WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Women's Basketball picked up a much-needed win over Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday night, defeating the Blossoms 70-62 inside the Pioneer Event Center.
 
They entered Thursday night's contest in a tie as the eighth seed with a 10-13 record. They were tied with Southern Nazarene at 8-10 in conference play. With four games remaining in the 2026 regular season, the Lady Dawgs' fight for a spot in the GAC Tournament continues to come down to the wire.
 
SWOSU faced a gritty Arkansas-Monticello ball club, which came in at 6-18 on the season. Coincidentally, UAM's only victory in conference play entering the matchup was SWOSU, a 71-59 win on January 17th. The Lady Bulldogs avenged that loss on Thursday night.
 
Elle Papahronis got the game going for SWOSU, earning a trip to the line 21 seconds in. Both teams struggled to find their footing offensively, shooting less than 40% from the field. Two Bulldog threes allowed them to find their largest lead of the first half at 15-10. Landry Allen set the tone defensively, swatting away four shots in the opening quarter.
 
The second quarter was largely the same as the first, with multiple lead changes and multiple ties. The offenses started to find a rhythm, with both shooting above 43%. The quarter was even, with both teams scoring 17 points each, making it 34-33 at halftime.
 
The Dawgs were able to find some footing by driving to the basket in the third, earning nine free throws and hitting eight. They were able to overcome a 6-13 quarter from the Cotton Blossoms, including UAM going 3-6 beyond the arc, to take the lead into the fourth.
 
SWOSU opened the final period on a heater, starting on an 8-0 run. The run gave them their largest lead of the game at 59-50. It was later matched with a score of 68-59. The Dawgs dropped a couple of threes, as well as converting on an and-one opportunity to keep UAM at bay.
 
The Lady Dawgs picked up the scrappy, defensive win 70-62, to bring them to 9-10 in conference play and one game closer to clinching a spot in the GAC Tournament. They tallied only eight turnovers, one of their lowest totals of the season.
 
Landry Allen led the way for SWOSU, filling the stat sheet with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and six blocks. Piper Patterson finished with 12 points, Elle Papahronis added 11, and Lacy Brough tallied 10. Peyton Conde played the entire (yes, you read that right), game, accounting for nine points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
 
Next up for the Lady Dawgs: Southern Arkansas at home on Saturday (2/21)