OKLAHOMA CITY, OK: The Texas Wesleyan University women's basketball team (4-3, 0-1 SAC) dropped the conference opener with Mid-America Christian University (8-1, 1-0 SAC) after a furious rally came up short, but Katelynn Threats joined the 1,000-point club in an 81-77 contest at the Gaulke Activity Center on Thursday.
 
The Lady Rams shot over 50 percent in the second half to chop down a 17-point deficit, including an 8-0 rally with less than a minute remaining in the game. With 2:11 remaining in the first quarter, Katelynn Threats became just the 13th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. She needed only seven points, but put in 21 for good measure. Threats now has 1,014 points which ranks 12th all-time at Texas Wesleyan.
 
TXWES started out 3-for-4 from the floor as Falesha Fuller dropped one in for a 6-2 edge two minutes in. The Evangels went on an 11-2 run to end the quarter, capped by a Nevada Denton and-one play to make it a 21-17 game.
 
The Rams could not keep up with their opponent for a stretch in the second quarter and fell into a 7-point, 32-25 hole. MACU took advantage and pushed the lead to 38-27 at the break after Janaya Hines posted a shot as time expired.
 
After shooting just 34 percent from the field in the first half, Wesleyan did a better job of putting in high percentage shots. Despite going 0-4 from behind the arc in the third quarter, the Lady Rams still hit 53 percent of their shots from the floor. That did not slow down the Evangels from shooting a white-hot 60 percent in comparison. Ashlie Bruner made it an 8-point game with a short jump shot, but Mid-America Christian responded with a 9-4 run to extend the lead to 58-41 with 3:54 left in the quarter. Bruner and the Rams plugged the leak, but could not make up much ground before the end of the third, trailing 63-48.
 
The fourth quarter quickly turned into a shootout, and the Lady Rams found life with a 6-0 burst sparked by a Bruner triple and capped in a Threats jumper to cut the lead to 70-61 with just under four minutes to go. The Evangels held a 10-point advantage at 78-68 before Texas Wesleyan started a 9-1 run with 54 seconds left in the game. Alycia Louallen connected on a pair of shots from downtown, the second of which came with 15 seconds on the clock. There was also a defensive foul committed by MACU away from the shot, so the Rams had the opportunity to make it a one-point game. Bria Jackson hit the backend of a pair of free throws to cap the run and bring the score to 79-77 in favor of the Evangels. Texas Wesleyan had to foul with 10 second remaining and Mykayla Flores hit both shots at the charity stripe to make it a four point lead. The Lady Rams could not pull of the comeback on the road, falling 81-77.
 
Bruner led Wesleyan with 22 points, adding 10 boards and six assists in the affair. Threats had 21 points and seven rebounds. Fuller posted 10 points in the game.
 
The Lady Rams will host a 6-2 SAGU team on Saturday, December 3. That game set for a 3:00pm start at the Sid Richardson Center.