Oklahoma Panhandle State University Women's Basketball team took on Haskell Indian Nations University in their first regular-season non-conference game.
In a hard-fought battle, the Aggies started the game with a lineup featuring Molly Jones, Jana Radovanovic, Diana Santos, Heidi Rodriguez, and Sierra Tate. The first quarter saw OPSU leading in rebounding with a stat line of 13-5, including 3 offensive boards, although they trailed 16-9 on the scoreboard.
At halftime, Haskell maintained a lead, with the score standing at Haskell 28 - OPSU 19. Despite the score differential, the Aggies showed diversity in scoring, with points coming from five different players. Leading the scoring at the half was Sydnei Collier with 6 points.
OPSU faced challenges in ball possession, committing 16 turnovers in the first half, allowing Haskell to maintain control and lead for most of the initial periods.
OPSU was outscored 24-4 by Haskell in the third quarter. Although the Aggies fought back in the fourth quarter, scoring 22 points, it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. The final score reflected Haskell's victory with a score of Haskell 65 - Panhandle State 45.
Jana Radovanovic emerged as a standout performer for the Aggies, leading the team with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Molly Jones showcased accuracy from downtown, going 2-2 to contribute 6 points. Heidi Rodriguez demonstrated versatility, filling out the stat sheet with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Head Coach Greg Ray reflected on tonight's game saying, "We need to find a way to start the way we finish. We've got to play harder and take care of the ball. Haskell is a really good team that plays with great intensity. They took us out of what we wanted to do tonight and we didn't know how to counter. I have to do a better job of getting us prepared."
Looking ahead, OPSU will participate in a two-day event at Wayland Baptist, with their next matchup against Texas A&M-Texarkana scheduled for tomorrow, November 11th, at 12 PM.
