Alva Review-Courier -

Northwestern Oklahoma State's women's basketball team was defeated by nationally-ranked opponent Pittsburg State University by a final score of 94-62.

After two weeks without a game due to the winter break, the Lady Rangers found themselves pitted against some stiff competition as they let the game slip out of reach in the second half. The Gorillas of Pittsburg State are currently ranked third in the nation in the WBCA Women's Coaches Poll.

The Rangers were led on offense by junior Kalea King, who finished the evening with 14 points as well as four assists. Guard Deja Beechum also continued her solid play for the Rangers as of late, totaling 12 points on 4-8 shooting from the field.

Lynn L. Martin

Lady Ranger Kalea King, (No. 3, junior, Round Rock, Texas) was the leading scorer for the NWOSU women with 14 points in Monday night's loss to Pittsburg State, 94-62.

The normally solid three-point shooting Rangers showed some rust in the game from behind the arc, as they shot just 20 percent from long range as a team. Northwestern also found it difficult to stop the high paced Gorillas offense, as the visiting team shot 50 percent from the field and had five different players in double-digits.

Pittsburg State got things started quickly with a 17-5 run to open up the ball game. The Lady Rangers settled down, however, and went on an 11-0 run that included some nice drives into the heart of the Gorilla defense by multiple Rangers.

The buzzer sounded at the end of the first period with a tie score at 18-18, but a 20-9 run throughout the second quarter gave the lead back to the Gorillas, which they would hang onto going into half at 45-29.

Things wouldn't get any easier for the Rangers in the second half, as the Gorillas continued to extend their lead throughout the rest of the contest. The Rangers did however show some depth on their bench and continued to provide the Gorillas with a physical contest all the way to the end.