Women's Basketball | 1/10/2021 11:52:00 AM

Box Score WAXAHACHIE, Texas – A furious second half comeback by the Oklahoma Panhandle State University women's basketball team came up a little short in a 79-74 road loss at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. The Aggies (0-1, 0-1 SAC) trailed by 25 at halftime to the Lions (1-0, 1-0 SAC), in the season – and Sooner Athletic Conference – opener for both teams.
 
"We came out a little sluggish in the first half," OPSU Head Coach Victor Esparza said. "But we came out in the second half and played hard, executed and gave ourselves a chance to win the game. I am extremely proud of this group for never giving up and working hard to get back in the game. I know we will build on this and be better the next game."
 
However, the game had a promising start for the visitors. Panhandle held a 15-13 lead after the first quarter of action. But a nightmare second period, in which the Aggies were out-scored 35-8, left OPSU down at the intermission, 48-23.
 
Esparza and company regrouped at the break and came out with a third-quarter blitz of the Lions. The Aggies closed the quarter on a 19-7 run of its own, cutting the deficit to 64-48.
 
OPSU kept its assault on the SAGU advantage going in the fourth stanza and, by the 6:14 mark, had managed to trim the hosts' margin to single digits, 69-60, after a three-point bucket by Myra McCaskill.
 
With just 26 seconds remaining, freshman Alie Parkhurst got her own rebound and put the ball back in to get the Aggies to within two, 74-72. But OPSU could get no closer, as Panhandle was forced to foul and SAGU made its free throws down the stretch.
 
Seniors Cassia McCaskill and Naomi Rodriguez led the Aggies comeback bid.  McCaskill had a game-leading 18 points, after making good on 7-of-14 field goal attempts. McCaskill was 2-for-5 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 from the free throw stripe. She also pulled down five rebounds and had a pair of assists.
 
Rodriguez drilled 6-of-11 shots from the floor on her way to a 17-point game.
 
Two other Aggies – newcomers Tateum Jones and Jo Quintero – both finished in double digits, booking 11 points apiece. Jones was 5-of-10 shooting and also was the game's co-leader with seven rebounds.
 
Parkhurst and Morgan Williamson each corralled five caroms, as Panhandle State had a 34-32 edge on the glass.