OKLAHOMA CITY, OK: The Texas Wesleyan University women's basketball team (14-9, 6-6 SAC) took an 81-62 loss to No. 7 Oklahoma City University (20-2, 11-1 SAC) at Abe Lemons Arena on Saturday.
 
The Lady Rams had an uncharacteristically tough night in the paint, scoring just 26 compared to the 42 the Stars racked up. Texas Wesleyan shot 54 percent (7-13) from behind the arc, but OCU outrebounded the Rams 43-27 leading to more opportunities on the offensive end.
 
The Stars wasted no time, jumping out to a 14-2 lead that spanned over half of the first quarter. Nicole Gleason would hit her first of six three pointers to break the drought. The 5-11 freshman from Heath, TX went 6-6 from behind the arc in a break out game. Bailey Broadnax beat the defense for a layup before Gleason knocked down another triple to cut the lead to six at 16-10 at the 2:24 mark. The Stars got two back before the end of the quarter to keep a 22-14 lead.
 
The Lady Rams were held to just 21 percent from the floor in the second, while OCU shot 56 percent and established a 32-14 lead after a 10-0 rally. The Stars kept pushing the issue, running the lead up to 22-points and taking a 43-21 advantage at halftime.
 
The Stars kept all the momentum into the third quarter, shooting 60 percent from the floor and leading by as many as 34-points at 57-23 with six minutes remaining. Gleason sparked a Wesleyan rally with two consecutive three-pointers. Ashley Washington picked off the ball and found Ashlie Bruner for another three ball. Gleason hit the bottom of the net again to complete 12-2 run to make it a 59-35 game. The Stars weathered the Ram storm and took a 66-39 lead into the final quarter.
 
Texas Wesleyan continued to chip away at the mountain of a lead in the fourth, with a 15-3 run that took up half of the quarter. Bruner found the red hot Gleason who delivered with a three ball before Courtney Chargois capped the drive with a lay in to cut the lead to 69-54 with 4:26 on the clock. The advantage was too much to overcome though, as the seventh ranked team in the land protected the top spot in conference standings with an 81-62 win.  
 
Gleason and Threats led the Rams with 18 points each. Bruner tacked on nine points and five assists.
 
The Lady Rams will play Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, OK on Thursday, February 9. That game set for a 6 p.m. start.