ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – A second half comeback push by the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Lady Rangers came up short Thursday evening as they fall on the road at Henderson State, 59-53, in Great American Conference play.
The loss pushes the Lady Rangers record to 5-9 overall this season in 2-5 in GAC action. The Lady Rangers look to rebound Saturday afternoon when they travel across the street in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, to Ouachita Baptist for a 1 p.m. tipoff.
Henderson’s 59 points was their lowest total of the season as they improved to 12-3 overall and 6-2 in the GAC.
Redshirt junior standout Kalea King carried the Lady Rangers against the Lady Reddies on Thursday with a season high 26 points, one shy of her career high. King also had five rebounds and two steals.
Bailey Brown was the other Lady Ranger with in double figures with 10 points, while she pulled down eight boards. Kenzi Lamer hit back-to-back three pointers in the third quarter to breathe some life into the Lady Rangers offense. Jade Jones, McKenzie Billy and Bailey Forell each hit three point baskets and Jakeria Otey added two points.
After the home team took a 17 point lead early in the second half, the Lady Rangers answered with 10 straight points, four on driving layups by King, followed by Lamer’s three pointers to make it 38-30. Henderson State briefly derailed the run with a basket, but King added four more points to cut the Lady Reddies’ lead to six.
A little later in the third, Forrel came away with a steal which set up a Brown layup, assisted by Jones, to bring the difference to three points at 42-39. However, HSU sent the game to the fourth with a five point lead.
In the fourth, the Lady Rangers continued to push the momentum they gained in the previous quarter when King took the ball to the hole coming out of the break for a layup and a free-throw to bring the game within two.
Unfortunately, anytime the Lady Rangers had an opportunity to get something going in the final stanza, the home team answered.
King scored 17 points in the second half comeback bid in 14 minutes of game play. After a dismal second quarter shooting, the Lady Rangers shot 41-percent in the final 20 minutes to finish 31.7-percent from the field for the game.
Henderson State held the advantage on the boards as they outrebounded the Lady Rangers 40-30, helping them to 17 second chance points. Karrington Whaley had an efficient 7-for-8 shooting night on her way to a team high 14 points.
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