GOODWELL, OK - Texas Wesleyan Women's Basketball (6-7, 4-1 SAC) used a 20-point second quarter and stingy defense to get a 54-42 victory on the road at Oklahoma Panhandle State (7-4, 3-2 SAC).
The 42 points allowed is the lowest given up by the Lady Rams since giving up just 32 points on November 8, 2014. The defense was most impacted by
Lorian Benjamin, who recorded five steals in the win (as a team, the Rams forced 19 turnovers). It's the second time this season she's nabbed five takeaways, both in conference victories. Benjamin added four points and five rebounds (three on the offensive glass) in 27 minutes.
The team's leading scorer,
Nicole Gleason, scored 10 of her 13 points in the first half, shooting 4-of-6, building a 30-22 halftime advantage. Six different players hit a shot in the second half, a 22-20 slugfest. Oklahoma Panhandle State went 0-for-7 from long range and only could muster six points in the fourth quarter after cutting the deficit to six at the end of the third. This will boost Texas Wesleyan's 44th-ranked scoring defense (63.00 points per game) in a conference that features three of the top 25 scoring defenses in the country.
The Lady Rams knew it would be tough sledding against the Aggies, who sported the 20th-ranked scoring defense coming in. The start of the fourth quarter was where the Lady Rams made their run, scoring seven straight points balooning the lead to 49-36. Oklahoma Panhandle State didn't score in the frame until 4:41 to go and by then, it was too late. TXWES got all of their points in the paint during that run (and a free throw) - a bucket each from Benjamin,
Adrianna Davis and
Kyla Grant. It was the least amount of points in a game for the Aggies in nearly a year.
Karah Sicurella scored 10 points off the bench in 19 minutes, hitting on 4-of-9 shots. Crystal Ngawuchu contributed eight points in just 12 minutes (foul trouble) while Davis sprung off the bench to haul in a team-high seven rebounds coupled with six points.
Tomi Sanchez got to get back out on the floor for the first time this season, with six minutes of work. The Lady Rams hit 11-of-14 free throws in a game desperate for points and walloped OPSU on the boards 35-15.
It was the first win over Oklahoma Panhandle State since the Aggies joined the conference last season.
A PROMISING START
After starting conference in a whole last season (0-4) the Lady Rams are back to their usual SAC successes, matching their 4-1 conference start from 2016-2017.
WHAT'S NEXT
Texas Wesleyan is at Wayland Baptist Saturday at 2 p.m., the No. 6 team in the NAIA with an unbeaten conference resume and an 11-2 overall record. Wayland dominates the glass, third in the nation in rebounds per game. Texas Wesleyan knocked out the Flying Queens on Senior Day in 2017, when Wayland Baptist came into Fort Worth with a No. 13 ranking and before the holidays, the Lady Rams took the No. 1 team in the country - Vanguard - to overtime in California.
