USAO women’s basketball team (14-6, 10-4 SAC) took on the Southwestern Christian University Eagles (SCU) (10-10, 6-8 SAC) Thursday, Feb. 1. The Drovers came into this game on a three-game win streak and were looking to grab their fourth win in a row.
The Drovers started the game off hot going on a 10-1 run. Senior guard Bryanna Polk made a big contribution to this, as she had a three-pointer, two assists, a steal, and a rebound halfway through the first quarter. The Eagles began to kick it into gear, as they made three three-point shots close to the end of the quarter. USAO continued their offensive hot streak though, ending the first quarter with a 21-14 lead.
The second quarter continued to go the Drovers’ way as they jumped out to a 34-24 lead. Senior guard Toni Fortune was impressive in this quarter, as she scored five points paired with two assists. The Eagles soon caught fire again as they ended the half down by only three points after making back-to-back-to-back three-pointers. This offensive implosion brought the score to 37-34 with the Drovers still holding onto the lead.
“After the second quarter they were making three to four threes in a row, so we had to guard the three-point line better,” Crystal Ortiz, junior forward, said on what the game plan was for the second half.
The Drovers used this strategy to hold onto their lead against the Eagles. Junior guard Diaka Berete let her presence be known as she had five points, two steals, and an assist in the first three minutes of the third quarter. USAO had their strong defense back, only allowing eight points from the Eagles for the entire quarter. The Drovers kept their lead as they ended the third quarter with a 56-42 lead.
SCU attempted to come back into the game, as they put up 19 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Drovers played solidly, almost matching the Eagles with 18 points in the final quarter. USAO was victorious in the end, with the final score of 75-60. They now sit nine games above .500 and in fourth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) standings.
“I feel like we all played like a team, we were all looking for each other,” Ortiz said about the team’s performance.
The Drovers played a sound game offensively, posting a shooting percentage of 47% among all shots taken. The Eagles made 47% of their three-point shot attempts as well, but their turnovers are what hurt them. USAO had eight total turnovers compared to 17 from SCU. The Drovers scored 21 points off of those turnovers. USAO also saw a huge number of assists as they had 19 in the game.
Ortiz was consistent for the team with 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Berete aided the team with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
USAO has entered into the last month of regular season play. The Drovers will keep their home court advantage as they battle Mid-America Christian University (MACU) Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m.
Austin Jackson is a first-year history education major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
