OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The upset-minded Oklahoma Panhandle State University women's basketball team stayed close to NAIA No. 3-ranked Oklahoma City University for three quarters, before the hosts pulled away to a 75-57 final in the Sooner Athletic Conference opener for both teams. The Aggies fell to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the SAC, while the Stars improved to 5-0 and 1-0 in conference play.
 
Panhandle trailed the nationally-ranked OCU team by one, 18-17, after the first quarter and by 13 (41-29) at the half. By the third period, the Aggies had climbed to within nine at 54-45. But OCU, last year's NAIA runner-up, used its experience to pull away from the upstart Aggies in the fourth.
 
While it does not change matters in the won-lost column, the ability of OPSU to hang close to a quality team like the Stars bodes well for OPSU Head Coach Victor Esparza's Panhandle State squad. Consider that – in last year's three meetings – OCU defeated the Aggies by an average of 36.0 points per game.
 
But the narrative was different Thursday evening, as Panhandle battled all 40 minutes. Early on, it was junior transfer Cassia McCaskill who set the tone by scoring her team's first six points of the game and helped the Aggies stay within a single point in the opening quarter.
 
McCaskill finished the game as the aggie co-leader, along with Shaylynn Choate, at 13 points each. Both McCaskill and Choate had a hot night shooting, both going 5-for-7 from the floor. McCaskill made one three and was 2-for-2 from the free throw stripe, while Choate made 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
 
McCaskill also led OPSU with nine rebounds.
 
Shay Audrain came off of the Panhandle State bench to chip in 10 points, on a 4-of-7 shooting game.
 
Redshirt freshman Vanessa Gonzales added seven points and four assists. Senior Nadia Hayes booked six points and pulled down five rebounds. Naomi Rodriguez and Kaylee Morgan each tallied three points, and two from Lowendie Laporal, to round out the Aggie scoring.
 
Junior transfer guard Laura Moya Demures had a game-leading six assists for OPSU.
 
Both teams shot well from the field as a team. Panhandle hit 40 percent (22-55) overall and was an impressive 44 percent (10-23) from three-point range. OCU hit 43 percent (29-67) from the floor and was just 13 percent (2-15) from long distance.
 
Panhandle State will next play Saturday (Nov. 23) at Southwestern Christian University.