USAO women’s basketball team (13-6, 9-4 SAC) took on the Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) (10-8, 7-6 SAC) Thursday, Jan 25. The Drovers were looking to get back into the win column after suffering a 63-51 loss to John Brown University (JBU) during their last performance.
USAO got off to a slow start in the first quarter trailing 18-10. The Drovers rebounded in the second quarter to take the lead over the Lions 29-27.
Going into halftime, senior guard Toni Fortune knew the team had to make some adjustments in order to leave this game victorious.
“The game plan in the second half was defensive. We knew we could score because we were getting great shot selection; however the other team was getting the same shot selection, we had to make sure we could stop them and score to get a breakaway from them,” Fortune said.
The second half was much closer with both teams making shots at will. The third quarter saw the lead flip between the teams, but the fourth quarter started with a 45-45 tie.
Going into the fourth quarter it seemed as though the Drovers had slowed down as the Lions went on a 13-0 run and eventually took a ten-point lead against the Drovers. This would not deter USAO as they were determined to catch the Lions.
Led by senior forward Lainey Morrow’s historic performance they would come back and tie the game at 59-59 with two and a half minutes to go. After a foul by USAO, the Lions would make one of two free throws for a small lead. With the final seconds winding down, junior guard Diaka Berete made a dagger three-pointer for the lead. With the momentum in their favor, USAO ultimately came out with the 69-64 victory.
A milestone for the team happened when Morrow scored her 1,000th career point, making her the seventh player in program history. She is ranked sixth out of the seven players to hit this mark.
“When you see one of your teammates accomplish something like this it just puts a warm feeling in your heart. I see how hard Lainey works daily. She strives to be her best every day on and off the court. I am just so proud I have a teammate like her, and she deserves all her flowers, such a great role model to the lower classman on the team,” Fortune said.
Morrow led the team with 19 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Berete was close behind with 13 points and seven rebounds. Crystal Ortiz, a junior forward, neared a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Austin Jackson is a first-year history education major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
