylor Fischer and Erin Walling for the Tigers sparked a 12-2 run. The Lady Dawgs began working their way back into the game, ripping off six straight points. ECU tried to pull away, but never built a lead greater than six the rest of the way. A
Kimmi Sawatzky layup with 19 seconds left pulled SWOSU within two at 28-26 to go into halftime.
The Lady Dawgs promptly took the tied the game thanks to a layup by
Jade Jones in the first 20 seconds of the game, and took the lead for the first time at the 18:51 mark when Jones splashed one in from five feet beyond the arc. The Tigers kept it close, with Southwestern never growing a lead greater than four points before tying it up 37-37 with 13:08 to play.
A jump shot by
Jessica Penner sparked an 18-2 run that saw the Tigers go without a field goal for six minutes. The Tigers threatened to make it a game with 1:35 left in the game after a 13-3 run of their own, but
Chelsea Bates made a layup and was fouled on the attempt to stop the threat. The Lady Dawgs went on to score six of the final eight points in the game to emerge victorious, 64-54, in front of a Hall of Fame crowd.
Jones finished with a game-high 15 points in the low-scoring affair while also grabbing seven boards. Penner completed her team-leading fourth double-double of the season with four seconds left in the game off a dish by Jones to finish with ten points and a game-high ten rebounds. Bates and Chapman poured in nine points each, while Bates also grabbed ten off the glass and had a game-high five assists.
"It's nice to be able to make some shots! I think we're beginning to start to understand our offense and run it better compared to earlier this season," said Head Coach
Kelsi Musick on the win. "I always tell the team you want to peak in February and March, so hopefully we can carry this momentum into last part of the season."
The Lady Dawgs have now picked up back-to-back conference wins for just the second time this season as they start a three-game homestand. SWOSU will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 5:30 when they host Arkansas Tech.
