GOODWELL, Okla. – The Oklahoma Panhandle State University basketball teams both came out on the short end of decisions to Southwestern Christian University at Anchor D Arena. The Aggie women lost their Sooner Athletic Conference contest to the Eagles' women's squad, 78-56, while the OPSU men fell to SCU, 92-90, in a heart-breaker loss.
Panhandle's women led the Lady Eagles, 15-10, after one quarter, but found themselves down at the intermission, 36-25. SCU extended its advantage through the third period, leading 57-35.
Senior
Nadia Hayes (Mesquite, Texas) led the OPSU scoring with 18 points. Hayes was 7-fo-9 from the field. She also had a team-leading eight rebounds to her credit.
Freshman phenom
Shay Audrain (Stratford, Texas) rolled up her 19th double-digit scoring effort of the season by tallying 16 points. Audrain was held to two field goals, but made up for it by converting 11-of-12 free throw attempts. She also pulled down six rebounds, made a game-leading five steals and blocked a shot in another of her all-around solid performances.
Junior
Cassia McCaskill (Townsville, Australia) was the Aggies' third double-figure scorer with 12 points, going 5-of-14 from the floor. McCaskill grabbed four boards, dished off four assists and made a pair of steals, as well.
OPSU's junior guard
Laura Moya Demures (Barcelona, Spain) was the game's co-leader with six assists.
In the men's nightcap, Panhandle State showed one of its best comeback bids versus the Eagles. OPSU trailed by as many as 17 points early in the second half and was still down by 15 with a little over three minutes on the clock, 84-69.
But Panhandle would begin a torrid charge down the stretch, forcing turnovers by SCU and out-scoring the Eagles by a 21-8 margin to close the game.
Thomas Ellis, who poured in six points during the Aggie run, hit a bucket with five seconds left to make it the 92-90 final, after the OPSU had a last second shot blocked as time expired.
Ellis (Stanford, Calif.) finished the game with a Panhandle State career high of 26 points. Ellis was an efficient 11-for-16 from the field, including pair of treys. He had four rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
Freshman
Jalen Williams (Edmond, Okla.) also had his top scoring game as an Aggie, booking 21 points. Williams hit half his field goal attempts (10-of-20) and, along with teammates
Brett Williams (Bridgetown, Barbados) and
DK Sumo IV (Norman, Okla.), was the OPSU co-leader with five assists.
Sophomore
Quentin Fankhouser's (Goodwell, Okla.) 10 points gave Panhandle State a trio of double-digit scorers for the night. Fankhouser had four rebounds and three steals on his ledger, as well.
Junior
Daniel Holyfield led OPSU with eight rebounds. Sumo had an Aggie-best four steals in the game, to go along with his eight points.
Brett Williams also chipped in eight points, with Holyfield booking six.
