Oklahoma Baptist Ends Special Season for Lady Pilots
March 19, 2009
JACKSON, Tenn. - Oklahoma Baptist University got a game-high 14 points off the bench from Natasha Hogg in a 57-39 victory over LSUS in first-round action Thursday morning at the 29th Annual NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship.
Oklahoma Baptist never trailed in the contest, opening up a 14-point halftime lead at 31-17 behind nine points each from Hogg and Ashley Harrell, and the No. 1-seeded Lady Bison led by double-digits through the entire second half. Afeisha Noel added eight points and a game-high six of Oklahoma Baptist's 16 steals. Harrell finished with 11 points, and Jennifer Jupin tallied 10 points and a game-high four assists for the Lady Bison in the victory.
In the first half, Oklahoma Baptist put together a pair of seven-point runs in addition to runs of six and five points, and the Lady Bison took a 31-17 lead into halftime. Jupin's basket in the paint with 6:24 remaining gave Oklahoma Baptist its largest lead of the game at 54-30.
LSUS was led by Janai Sells, who registered nine points along with a game-high eight rebounds for the Lady Pilots.
Oklahoma Baptist (30-4), which had lost five of its past six first-round national tournament contests, advances into the second round, where the Lady Bison will take on No. 5-seeded Columbia (Mo.) College Friday at 12:30 p.m.
LSUS's winningest season in program history ends with a final record of 27-6.
