ALVA, Okla. – A second half comeback by the Oklahoma Panhandle State University women's basketball team could not be sustained, as it dropped a tough 70-60 non-conference road decision at Northwestern Oklahoma State University at the Percefull Fieldhouse. The Aggies (0-1) and Rangers (1-0) played a tight ball game, with neither team's lead exceeding single digits for 38:05 of the 40 minutes of the season opener for both clubs.
 
Panhandle never held a lead in the first half of play. The two squads were tied at 16-16 after the first period and NWOSU carried a 34-28 cushion into the halftime locker room.
 
But the opportunistic Aggies opened the third quarter with a big run and some deft defense. The 13-0 run turned what was a six-point deficit into a seven-point OPSU lead by the 6:29 juncture of the quarter. The scoring spree included a pair of free throws by Myra McCaskill (Aztec, N.M.), back-to-back three-balls from Cassia McCaskill (Townsville, Australia) and Naomi Rodriguez (Hooker, Okla.), a baseline jumper from Morgan Williamson (Wylie, Texas) and a trey from Myra McCaskill that made it 41-35.
 
The Rangers, however, refused to go away on their own floor and, by the end of the third quarter, re-took the lead for good, 52-48. A three-pointer by Rodriguez got the Aggies to within four points, 59-55, with 5:58 left. But OPSU could get no closer in the waning minutes versus NWOSU.
 
Rodriguez, a senior guard, led the Panhandle State scoring with a team-best 19 points. Rodriguez was 6-of-19 from the field, including hitting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. She also had two assists and a steal to her credit.
 
Fellow senior Cassia McCaskill was to only other OPSU player in double-digit scoring with 13 points. McCaskill was 4-for-8 overall and 2-of-3 from three-point range, while also hitting 3-of-4 free throws. McCaskill pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds, as well as dishing off three assists and making one block.
 
Newcomers Williamson and Myra McCaskill booked eight and seven points, respectively. Freshman Alie Parkhurst (Cheyenne, Okla.) tallied five in her college debut, with junior Tateum Jones (Hugo, Okla.) and freshman Jo Quintero (Guymon, Okla.) each adding three points in their first game in the Crimson and Blue. Jones was the game co-leader with six assists and topped all players with three steals.
 
As a team, the Aggies shot an impressive 47.8 percent from the floor and were equally deadly from long distance by making good on 47.1 percent (8-17) from three-point country.
 
"I was proud of our team and how hard we played," OPSU Head Coach Victor Esparza said. "We played as a team and never let negative things affect us. I was pleased with how we played, it being our first game of the year. The girls have worked so hard to get to this point and we are excited to get conference play started next Saturday."
 
Panhandle State opens Sooner Athletic Conference action on January 9 (2 p.m.) at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas.