BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — Southwestern College mounted a strong second-half push Wednesday night, but early deficits proved too much to overcome as the Lady Builders fell 78-67 to Oklahoma Wesleyan in a KCAC matchup at Mueller Sports Center.
Southwestern (4-7, 0-6 ) trailed 19-11 after the opening quarter and went into halftime down 44-31 as the Eagles controlled the boards and capitalized at the foul line. Oklahoma Wesleyan (5-5, 1-5) extended its lead to 14 early in the third before the Lady Builders found their rhythm.
Breanna Goad and Kennedy Ford sparked the rally after the break, combining for four 3-pointers in the third quarter as Southwestern outscored the Eagles 18-17 to cut the deficit to 61-49 heading to the fourth. The Lady Builders continued to chip away in the final period, getting the margin down to seven and staying within striking distance until the closing minutes. Oklahoma Wesleyan answered with timely buckets and free throws down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
Macey Pond led Southwestern with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes. Goad followed with 16 points, going 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from three. Ford posted a strong all-around performance, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. She added five rebounds, four assists, one steal and committed just one turnover while playing 37 minutes. Martha De La Rosa finished with 13 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter, to help fuel the late push, while Allyson Frank contributed six rebounds and five points.
Southwestern shot 45.1 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from 3-point range (9 of 19). Oklahoma Wesleyan held a 35-24 rebounding advantage and went 17-of-17 at the free-throw line. The Eagles turned 14 offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points and posted an 18-12 edge in points off turnovers.
Oklahoma Wesleyan was led by 21 points each from Gracie Alexander and Khassidy Warr. Warr added 13 rebounds for a double-double, while Khamille Warr scored 10 points and grabbed eight boards.
Southwestern returns home Saturday, Dec. 13, for another KCAC matchup, hosting the Bethany College Swedes at Stewart Field House. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
