OBU Women Stop USAO in Triple Overtime

After never leading in regulation, Oklahoma Baptist University took three overtimes to knock off the University of Arts & Sciences of Oklahoma, 84-80, Thursday night.

USAO scored the game's first seven points and lead by as many as 12, 18-6, with 14:54 left in the first half. OBU scored the next dozen points, though and tied the game at 18-18 with Kelli Welborn fueling the run with five points.

The Drovers got a 27-20 lead before the Lady Bison answered with an 8-1 run, including six points from Welborn, to knot the game at 28-28 with 4:23 left in the half. USAO closed the first half on a 9-1 run to lead 37-29 at halftime.

The Lady Bison scored the first eight points of the second half with four different scorers to tie the game at 37-37 just over two minutes in, but USAO fended off the attack.

The Drovers had an eight point lead, 62-54, with 4:57 left in regulation.

Trena Robbins scored a lay-up, then fed Shannon Plumb to cut the lead to 62-58 with 3:58 left in the second period.

Plumb hit two free throws at the 3:23 mark and Heins scored from the paint with 1:02 to tie the game at 62-62. The OBU defense forced three turnovers and four missed shots in the final 4:57 of regulation.

Layla Schwarz hit the first two free throws in the first overtime, giving the Lady Bison their first lead after 40:46 of action.

USAO retook the lead, 69-67, but Tabetha Eaton scored on a driving lay-up with 19 seconds left in the first overtime.

Eaton and Plumb scored in the second overtime, but Christal Merriweather tied the game at 73-73 with 38 seconds left and the Bison missed a last-second shot as Schwarz drove the lane and got no foul call despite being bumped.

Eaton and Welborn scored to start the third overtime and after a pair of Karole Roberts free throws for USAO, Priscila Alves rained in a three-pointer to give OBU its biggest lead, 80-75 with 3:18 showing.

Merriweather answered with a trey to cut the lead to two and the sides traded field goals before Welborn iced the game with two free throws with eight seconds remaining.

Welborn led OBU with 17 points, followed by Eaton with 15, Plumb and Schwarz with 13 each and Heins with 10.

With the win, OBU improves to 4-4 in the SAC and 15-6 overall.