From SWOSU Sports Info.
Doug Self, Sports Information Director
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Paced by Jessica Penner’s record-setting 39 points, SWOSU came out on top against Southern Arkansas 73-70 to earn their second straight conference win on Saturday afternoon inside the Pioneer Cellular Event Center.
Penner’s 39 on 18-22 shooting set record for most points scored in the school’s NCAA Division II era, the previous record was held by Julie Dawson who scored 38 points on St. Mary’s (Texas) on November 20, 2004. She also set the record for most field goals made in a game with 18. Sumiya Darden and Dawson previously held the joint record with 15 each, with Darden’s coming against Texas-Permian Basin on November 20, 2010 and Dawson’s coming in St. Mary’s game.
SWOSU took the lead after five minutes of play, going up courtesy of Penner’s fourth made basket of the game. The Lady Bulldogs would hold the lead until the 8:22 mark in the half when the Lady Muleriders used a 12-0 run to go up by eight with 5:12 to play. Two free throws courtesy of Jade Jones broke up the run by SAU, and SWOSU would close the gap to a manageable three points to go into the locker room down 35-32. Penner averaged a point a minute, going 10-10 from the field.
The Lady Dawgs went back to work in the second half, making it difficult for SAU to build a credible lead. Penner continued where she had left off, making her first four shots of the half, but would miss her first shot of the game with 16:26 left in the game. She had made her last 19 shots spanning the last two games prior to the miss.
SWOSU gained a short-lived lead with just over three quarters of the game played courtesy of Korina Chapman who had gone 1-2 from the line. The Lady Muleriders regained the lead immediately and increased their lead to six. They would hold the lead until 1:22 left to play when Penner made a layup and completed the three-point play to give the Lady Dawgs the lead. SWOSU would not look back, with Chelsea Bates icing the game after converting on six straight shots from the charity stripe.
Bates poured in 14 points in the victory while also recording three steals. Chapman and Kassy Easter fed Penner all game, with Chapman recording four assist and Easter notching five. Chapman also had a game-high 12 rebounds.
“Sometimes against the zone we just pass it around the 3-point line,” said Head Coach Kelsi Musick. “The way Penner’s been playing in the paint makes it easier for us to play against the zone. She’s been shooting at such a great percentage lately.”
“We just really did well talking to each other, Korina Chapman came through with some really clutch rebounds,” said Penner. “I just did what Coach told me to do, just turn around and shoot it. I really didn’t think about it much.”
SWOSU returns to action on the road next Thursday, January 15 against Henderson State in Arkadelphia, Ark. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 PM.