Box Score WEATHERFORD, Okla. – A long 2-pointer by No. 25 Arkansas Tech saw the Lady Bulldogs' upset attempt fall just shot, 64-62, in Great American Conference action at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center on Thursday night.
The Golden Suns took a quick 4-0 lead, but SWOSU came roaring back on a 7-0 run that was capped by a
Jennifer Williams make from long range. ATU would go on to build a 20-13 lead at the 8:46 mark after SWOSU went almost four minutes without a basket.
Chelsea bates broke the dry spell with a quick layup as the Lady Dawgs went on a 17-2 run spanning the final 6:33 of the half with Williams providing the exclamation mark with a make from downtown with four seconds left on the clock. She would finish 3-4 from beyond the arc in the first half as SWOSU carried a 30-22 lead into the locker room.
The Lady Dawgs continued to hold the lead, building to a lead of ten points early in the second half. With 12:08 remaining in the game, Arkansas Tech pulled level at 41-41. The Golden Suns began to build a lead after SWOSU began to cool off, creating a seven point hole for the Lady Dawgs with 3:12 left in regulation.
Nina Gregory banked in a 3-pointer with 3:00 left on the clock that spurred a 7-0 run.
Korina Chapman blocked a shot, gathered the rebound and then proceeded to make a long 2-pointer with 19 seconds left to tie the game. Bates then forced a steal, but missed the go-ahead layup and the game was headed to overtime.
Tech managed to get on the board first in overtime, but Chapman brought parity back to the scoreboard with a left-handed lay-in. The Lady Dawgs drew even with 62-62 with 26 seconds left. A missed shot by ATU was tipped out by SWOSU with eight seconds left, setting up the last ditch long 2-pointer by the Golden Suns that found the bottom of the net.
Williams finished with a team-high 12 points, while Chapman and Bates finished with 11 points apiece. Bates completed her second double-double of the season with 10 boards. It was her first since the season-opener against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
"I thought our fight, our defense really stepped up," said Head Coach
Kelsi Musick. "We had two true freshman start the game and two end the game. They may not have been the same ones, but the experience they're gaining is priceless and says a lot about where we're going."
The loss dropped SWOSU to 4-9 in conference play. The Lady Dawgs will return to action this Saturday, February 7 when they take on No. 20 Harding at 12 p.m. inside the Pioneer Event Center.
"I think we're really buying in on our defensive game plan and have been rebounding hard," said Musick. "I think our offensive speed and spacing is much better than when we last faced Harding. We can run with anyone."
