By Eric Scott
NWOSU Sports 

Lady Rangers secure first ever GAC Tournament bid with HSU victory, 74-54

 

February 24, 2019

Trey Lunn

Lady Ranger Jade Jones delivers the ball to Bailey Brown for the easy lay-up.

ALVA, Okla. – There was a lot to celebrate Saturday afternoon for the Northwestern Oklahoma State University women's basketball team as they rolled to a 74-54 victory over Henderson State in Percefull Fieldhouse.

The victory over the Reddies clinched a spot in the 2019 Great American Conference Tournament. It is the first postseason tournament bid for the Lady Rangers since transitioning to Div. II at the beginning of the 2012-13 year. Northwestern last made a postseason tournament when they reached the Sooner Athletic Conference quarterfinals in 2012.

Northwestern is now 12-15 overall and 9-11 in the conference. The ninth GAC victory this year is the most conference wins by the Lady Rangers since joining the league in 2012-13, while the 12 wins overall ties most win by the program since that 2011-12 season.

With the tournament bid locked up for the Lady Rangers, there is still work to be done and seeding to be decided in the final weekend of the regular season next week. Northwestern and Arkansas Tech, next Thursday night's opponent in Russellville, Arkansas, are both tied for seventh in the conference standings.

Sophomore post player Bailey Brown dominated underneath on the offensive end of the floor with a new career high 28 points, including a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe. It is also the most points scored by a Lady Ranger this season.

Brown is just one of five players to go perfect from the line with at least 11 free-throws made in school history. She tied Kim Gerber (12/1/1997) and Deanna Braley (2/15/2000) for the second most free-throws made with a perfect percentage in a game. Margo (Dobson) Hamilton is tops in school history with 17 attempts in 1997.

Playing in her final game on the Percefull Fieldhouse floor, Jade Jones was outstanding with 14 points, including two of the Lady Rangers four three-point baskets in the game. Classmate McKenzie Billy closed her home career with a career high nine rebounds.

Northwestern jumped on the Reddies early in the game with an 8-2 lead in the first two minutes with four made baskets around in the rim. The Lady Rangers never trailed in the ballgame.

Trey Lunn

Bailey Brown powers through the Henderson State defense as she makes two of her 28 points in Saturday's Senior Day game.

Starting at the 5:33 mark of the second quarter, Northwestern went on a 13-1 run to close the quarter to make it a 22-point advantage heading into halftime. The Lady Rangers went 8-for-10 from the free-throw line during the stretch with Billy adding a three-point basket and senior Deja Beechum going coast-to-coast for a layup.

Northwestern never allowed the Reddies to get within 14 points in the second half. The visiting team looked poised multiple times to start a run to cut into the lead, but the Lady Rangers would answer each time.

The Lady Rangers had a solid performance from the floor as they made 52.4-percent of their shots. Although they won the game by 20, the Lady Rangers had their fewest three-point attempts in a game in the Northwestern NCAA era (4-for-6).

Northwestern was 26-for-29 from the free-throw line in the victory, the fourth best single game percentage in program history with at least 10 free-throws made.

 

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