The women’s basketball team rallied past Texas Wesleyan 84-77 Jan. 31 at Abe Lemons Arena in the Henry J. Freede Activity and Wellness Center.
Senior Rateska Brown led the team with 21 points. The Stars, ranked second in NAIA Division I women’s basketball, extended its winning streak to 15 points in going to 15-1, 10-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Brown grabbed six rebounds and nailed three 3-pointers.
Senior Marisha Wallace supplied the Stars with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Ouleymatou Coulibaly, a senior from Bamako, Mali, West Africa, posted her sixth double-double with 13 points, 18 rebounds and three steals.
Senior Janay Borum picked up 11 points, eight assists and two steals, and junior Catherine Kruschke contributed 11 points and five rebounds on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor.
OCU trailed at halftime for the fourth time this season 45-41. The Stars improved to 2-2 in 2014-15 when facing a halftime deficit as the game featured 16 lead changes and 11 ties.
The Stars erased a 47-41 hole with a 10-2 run. Wallace ignited OCU’s surge with a pair of baskets. Coulibaly sank free throws to put the Stars in front 51-49 with 16:29 left.
Texas Wesleyan responded as Amy Easley’s free throws put her team up 57-53 at the 11:31 mark. OCU struck back with the game’s next eight points. Coulibaly had free throws plus a couple of putbacks, including the go-ahead follow shot for a 59-57 OCU edge. Brown’s foul shots gave the Stars a 61-57 margin with 8:41 showing.
Onyesonam Nolisa tied the game 67-67 with a free throw for Texas Wesleyan. Oklahoma City seized the lead for good as Kruschke connected on a pair of free throws, then Brown converted a 3-point play with 4:18 left.
The Stars play against Mid-America Christian at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 at the Gaulke Activity Center in Oklahoma City.
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