HESSTON, Kan. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State women's basketball team (2-0) used a defensive clinic in the second quarter Tuesday evening at Hesston (0-5) to lift the squad over the Larks, 64-50.
 
Freshman Mar'kia Pratt scored 24 points in a stellar all-around game, leading Panhandle State to its first 2-0 start since the 2021-22 season.
 
The Aggies were active on the defensive end from the opening tip but struggled to put the ball in the hoop in the first quarter that ended with the score tied, 16-16.
 
OPSU further picked up the intensity in the second frame, enjoying a 12-0 run over a span of nearly seven minutes that turned a 19-all game into a 31-19 Aggie advantage. Panhandle State ended the half in front, 34-23, after limiting the hosts to 3-of-18 shooting in the second quarter.
 
Pratt punctuated a 14-point first half with her second three-pointer of the night, while she also starred with a game-high four assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block through 20 minutes of action. Pratt was one of three OPSU players with a block in the second quarter, joining Jamie Baum and Tryssa Dowd.
 
A pair of and-one opportunities for Pratt got the Aggies started in the second half, but too many fouls committed by Panhandle State on the defensive end helped Hesston stay in the game.
 
Pratt knocked down her third triple of the night late in the third quarter to make it 45-32, though, and baskets by Nala Taylor and Dowd to close the third and open the fourth put OPSU in front, 49-35.
 
The Larks trimmed their deficit to 10 points on two occasions in the final frame, but a successful and-one for Baum with 3:09 to play, followed by consecutive buckets from Zamari Reece, iced the victory.
 
Dowd, Pratt and Heidi Rodriguez each finished the night with two steals, with Dowd also recording a pair of blocks. Though her activity did not show up in the box score, Taylor's ball pressure helped key the Aggies' defense during her time on the court.
 
Offensively, Panhandle State had 14 assists on the night. Pratt, who recorded a team-high seven rebounds as well, closed the evening with a game-high five assists, while La'Tommas Johnson-Nash and Reece each had three dimes.
 
What's up next: OPSU returns to Anchor D Arena for the inaugural No Man's Land Classic on Friday and Saturday, with tipoff Friday versus the University of the Southwest (2-0) scheduled for 5 p.m.