From OCU Sports Info.
Rich Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Oklahoma City University took care of Shawnee State (Ohio) 87-68 on Friday in the NAIA Division I women’s basketball tournament at the Independence Events Center.
Yvonte Neal, a senior from Spring Valley, Calif., powered the Stars with 28 points, eight rebounds and five 3-pointers. Second-ranked Oklahoma City (27-2) meets Great Falls (Mont.) at 2 p.m. CDT Saturday in the tournament quarterfinals.
Marisha Wallace, a senior from Midwest City, Okla., produced 16 points and four rebounds while shooting 7-for-10 from the field, while Ouleymatou Coulibaly, a senior from Bamako, Mali, West Africa, pitched in 12 points and four rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor for OCU.
The Stars swiped 15 steals to own a 34-6 advantage in points off turnovers. OCU’s Cetoria Petties, a senior from Oklahoma City, made a game-high seven thefts.
Oklahoma City posted its most lopsided national-tournament victory since a 74-35 rout of Central Methodist (Mo.) in the first round of the NAIA Division I Tournament on March 13, 2013. OCU’s previous seven national-tournament wins came by an average margin of victory of 3.4 points.
“As a team, I thought we did a great job of scoring off their turnovers,” OCU coach Latricia Trammell said. “We made possessions count and brought a lot of toughness to the game. The girls were focused, locked in and ready to leave it all on the court.”
The Stars outscored Shawnee State 16-5 at the start of the second half. Wallace notched eight of OCU’s points during that span. Wallace had a basket in the lane to provide the Stars their biggest lead of the game 58-36 with 15:39 remaining in the game.
Shawnee State climbed back into the game with a 16-1 onslaught. Abby Feuchter nailed back-to-back 3s for Shawnee State. Shavon Robinson’s two baskets in a row cut the OCU lead to 59-52 midway through the second half.
OCU reeled off a 10-2 run to remain in control. Coulibaly scored three buckets in a row to give the Stars a 76-58 advantage with 4:00 showing.
Janay Borum got OCU off to a 17-8 start on a jumper with 13:34 left in the first period.
Shawnee State rallied to take its only lead of the game 24-23 with 7:03 to go in the first. Feuchter finished off an 8-0 Bears run by scoring in the paint. Neal responded on a 3-point play followed by Cara Neighbors’ basket for a 28-24 Stars edge with 6:21 left in the half.
OCU created a 10-point advantage with an 8-0 surge before the end of the half. Neal downed consecutive treys to build a 40-30 Oklahoma City lead with 2:00 left.