GOODWELL, Okla. — The Oklahoma Panhandle State women's basketball team (5-17, 2-14 SAC) rolled with the punches Thursday evening versus John Brown (9-14, 7-10), clawing back multiple times but falling just short in the end, 60-57.
 
OPSU forced a shot-clock turnover on its final defensive possession, giving them five seconds to try to tie the game. A three-point attempt at the buzzer was blocked, though, keeping the Aggies winless in the series history with John Brown. The three-point margin tied for the closest game yet between the conference foes.
 
Both teams scored on their first two possessions to open the night, as La'Tommas Johnson-Nash buried a triple and a layup to give the Aggies an early 5-4 edge. OPSU found success in the paint over the next several minutes, working to a 10-7 lead before the Golden Eagles closed the quarter on a 13-3 run.
 
Balanced offense carried Panhandle State throughout the second frame, with the hosts methodically coming back to grab a five-point lead with two minutes to play prior to halftime. A 7-2 JBU burst knotted things up, 34-34, by the intermission, ending an evenly played first half up and down the stat sheet.
 
John Brown gained separation in the third quarter with a strong defensive effort, though Heidi Rodriguez made a three-pointer and Dowd scored inside during the final possessions to close the deficit to 49-42 through three quarters.
 
As has been a relative constant for head coach Maria Belt's team throughout the season, the Aggies would not go away silently. Despite trailing by 11 early in the fourth, OPSU turned up the defensive pressure, pushed the pace offensively and shared the rock to quickly make it a three-point game, 56-53, with 3:04 to go.
 
The Golden Eagles increased their lead back to seven, but Dowd and Pratt got buckets to drop as the home team's defense strung together three straight stops to close the contest, giving the Aggies a chance to send it to overtime on a last-second three-pointer.
 
Dowd scored 17 points to lead OPSU. Pratt and Johnson-Nash followed with 13 and 12, respectively.
 
Rodriguez was active with six rebounds, a steal and a team-high three assists off the bench. Defensively, Dowd recorded two blocks, while Johnson-Nash had three steals and a block.
 
What's up next: OPSU continues its homestand on Saturday at 2 p.m. when it plays host to College of the Ozarks (15-8, 12-5).