GOODWELL, Okla. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State women's basketball team (5-14, 2-11 SAC) fell 59-40 in a defensive battle Thursday night at home to RV Langston (17-2, 11-2).
Tough second and fourth quarters spoiled the Aggies' chance to upset the leader in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings, but they did hold the Lions to 31.3% shooting, marking the lowest field-goal percentage the Aggies have allowed in conference play this season.
The Aggies burst out of the gates Thursday night by forcing turnovers and making their shots en route to grabbing an 8-0 lead.
After turning to its reserves, Langston slowly found its footing while OPSU could not sustain success on the offensive end. Through two quarters, LU had rallied to a 27-13 lead.
Panhandle State found its rhythm again to open the third quarter, as
Zamari Reece scored four early points and assisted
La'Tommas Johnson-Nash on a three-pointer to give the Aggies life, trailing 33-22. The Lions briefly increased their lead, but
Tryssa Dowd got her game going late in the frame to bring the hosts back to within 11 at 41-30 heading into the fourth period.
A 14-0 Langston run put the game on ice early in the fourth quarter, though OPSU got production from its reserves to close the game.
Nala Taylor and
Gaby Uribe made their way in the scoring column over the final few minutes, while
Heidi Rodriguez and
Breya Beck cashed in on triples as the Aggies closed the night on an 8-0 spurt.
Dowd tied for the game high with 12 points, while
Mar'kia Pratt and Johnson-Nash followed with seven points apiece. Johnson-Nash also tallied a game-high seven rebounds.
Defensively, Reece and Johnson-Nash both recorded a pair of steals, while Dowd,
Emily Bray and
Jamie Baum each had a block.
What's up next: With Saturday's originally scheduled game versus Central Christian postponed to Feb. 9, the Aggies next face Nelson (14-3, 10-3) on the road Thursday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m.
